Facebook Shrugs Off Instagram's New Class Action Lawsuit

For Instagram, there's good news and there's bad news about the class action lawsuit just filed against them. Bad news first: Somebody just filed a class action lawsuit. Good news: the lawyers from Instagram's parent company, Facebook, have plenty of practice getting rid of these pesky things. That might explain why they're so dismissive about the legal inconvenience a group of disgruntled Instagram users left under its tree this year. "We believe this complaint is without merit and we will fight it vigorously," says Facebook spokesman Andrew Nusca. It'll obviously take more than the half-hearted apology Instagram CEO and co-founder Kevin Systrom made at the end of last week.
RELATED: It's Time to Accept the Existence of a Social Media Bubble
The lawsuit's complaint is somewhat understandable. If you've so much as heard the word "Instagram" you've heard about how much their new terms of service stink. In it, the company declared that it "may share User Content and your information (including but not limited to, information from cookies, log files, device identifiers, location data, and usage data)" with Facebook, its subsidiaries and its "affiliates." Instagram users understood this to mean that Instagram could sell their photos to advertisers, though Systrom pushed back at that in his blog post when he more or less said that the company would revert to its old terms of service. "We don't own your photos – you do," he said.
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Instagram kept three key new details in place, though. One, the company maintained the ability to serve ads in your feed. Two, it said "that we may not always identify paid services, sponsored content, or commercial communications as such." Lastly, it left in place the mandatory arbitration clause that it added with the new terms of service, forcing users to waive their right to participate in class action lawsuit. That obviously didn't discourage this group of plaintiffs who said in the lawsuit that "Instagram declares that 'possession is nine-tenths of the law and if you don't like it, you can't stop us.'"
RELATED: Mark Zuckerberg Disappears from Google+ Due to Privacy Settings
No big deal. Instagram is a part of Facebook now, and Facebook has dealt with class action lawsuits before. Just seven months ago, it got slammed with a $15 billion class action suit from users who said that the social network was "improperly tracking the internet use of its members even after they logged out of their accounts." They haven't settled yet, but if it winds up anything like the class action lawsuit over the Beacon advertising program a few years ago, it could take years to resolve and could cost Facebook millions. With some good lawyering, though, this latest lawsuit won't cost as many millions as it could. But Instagram will never be the same.

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How 'Doctor Who' Kept Its Big Christmas Secret Off Twitter

Tonight Doctor Who fans get to gorge on their annual Christmas fix -- a full-length special episode the series has produced every year for the holiday since 2005. This time, however, there's some extra spice in the form of a new regular cast member: Jenna-Louise Coleman debuts in "The Snowmen" as the Doctor's next companion.
Except it's not her debut. Coleman actually made her first appearance in the series premiere back in September. Actually, make that surprise appearance. In preseason interviews, Doctor Who's producers had explicitly told fans they'd have to wait until Christmas before they'd see Coleman in the show.
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But there she was, fighting Daleks and making soufflés, way ahead of schedule. This was unheard of for the series, which has seen major plotlines leak online -- usually months before broadcast -- several times over the past few years. The show had gotten to the point where it would simply announce any major developments far in advance in order to get ahead of the spoiler hunters.
Yet somehow the show's producers kept Coleman's early debut a secret -- a feat made even more challenging since there were several preview screenings of the episode, each attended by hundreds of rabid fans, all carrying smartphones. How did Doctor Who keep every single one of them from tweeting about it?
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"I asked. That's it," says Steven Moffat, Doctor Who's current showrunner. "I don't think anyone thought it would work. I certainly didn't. At the London premiere, I just stood up and said, 'Please, nobody, no fan, no newspaper -- nobody at all -- mention that she's in it. And to my surprise it worked."
SEE ALSO: How 'Doctor Who' Won Over America
Moffat says the idea of misleading the audience about when Coleman would debut "grew" as he was writing the current series. But it almost didn't happen since others at the BBC wanted to get ahead of the news and announce her presence at the first preview screening. Moffat, however, was convinced (rightly, it turns out) that he could persuade the fans and journalists in attendance to guard the secret.
"They tried to talk me out of it at the last minute," he says. "And it did involve a lot of charming journalists and saying 'Please don't...' It was the polite embargo, really. We couldn't really embargo it. And I was always clear, 'There is no punishment here. You don't get blacklisted -- I'm just asking, and the show will be better if you keep this secret.' And they did."
But did really not a single person on fire off a quick tweet about Coleman being on the show? It appears so. Although Twitter doesn't offer a way to search tweets within a specific date range, searching the Twitter domain on Google during the month of August (the series premiered on Sept. 1) for her name reveals just regular promotion for the show.
"You can get a long way just by asking politely," says Moffat. "Who knew that's all you had to do? What's remarkable about it is not one single person broke. And I really didn't think that was going to work, because if any website had broken it -- if any forum had broken it -- the press would have just leapt in. They would have felt no further need for restraint. But they didn't."
Now Coleman makes her "proper" debut in the Christmas special, but is she playing the same character as before (who was -- spoiler alert -- abruptly killed off), or someone different? Moffat's already told fans not to expect any great explanations under the tree. What's going on with Coleman's character (characters?) won't be fully revealed until the series returns in the New Year.
But who knows? Maybe that's another mislead.
Will you be watching Doctor Who tonight? Does the show still surprise you? Share your thoughts in the comments.
BONUS: Doctor Who Series 7 Premiere
Doctor Who Returns
Matt Smith (The Doctor) and Karen Gillan (Amy Pond) attended a special screening of the premiere of Doctor Who Series 7 at New York City's Ziegfeld Theater. The episode, "Asylum of the Daleks," debuts on BBC America on Sept. 1.

