In what has become a staple of Philadelphia Eagles games, quarterback Jalen Hurts “rushed” for a 1-yard touchdown against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday night. That came on a play that has come to be known as the “Tush Push” or the “Brotherly Shove.”
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1716264416726184365
But while many have come to appreciate the Eagles’ signature play, not everybody is a fan. That apparently includes Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday night, Schad—who covers the Dolphins—forcefully called for the polarizing play to be banned.
“The Tush Push is not a legitimate football play,” Schad posted. “It’s not how football was meant to be played. It’s also lame and can cause injuries. Nobody except Eagles fans will miss it once it’s banned in the off-season.”
As one might imagine, many on social media—including Eagles fans and non-Eagles fans alike—were quick to point out the (many) fallacies in Schad’s argument.
The problem with Schad’s take isn’t so much the take itself, but rather the reasoning.
Had the former ESPN college football reporter argued that the play should be banned because it’s too difficult for opponents to stop—and even then, one could retort that other teams have attempted the play with less success than Philadelphia—that would be one thing. But his decision to anoint himself as the decider of what is arbitrarily a “football play” and what isn’t is what appears to have made his post so poorly received. It also doesn’t help that Schad covers the Dolphins, which only adds to perception that his post was rooted in sour grapes about a play that went against Miami.
There’s also a part of me that actually feels bad for Schad. I know what it’s like to get caught up in live-tweeting a football game, both as a reporter and as a fan, and having an ill-advised half-baked thought catch on. I can only imagine what Schad felt as the replies and quote-tweets poured in on Sunday night.
To his credit, Schad seems to be taking the outpouring of responses in stride — although he also hasn’t backed down from his position.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.