You might recall Leone's immortal status message: "Dan is [expletive] devastated about Dawkins signing with Denver. . .Dam Eagles R Retarted!!" That was enough to get him canned, and they've refused to take him back in the months since.

But apparently doggie mass murder isn't as heinous a sin, goes Leone's thinking. He's making the Philly media rounds to plead his case:

I figure, if a guy like that can get a second chance to make millions, why can't I get a second chance? I won't cost them that much to work there.

I deserve a second chance. I didn't commit any crimes or kill any dogs. And I'm left jobless."

Well, not jobless, as Leone is still working as a security guard across the parking lot at the Wachovia Center. But damn it, Flyers victories are bittersweet once you've tasted the Eagles nectar.

But Dan, I'll tell you why Michael Vick received an offer, despite his past transgressions: he's one of the best in the world at what he does. He can put a football between a receiver's numbers at 50 yards. He can escape 300-pound monsters and scramble for a gain.

If Vick's specialty was one that required a high school education, and didn't have thousands of similarly unskilled workers waiting to take his place, then you'd have a case.

Fired Eagles Worker Asks: Second Chance for Vick, Why Not Me? [KYW]

Leone, you'll recall, lost his job at Lincoln Financial Field after colorfully criticizing the Eagles decision to ship Dawkins to Denver. Dawkins, of course, had nothing to do with it, but he wants to make it up to Leone by offering him his comped tickets when the Broncos play the Eagles in Philly next season.

"I thought it'd be a good gesture,'' Dawkins said. "Had I not . . . signed with Denver, that guy would still have his job. Obviously, he made a decision and out of emotion said something. He was one of probably thousands and thousands of Eagles fans who felt that way. That didn't surprise me, that someone said that on their Facebook. It did surprise me that he was let go, though. That really did surprise me. I felt it would be a good thing, to reach out to that individual and just let him know how much I appreciate it.''

What ... no hot dogs? Couldn't you at least throw in a soft pretzel or something?

Former Eagle Dawkins understands loyalty of fans, difficulty of change [Philadelphia Daily News]
The Philadelphia Eagles' Gestapo Breaks An Employee's Heart - Twice [Deadspin]

Dan's tale has gone everywhere, far beyond the bleeding green outskirts of the Delaware Valley: from national radio stations, to ESPN, he's become a hydra-headed symbol for our flailing economy, an NFL team's heartless cruelty, and the perils of updating your Facebook page without spell-check. Or something. Here's a portion of one of Dan's radio spots with ESPN 950's "Mac & Mayes" show yesterday afternoon:

" I honestly didn't think it would cause this much repercussion. I'm loyal to the team. I did nothing but support them all the way. I did all I can to help that organization, I made one mistake in six years and now I'm no longer there."

And Dan ups the dumbfounded quotient a little more on television. It's also a nice touch he decided to don the Eagles' 75th anniversary Swedish jersey to the taping. It's a true testament to his Eagles loyalty that he'd not only purchase that ugly thing, but also wear it on television.

Facebooker Fired By Eagles Speaks Out [MyFoxPhilly]

Irascible Philadelphia Inquirer columnist, John Gonzalez, relays Leone's sad-sack tale of being a lifelong fan — who also happens to have a nerve-disorder that gives him trouble walking — getting his dream job yanked away from him after he posted this impassioned message on his Facebook page after Dawkins signed with Denver. [Sic'd]:

Dan is [expletive] devastated about Dawkins signing with Denver. . .Dam Eagles R Retarted!!"

Two days after he posted it, the Eagles' director of event operations, Leonard Bonacci, informed Leone that they needed to talk about his Facebook status. Leone deleted it and was ready to apologize to Bonacci face-to-face in order to make things right again. Didn't happen. Instead, two days later, poor Dan was called by the Eagles' Italian angel of death, Rachel Vitagliano, who informed him that he was no longer employed by the team.

And here we are today, with Leone clutching his keyboard in his Eagles sweatshirt begging for a second chance, or at the very least, a more personalized dismissal.

"I apologized 20 million times. I never bad-mouthed the organization before. I made one mistake and they terminate me? And they couldn't even bring me into the office to talk to me? They had to do it over the phone? At least look me in the eye. To get done dirty like this, I can't believe it. I'm devastated."

Yeah, comments like that are probably not gonna help you get your job back, fella. Besides, if he was a true fan of the Eagles, he would know that the team's history of re-signing aging, injury-prone players isn't something they normally do. They'd rather use that money to get a faster, younger, more malleable west gate chief than overspend on cantankerous veterans.

Oh, and an aside: I'm a little amazed that Dan nailed "devastated" on the first try, given he was way off on both "damn" and "retarded." Maybe it was purposeful.

Anyway, good luck with reaching cause célèbre status in Philadelphia, Dan.

Cold Eagles sure are thin-skinned [Philly.com]