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Facebook in 2012: A Billion Users and Counting

Facebook is the most popular social network on the planet. It celebrated its eighth birthday on Feb. 4, 2012. Although Facebook has only been around since 2004, it certainly seems like much longer.
For many of us, it feels like we've grown up habitually checking to see who has liked our photos and commented on our status updates. We love to use it. Sometimes we hate ourselves for loving it so much. We complain about it. We use it to complain about almost everything else. It's a revolution and an addiction. In many ways it's like a chair, but in other ways it's not like a chair at all.
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Regardless, 2012 was arguably Facebook's biggest year in terms of noteworthy accomplishments. And that's saying a lot, since it was widely credited with facilitating the Arab Spring in 2011.
Here's a look back at Facebook's biggest milestones of 2012:
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1 Billion Users
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the network had surpassed 1 billion active users on Oct. 4. There are 7 billion people on the entire planet. Only two countries in the world — China and India — have more inhabitants than Facebook has users.
The billion active Facebook users have forged more than 140 billion friendships.
To celebrate these accomplishments, Facebook released its first commercial, which compared the network to, among other things, chairs, doorbells and a great nation.

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Jessica Simpson's Christmas tweet seems to confirm pregnancy rumor

 Actress, singer and fashion designer Jessica Simpson sent a Christmas Twitter message that apparently confirms media rumors that she is pregnant - showing a photo of her daughter Maxwell with the words "Big Sis" spelled out in sand.
The picture's caption reads "Merry Christmas from my family to yours."
Simpson had her first child, Maxwell Drew Johnson, in May. She has since become a spokeswoman for Weight Watchers.
A representative for Simpson was not immediately available for comment.
Simpson rose to fame as a teen pop star and became a household name after starring in a TV reality show with her then-husband Nick Lachey, a member of the boy band 98 Degrees. The pair divorced after three years of marriage.
She went on to star in the 2005 film version of "The Dukes of Hazzard" and re-invented herself as a country singer in 2008. She currently designs apparel, accessories and other fashion products and is a mentor on the TV contest "Fashion Star."
Simpson's fiance, Eric Johnson, is a former U.S. professional football player whose career spanned seven seasons for both the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints.

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New laws at a glance: Eyedrops, brakes, Facebook

