Oh G-d...because with the Eye intact the eagles couldn't enter Mordor but after it was destroyed by destroying the Ring they were free to move and don't ask me how Gollum was able to steal the freaking Ring back from Sauron because I don't know...
I feel like such a geek.
Sauron lost the Ring more than 2000 years before Smeagol/Gollum was born.
Couldn't one of the Eagles have done a low-altitude sneak in? :)
Mordor was probably pretty low on AAA.
Geek and proud.