Case Study 8.1: From \"Dream Team\" to Nightmare They were the team of the century, at least on paper. In 201 1, the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League assembled an impressive roster of stars. Players, coaches, and front-ofce executives gushed about the Eagles' potential and expectations. Then, to top it all off, the Eagles added Nnamdi Asornugha, rated as one of the best defensive players in football. Eagles quarterback Vince Young, impressed by the talent around him, spoke for many in the organization when he called the group a \"Dream Team.\" He then went on to say, \"It's just beautiful to see where we're trying to go.\"1 The \"Dream Team" moniker instantly stuck. The label hearkened back to the 1992 U.S. Olympic men's basketball team, a team that many consider to be the greatest ever assembled. Headlined by Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird, the 1 992 Dream Team won every game that it played by an average of 43.8 points. Perhaps most impressive about the Olympic team was every player's commitment to the betterment of the team at the expense of his own personal statistics like points, steals, and rebounds. Emblematic of this team commitment was the fact that the squad's leading scorer was Charles Barkley, not Jordan, Johnson, or Bird. The team's focus on winning a gold medal for their country overshadowed any concern for individual achievements. 1Where the USA Dream Team galvanized around a shared goal of Olympic gold, the Eagles' players seemed focused on how being part of a great team would advance their own careers. The team lacked the chemistry so essential for success. Said Eagles player Cullen Jenkins, \"We didn't jell together well. There were different personality types. We didn't come together as a unit."2 Young's Dream Team remark drew attention in the media and across the rest of the league. Opposing players and teams set out to prove that the Eagles' condence was premature. Week after week, the Eagles got their opponents' best effort. In many cases, such adversity will cause a team to band together in order to succeed despite opposition. The Eagles, however, seemed to fold under pressure- Famous players who had signed multimillion-dollar contracts seemed to have lost a step, failing to adapt to their new team and coaches. As the season wore on, rumors began to circulate about friction within the locker room. Asomugha, once thought to be the crowning jewel of the team's many new players, sat and ate in his car rather than join his team for meals. Even following wins, players would complain if they did not get the individual numberstackles, catches, touchdownsthey wanted. Players were caught on camera hanging their heads during games and failing to give optimum effort. The team limped to an 83 nish, missing the playoffs. The next season was disastrous, as the Eagles lost 1 2 of 1 6 games, including 1 1 of their nal 1 2, to nish last in their division. By 20 1 3, a mere two years after Young's infamous quote, the \"Dream Team\" was no more. Players were released or traded by the team. The Eagles' longtime head coach, Andy Reid, was let go. The team's owner, Jeffrey Lurie, expressed that it was \"time for the Eagles to move in a new direction.\"i The 201 1 Philadelphia Eagles became a cautionary tale across the league, a reminder of the importance of team chemistry over all else. Discussion Probes 1. How do you dene \"team chemistry"? Is team chemistry more important than talent when it comes to group performance? 2. How can a team prevent itself from becoming overcondent? 3. How did Eagles players fail to carry out their individual ethical responsibilities? 4. Do you see any group ethical danger signs in the 20 1 1 Eagles team? 5. If you were hired to coach the 201 1 Eagles, what steps would you take to ensure that the team fullled its promise