As 2013 begins, many states are enacting new laws dealing with gay rights, child safety, abortion, immigration and other perennial concerns. Some other topics states are dealing with in new laws:
ANIMAL WELFARE
Pennsylvania will prohibit use of carbon monoxide chambers to destroy animals at shelters and will make it easier for shelters to get drugs for a more humane method. Activists say animals are often old, young, sick or hurt and not good candidates for gas chamber euthanasia. Some provisions are about to take effect, while others will be in place later in 2013.
AUTISM
Alaska becomes the 31st state to require insurance coverage for autism, with a law mandating coverage for the diagnosis, testing and treatment of autism spectrum disorders for children and young adults. Illinois, which previously approved autism insurance coverage, now also will require insurance companies to cover medical services related to autism.
BRAKE PADS
Washington state is requiring manufacturers of brake pads to phase out the use of copper and other heavy metals as a way to prevent the metal from polluting waters and harming salmon. When brakes wear down, they release copper shavings onto roads that eventually wash into rivers. The first phase of the law takes effect Jan. 1, when manufacturers of friction brakes will be required to report the concentrations of heavy metals in their products.
EYEDROPS
New Mexico will allow more frequent refills of prescription eye drops, such as those used by glaucoma patients. Under the law, insurance companies could not deny coverage for a refill requested by a patient within a certain amount of time — for instance, within 23 days for someone with a prescription for a 30 day supply of the eye drops. Supporters of the measure say some patients find it difficult to control how many drops they put onto their eye, causing individuals to prematurely run out of medication before an insurer will pay for a refill.
PARTY BUSES
California will start to hold party bus operators to the same standards as limousine drivers, making them legally responsible for drinking by underage passengers. The law is named for Brett Studebaker, a 19-year-old from San Mateo who died in 2010 after drinking on a party bus and crashing his own vehicle while driving home later.
ONLINE PRIVACY
California and Illinois are both making it illegal for employers to demand access to employees' social media accounts. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed the law in August at the Illinois Institute of Technology, where several students lamented that online snooping by bosses has caused some to lose out on jobs and forced others to temporarily deactivate their profiles. In September, California Gov. Jerry Brown said the legislation will protect residents from "unwarranted invasions."
UNEMPLOYMENT
To raise money for its unemployment insurance fund, Georgia will start charging employers for the unemployment insurance tax on the first $9,500 in taxable wages earned by workers, an increase over the previous $8,500. The new law stretches forward the suspension of another unemployment insurance tax, though it allows the labor commissioner to impose it to help repay money borrowed from the federal government or if fund balances dip below $1 billion.

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Bears fire coach Lovie Smith after 9 seasons

 The Chicago Bears reached the Super Bowl under coach Lovie Smith and consistently boasted a formidable defense.
However, they missed the playoffs too many times, never solved their problems on offense and even after a 10-win season they are moving on without him.
The Bears fired Smith on Monday after the team missed the playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons. General manager Phil Emery delivered the news to Smith on the day after the Bears beat Detroit to finish 10-6 but still didn't make the playoffs.
Hired in 2004, Smith led the 2006 team to the Super Bowl, but he also saw his team collapse in the second half of the past two seasons. He was let go with a year left on his contract, ending a nine-year run that produced an 81-63 record, three division titles and two appearances in the NFC championship game.
The Bears scheduled a news conference with Emery for Tuesday to discuss the move. Smith was not available for comment, but talked to the team after he was fired.
"He earned even more respect from me, if it was possible," quarterback Jay Cutler said. "He handled it the right way. A lot of character in that man, and it showed up."
Emery appears to be moving quickly in the search for a replacement.
A person familiar with the situation said Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy will interview for the Bears and Arizona Cardinals jobs this week. The person, who spoke to The Associated Press on Monday on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to publicly speak about the interviews, said the talks would take place in Denver.
Even though Chicago closed with a win, the Bears needed a loss by Minnesota to get into the playoffs. The Vikings, though, beat Green Bay to clinch a postseason spot, leaving Chicago as the second team since the postseason expanded to 12 teams to miss out after a 7-1 start. The other was Washington in 1996.
Smith ranks third on the Bears' wins list behind George Halas and Mike Ditka.
The highlight of his tenure was the run to the title game that ended with a loss to the Indianapolis Colts. It was the first time two black coaches met for the championship, with Smith going against his mentor Tony Dungy.
The 2010 team lost to Green Bay in the NFC title game, but the Bears made the playoffs just three times and won three postseason games under Smith.
There was speculation he would be let go following the 2011 team's collapse, but he got one more year while general manager Jerry Angelo was fired. Now, he's out.
Return star Devin Hester was so upset he said he was considering retirement, adding, "I've got my workers' comp papers in my pocket."
Is he hurt?
"Not physically, but mentally," Hester said.
He wasn't ruling out playing next year, either.
While Smith was dismissed, there was no official word on the status of assistant coaches.
"I think we're going to get the best available coordinator, head coach, assistant coaches," Cutler said. "(I'm not going) to speculate where they're going to go. I have no idea. But I trust Phil and everyone involved in the search, and they're going to make the best decisions they can make."
Known for solid defenses, Smith oversaw a unit that was consistently effective and at times ranked among the league's best with stars such as Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and later Julius Peppers. Smith emphasized taking the ball away from the opposition, and no team did it more than the Bears with 310 during his tenure.
But on the other side, it was a different story.
Smith went through four offensive coordinators in Terry Shea, Ron Turner, Mike Martz and Mike Tice. He never could find the right formula, even as the Bears acquired stars such as quarterback Jay Cutler and receiver Brandon Marshall over the years.
Smith had no bigger supporter than team matriarch Virginia McCaskey, but the fans seemed split on him.
"The media, the false fans, you all got what you all wanted," Hester said. "The majority of you all wanted him out. As players we wanted him in. I guess the fans — the false fans — out-ruled us. I thought he was a great coach, probably one of the best coaches I've ever been around. He brought me in."
History suggests fans hoping for a high-profile replacement such as Bill Cowher or Jon Gruden might be disappointed. The last time the Bears went with an experienced NFL head coach was when Halas returned to the sideline in 1958.
They might, however, go with an offensive-minded coach for the first time since Mike Ditka was fired after the 1992 season, given the issues in that area.
That the Bears would be in this spot seemed unthinkable after they won seven of their first eight games, but the schedule took a tougher turn. Injuries mounted and so did the losses. It was similar to last season when they finished 8-8 after a 7-3 start, a collapse sparked by a season-ending injury to Cutler.
Dismissing Smith was the first move in what looks like a busy offseason. Urlacher has an expiring contract and was limited by knee and hamstring injuries this year.
The Bears might have a decision to make on Cutler, who has one more year left on his contract.
"I think, first and foremost, their concern is going to be with finding coaches, and we'll address it from there," he said.

