Eagles To City: You Want Trouble?
Philadelphia Inquirer Sports Columnist Bob Ford writes about the Eagles, the Phillies, the Sixers and the Flyers.
Eagles To City: You Want Trouble?
Bob Ford, Inquirer Sports Columnist
The little cat fight between the city of Philadelphia and the Eagles over secret deals, greased wheels and the small matter of $8 million just turned into another South Philly intimidation attempt this week.
The Nutter administration has decided to fight the Eagles as it tries to get unpaid luxury box revenue from Veterans Stadium, and in the process is denying the team's claim that former Mayor John F. Street or someone acting as his representative promised a cut-rate deal.
How did the Eagles respond? In the classic strong-arm fasion favored by most city gangs? With a threat that's about as well-veiled as a blackjack across the head.
"We are very disappointed that the city continues to attempt to try this case in public," the team said in a statement issued Tuesday. "We think this should concern every person doing business in the City of Philadelphia or is contemplating doing business in the city."
In other words, Mr. Businessman, we're going to badmouth the way you might expect to be treated in the city of Philadelphia, should you consider putting some of your resources there. Or, if your business is already in the city, perhaps you should take note of how upstanding folks like us are being treated right now. That should concern you, maybe enough to reconsider where you do your business."
It doesn't get much more blatant than that. You want to say nasty things about us -- things that include the non-payment of the $8 million, even though a judge ruled in 2005 that it was owed -- well, we can say nasty things, too. And maybe chase away some business from your door while we're at it. Want to keep playing this game, Mr. Mayor?
"...The city's attempt to pressure us publicly to pay an amount of money that we don't owe will serve ultimately to embarrass it and worry the entire business community," the statement added.
Not withstanding that the 2005 ruling indicates that the team does owe that amount of money, of course.
And there's that intimidation again, pointing out that the city trying to collect money owed to it should "worry the business community." You can almost see the executives hunkered behind their desks, their brows furrowed with concern. Could this happen to me? What about my skybox revenue?
The Eagles are acting like bullies, which is the organization's default setting. Maybe it will work and Nutter will back down, worried what else the team might say to foul the business waters for the city.
It's a nasty turn in the proceedings, but time-honored. Having a lawyer and a stick beats having just a lawyer any time.
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Wonder what the truth is? The business climate is terrible.— sleepy- The greed of the wealthy is insatiable.— redbeagle
- How can anyone be an Eagles fan. The don't care about the fans remember how they wanted to take your hoagies away then they wanted to stop letting you tailgate. Now they don't want to pay 8 million because of a preseason game being canceled how many years ago? Oh and don't the fans who want season tickets HAVE to pay for preseason game tickets. I don't know who the biggest jokes is Lurie or the fans for putting up with this disrespect.— cusoraider
- Bob Ford again leaves out very important info from this so called piece of writing. There are people posting here with more info than Mr, Ford. Come on Bob start putting all the info in your writing. This is all to common in your work. All you do is get all the haters going. Is that what they pay you to do, or are you supposed to give the whole story and let the fans decide for themselves.— fred13
- Mabey the Eagles should move to LA and we can get a new franchise in a few years.— Souf Phil
- interesting statements dutchman, too bad that isn't what the eagles are saying. It's be a lot more effective than the tough man antics they employ.— dreinterests
- i'll bet on the eagles business plan over the city of philadelphia's. no brainer.— JACK V
- So, Bob...how much money does the Vet Landlord City of Philadelphia owe the Eagles for the national embarassment Vet turf that caused the cancellation of the exhibition game? The city of Philadelphia is an old, tired corrupt (and content) cesspool of special interest groups, public teat sucking do-nothings and incompetent politicians and cronies. And that is exactly what the people of Philly deserve. Keep voting for the likes of the "worst legislative body in the world"— JingoGuy
I moved away from the area a couple years ago, and one reason that I even considered it was due to the local union thugs in the city. Their backward thinking of demanding that anyone doing business in the city (even as vistors - see Convention Center) use their overpaid, inefficient and rude laborers in order to get their "fair share" is having the effect of preventing the city to grow. All across the country there are cities seing double digit increases in population, but not so much in Philly. Why? Because there's no new jobs coming to the city. So the unions keep demanding a bigger piece of a shrinking pie instead of partering in growth and taking a smaller piece of a growing pie.- I like all the teams in this city, but I will tell you what they have the most screwed up front offices in the whole world. These guys would step on anybody for a dollar, people and words mean nothing to them, they are scavengers of the worst sort (hyineas). I haven't paid to seea game in 10 years and will never pay to see any of these teams ever play, they don't deserve my hard earned money !!!!!!— lalleva
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- i don't know why people are so inclined to believe that John Street didn't strike an inside deal with them. Some people are so blinded by their anti-Lurie hate. While he may not have won a Super Bowl, they have been the most consistent sports team in this town since 1995. If ignorance was money, this region would be the richest in North America.— Justanothervoice
Dutchman you are 100% correct. Street did do the deal and now Nutter want's to void it.— Flyboy24- Comment removed.
