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T.O.: Eagles fans are 'wishy-washy'

Terrell Owens thinks Eagles fans are wishy-washy. Plus, national writers break out the "They booed Santa Claus" references.

Luckily, in 72 hours, we can stop discussing whether Donovan McNabb is going to get cheered or booed when he returns to Philadelphia.

But until then, everyone's going to chime in with what they think, including Terrell Owens.

When asked by his sidekick, Chad Ochocinco about what the fan reaction will be, here's what Owens said.

"I do think that McNabb will get some boos. The fans there are wishy-washy. They're gonna love you when you're there. And then they're gonna hate you when you leave," Owens said. "Again, Michael Vick is their guy now. And you talk about fickleness, this is a guy, Michael Vick, where they stood outside the complex, didn't want this guy to come to this organization. Now look at the role reversal. Now Michael Vick is the guy. The fans are loving him."

Hat tip to The 700 Level for the link. The video of T.O.'s comments is embedded below.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

I did a what they're saying piece earlier this week, but the McNabb/Vick/Eagles columns continue to be written across the country.

I would say 95 percent of them mention booing Santa Claus/batteries/snowballs and so on. I wonder if some writers just have a "Philly Column Template" file on their computers and just change the proper nouns when they have to write a Philadelphia-themed piece.

Anyway, here's a roundup of links.

Jemele Hill of ESPN.com rips Eagles fans for not appreciating McNabb:

A victory over McNabb isn't what the Eagles and the city deserve. They deserve a beatdown after the way they jettisoned McNabb to the Redskins in the offseason, even though he capably led them to five NFC title games and a Super Bowl. They deserve McNabb lighting them up for 400 yards and three touchdowns because of how he was continually reminded of what he didn't accomplish instead of recognized for what he did. What they never deserved was a classy quarterback who totally changed the course of their franchise.

Matt Mosley of ESPN.com, however, sticks up for Eagles fans:

First of all, I don't think a couple of idiots burning a jersey represents how most of the fan base feels about McNabb. I'm convinced that McNabb will receive a standing ovation when he's introduced before the game. He's unquestionably the best quarterback in the history of the franchise and I think fans will appreciate him more and more as the years go by.

NFL Network's Mike Mayock has been impressed by Vick's play and expects him to be able to sustain it for the rest of the season:

"I've watched impressive play from Vick for 10 consecutive quarters," Mayock said during his weekly live chat on NFL.com. "I trust the tape more than I trust the numbers, and they're both very, very good. At this point, Vick is playing at an extremely high level and he's doing it with consistency. Unless he reverts back to the wildly erratic QB from Atlanta, I would expect to see him perform at a high level throughout the year."

Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com says motivation might be enough for McNabb to beat the Eagles:

Donovan McNabb said he expects a positive reaction when he leads Washington into Sunday's game at Philadelphia. To borrow a line from Saturday Night Live's Seth Meyers: Really?!? McNabb hasn't been removed from the farcically-named City of Brotherly Love for that long. This is Philadelphia. Eagles fans boo Santa Claus. They booed McNabb on the day he was drafted. They booed on-and-off as he led the club to seven playoff appearances, one Super Bowl and set all its major passing records. And they're eager to boo again now that McNabb is with a hated divisional rival.

The Eagles moved up to No. 15 in power rankings compiled by SI.com's Don Banks:

Could you ask for anything more than this week's dramatic tableau of Donovan McNabb vs. Michael Vick, in an intriguing matchup of the Eagles' accomplished past and surprising present? I suppose you could get greedy and wish that both teams were 3-0 and tied for the NFC East lead, or that Andy Reid started talking trash for the first time ever, but other than that, McNabb vs. Vick should suffice.

ESPN.com's Ross Tucker says don't believe McNabb when he says this is just another game:

Don't believe him. I won't. Playing against a former team is different no matter what McNabb says. In fact, it likely means a great deal more to him than he would ever let on publicly. I have no idea what it is like to be a longtime franchise quarterback and the most important player in a team's history like McNabb. I do know, however, what it feels like to play against a team that has let you go, whether it's via trade or an outright release. There is a tremendous desire to prove that team wrong for getting rid of you. It would go against human nature not to feel that way.

Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com writes that he hopes McNabb beats Vick:

I hope former Eagle Donovan McNabb comes into Philly on Sunday, throws for six touchdowns and then strikes a pose at midfield ala Terrell Owens. He'd hopefully follow that with a middle finger salute as he disappears into the tunnel, a mortified Eagles fan base sitting in stunned silence, jaws dropped, glaring at the scoreboard, which reads: Washington 70 Eagles 2.

Earlier today, I published a Q&A with Bill Barnwell of Football Outsiders, who has not been impressed with Vick's performance so far.

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