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January groundbreaking for Atlanta's College Football Hall of Fame

Groundbreaking for a new College Football Hall of Fame in downtown Atlanta is set for January 28, and the first visitors are expected to walk through the doors in August 2014, the National Football Foundation said on Monday.
The Foundation decided three years ago that it was moving the Hall of Fame to Atlanta from South Bend, Indiana, near the campus of the University of Notre Dame, a college football powerhouse. The South Bend facility closed on Sunday.
The new hall, in a highly trafficked section of Atlanta, is expected to attract many more visitors than it did in South Bend, John Christie, executive vice president of Atlanta Hall Management Inc, told Reuters. Atlanta Hall Management is the nonprofit formed to oversee the new facility.
It will be located near Centennial Olympic Park, the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola museum, and will be within walking distance of the Georgia Dome, where the Atlanta Falcons professional football team plays.
"We have a critical mass of millions visiting the Centennial Park area," Christie said.
The $66.5 million project will be funded with corporate sponsorships while the city of Atlanta and state of Georgia will fund road improvements needed for the new building, said Christie.

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Bills fire Gailey after 3 straight losing seasons

 Chan Gailey didn't work out after three losing seasons, leaving the Buffalo Bills looking for their fifth head coach since 2001.
The Bills fired Gailey on Monday after he failed to deliver on his vow to transform a losing franchise into a playoff contender. Gailey's entire staff was fired, too, but the status of general manager Buddy Nix remained uncertain, and could be decided as early as Tuesday.
Bills CEO Russ Brandon returned to Buffalo on Monday night after spending the day meeting with team owner Ralph Wilson at his home outside Detroit. Nix did not make the trip, and instead stayed at the team's facility.
The Bills have made tentative plans to have a team official address the media Tuesday.
The decision to fire Gailey was announced shortly after Brandon arrived in Detroit.
Gailey's teams lost twice as many games as they won, going 16-32 over three seasons. The Bills have now posted eight straight losing seasons, and closed with a second straight 6-10 mark after beating the New York Jets 28-9 on Sunday.
"I understand this is a business," said Gailey, who had at least one year left on his contract. "We didn't get the job done."
Gailey spoke for a little over a minute. He declined to take questions, while growing emotional at one point. Among the assistants fired were assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt.
"I've been called two other times to get things turned around, was able to do it," Gailey said, referring to previous stops with Dallas (1998-99) and Georgia Tech (2002-07). "We weren't able to get this one done soon enough, and I understand that completely."
It was a disappointing finish for a team that had much higher aspirations. The Bills spent much of the past 14 months securing their top players, re-signing receiver Stevie Johnson and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to lucrative multiyear contracts.
The spending spree reached its peak in March, when they signed defensive end Mario Williams to a six-year, $100 million contract.
"It's always disappointing," said defensive tackle Kyle Williams, one of the only players left in the locker room when the team announced Gailey's firing.
What frustrates Williams more is how the Bills keep making changes without getting any results.
"I get tired of losing," Williams said. "More than anything, I get tired of putting in tons and tons of work. And it's hard sitting here talking to you guys at the end of December feeling like another one kind of slipped through your fingers."
What's next remains unclear.
Nix was not available Monday, and canceled his weekly radio show on Friday.
Gailey's dismissal is a significant setback for Nix. The general manager announced in November that Gailey wasn't going anywhere, because another coaching change would stunt the team's development.
The Bills, however, closed by losing seven of their final 10 games.
Wilson had initially backed Nix's build-through-the-draft approach. Three years ago, the 94-year-old owner said he expected the rebuilding process could take as long as five years.
Brandon has been unhappy with the criticism leveled at the Bills, and how it's translated into poor ticket sales. Buffalo failed to sell out its three of its final four home games. And the fourth, against St. Louis on Dec. 9, wasn't a sellout until a local restaurateur purchased the remaining 10,000 tickets.
One option is for the Bills to make a splash in hiring their next head coach, as they attempted in their previous search.
After firing Dick Jauron in November 2009, Wilson expressed a desire to open his checkbook to lure a high-profile coach to Buffalo only to be rebuffed by Mike Shanahan, who instead landed in Washington.
The most high-profile candidates available include coach-turned-broadcaster Jon Gruden and Andy Reid, who was fired by Philadelphia on Monday. Then there's two candidates in the college ranks, Oregon's Chip Kelly and Penn State's Bill O'Brien, who had numerous friends and former colleagues on Gailey's staff.
An offensive specialist, Gailey was unable to spark the Bills popgun attack under Fitzpatrick. The Bills finished 19th in the NFL in yards gained and 21st in points this season. Gailey was faulted for under-utilizing the offense's most dynamic threat, running back C.J. Spiller.
"It's sickening," running back Fred Jackson said, referring to how the Bills failed to play up to expectations. "As players, we had the highest hopes out of everybody. And for us to fall short of that, we don't like it at all. It's depressing."
Ultimately, it was the Bills' porous defense that doomed Gailey.
The Bills allowed 400-plus points in each of the past three seasons, including 435 this year — the second-most in team history. Though Williams' presence improved the pass rush, Buffalo became the NFL's eighth team, and first since the 1986 Jets, to allow 45 points four times in one season.
Fitzpatrick's status is uncertain in part because he's due a $3 million bonus in March. He went 16-29 since taking the starting job three games into the 2010 season.
Fitzpatrick declined to speculate on his future. After speaking to reporters, Fitzpatrick hugged Johnson, and the two left with the receiver's arm over the quarterback's shoulder.
Reading from notes he jotted on a Bills pad, Gailey's eyes welled with tears when he credited Bills fans for their loyalty, and Buffalo for being a passionate football city.
"I think that the next staff will have a great opportunity for success, and make this another great football franchise," Gailey said. "This will probably be, and I say probably, but I think it will be the first place that's ever fired me that I'll pull for.

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Pacers surge past visiting Grizzlies

A furious fourth quarter from the Indiana Pacers sparked an 88-83 comeback win over the visiting Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.
The Grizzlies, the NBA's top defensive team, led by 11 late in the third quarter before the Pacers charged back.
Ben Hansbrough spurred the charge with two consecutive three-pointers to open the fourth, propelling the Pacers to a 14-4 run that gave them the lead for good.
"That's a really good team win for our guys," Pacers coach Frank Vogel told reporters. "I'm proud of the effort and grit to beat a really good basketball team."
Paul George scored 21 points to lead Indiana (18-13), who outscored Memphis 28-16 in the final quarter.
Grizzlies big man Zach Randolph had 21 points and 15 rebounds with Rudy Gay adding 11 points but missing a potential tying three-pointer with five seconds remaining.
Indiana made six straight free throws in the final 30 seconds to seal the win, their fifth in six contests.
D.J. Augustin helped wrap up the win and finished with 17 points after being pushed into the starting lineup because of a thigh injury to George Hill.
Augustin's three-pointer with 2:07 left gave the home team an 82-76 edge.
While Indiana came to life with 50 second-half points, Memphis fell apart in the fourth behind poor shooting and decision making. Gay made just 3 of 17 shots on the day.
"We got a little selfish in the fourth quarter," said Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley. "We made a lot of bad turnovers and didn't continue to play our transition game."
Memphis (19-9) have lost three of their last four to fall further behind first-place San Antonio in the Southwest Division.

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Eagles fire Andy Reid after 14 seasons

 Andy Reid stuck around after he was fired by the Philadelphia Eagles, meeting with players, encouraging staff and shaking hands with the man who let him go.
After 14 years, Reid found it hard to walk away.
Owner Jeffrey Lurie understood. "He had the love and respect of every individual in this organization," he said at his news conference Monday. "This man is amazing to work with, smart and dedicated, and the record will speak for itself."
Not this season's 4-12 record nor the humiliating score of the season-ending loss to the New York Giants, 42-7, on Sunday.
It was the worst finish by the team since Lurie fired Ray Rhodes following a 3-13 finish in 1998.
"When you have a season like that, it's embarrassing. It's personally crushing to me and it's terrible," Lurie said. "Our fans deserve the very best. This year, they got a team that was not very good at all. I feel terrible about that."
Lurie informed Reid of his decision shortly before 9 a.m. Reid addressed the team an hour later and received a standing ovation.
"It was emotional," running back LeSean McCoy said. "We felt his pain. It hurts a lot."
Many players blamed themselves for his ouster and a few held back tears while talking about their former coach.
"It's unfortunate. I feel we personally let him down," wide receiver Jeremy Maclin said. "It's a sad day."
Reid took over a 3-13 team in 1999, drafted Donovan McNabb with the No. 2 overall pick and quickly turned the franchise into a title contender.
He is the winningest coach in club history and led them to a run of four straight NFC championship games, a streak that ended with a Super Bowl trip after the 2004 season — and a loss, 24-21, to the New England Patriots. The Eagles are still seeking their first NFL title since 1960.
Reid cemented Philadelphia as a destination football town and led the team to an unmatched level of success. But the team hasn't won a playoff game since 2008 and after last season's 8-8 finish, Lurie said he was looking for improvement this year.
Instead, it was worse.
"I look forward to the day when everyone welcomes him back into the Eagles Hall of Fame because that's inevitable," Lurie said.
Reid grew up in Southern California and may welcome a return home. He already has said he wants to coach next season.
"I think Andy is an outstanding football coach," Lurie said. "That's what Andy wants to do. He doesn't want to transition to other aspects of football operations. He's a football coach. He wants to coach right now. He was very excited about the future of this team and this franchise. He wanted to stay."
Reid is due to make $6 million in 2013 in the final year of his contract. He is the franchise leader in wins (140), losses (102) and winning percentage (.578) and led the Eagles to nine playoff appearances, six division titles and five NFC championship games.
Aside from team troubles, the year was a painful one for Reid. He endured a devastating loss weeks before the season opener when his oldest son, Garrett, died at training camp after a long battle with drug addiction.
In October, Reid fired close friend and longtime assistant Juan Castillo, who was in his second season as defensive coordinator after coaching the offensive line for 13 years. He later fired defensive-line coach Jim Washburn.
Still to be determined is whether Michael Vick stays with the team. He's under contract for $16 million next season, but the Eagles can release him within a few days after the Super Bowl and avoid a salary-cap hit.
In 2009, Reid and Lurie gave Vick a second chance in the NFL after the former star quarterback spent 18 months in federal prison related to a dogfighting operation. Vick took over as the starter in 2010, had a remarkable season and led the Eagles to the NFC East title. But like rest of the team, Vick regressed the last two seasons.
"There is nobody who wants to win more than I do," Lurie said. "Once you've experienced the success we've had, it makes you just realize that there's nothing more that you want than a Super Bowl, and to deliver that to our fans."
After beating the defending Super Bowl champion Giants on Sept. 30, the Eagles lost eight straight games — their worst losing streak in 42 years.
Lurie said he has a "defined" list of candidates to replace Reid, but hasn't spoken to any coaches or set up interviews yet. General manager Howie Roseman and president Don Smolenski will assist him in the process.
"It's better to find the right leader than to make a fast decision," Lurie said. "There's no guarantee I'll make a great decision, but I'm confident I will."
A person familiar with the team's plan said the Eagles will interview Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan this week. Atlanta's offensive coordinator, Dirk Koetter and special teams coach Keith Armstrong also will be interviewed. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team has not announced its interview plans.
Earlier, PhiladelphiaEagles.com posted video of Lurie and Reid addressing employees, who gave Reid a big ovation. Lurie handed him a game ball.
"I have a hard time standing before people without a few boos involved. But I'm taking it, I'm taking it all in," Reid said. "These have been the greatest 14 years of my life."
He added: "Sometimes change is good. ... I know the next guy that comes in will be phenomenal. The ultimate goal is a Super Bowl. Everybody in this room, I wish you a big ring on the finger in the near future.

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