Gonzo: McNabb's return brings out the cliches about negative Philly fans

The Redskins are in town and so is Donovan McNabb. Perhaps you've heard. It's a big game for both teams. It's an even bigger opportunity for the city.

Earlier this week, Andy Reid tried to downplay the significance of McNabb's return. It was a difficult if not pointless exercise, but he went through with it anyway.

"This is about the Washington Redskins, it's not about Donovan . . . or Michael Vick or Andy Reid, or anybody else," Reid said. "It's about the two football teams, the two NFC East rivals playing each other."

If you say so, Andy. Try telling that to, oh, anyone and getting them to agree.

The national conversation leading up to the game focused far less on the teams or the outcome of the game than it did on what sort of reception McNabb will receive Sunday. Boo or cheer was the topic du snore across the country. Fanhouse, Fox Sports, Yahoo, CBSSports, SI.com, and other online outlets all dedicated space to the question this week. The NFL Network's various pundits discussed it at length. ESPN's SportsNation addressed the issue, as did Around the Horn. And on ESPN Radio's Mike and Mike, Mark Schlereth agreed with so many other out-of-towners when he said he expects to hear more boos than applause.

"The fans in Philly," Schlereth said, "they're nasty." Then he threw in the obligatory Santa/snowball reference.

The national consensus seems to be that Philadelphia is inhabited by ungrateful and untamed beasts who should be immediately caged because we represent a real danger to ourselves and anyone within close proximity. It's a lazy, reflexive take that ignores that our knuckleheads represent a small portion of the greater population. But unfair as the stigma might be, it's also one that's been nearly impossible to shake.

Which brings us to the aforementioned opportunity: The country is clearly watching and waiting for Philadelphians to morph into a stadium full of out-of-control Mel Gibson types when McNabb takes the field. Going the other way - cheering Five for time served, as we once applauded Brian Dawkins and other players who returned to town - would not only surprise the national audience and media, it would momentarily render all those sad, cliched attacks useless. How do you bring up Santa and the other nonsense when the video shows thousands of people politely clapping?

McNabb, to almost everyone's great frustration, never won a Super Bowl. But he does hold several significant franchise quarterback records, including wins, touchdowns, completions, and yards. Whether you like him or not or thought it was time for him to move on, it's hard to deny his accomplishments.

Cheering him, of course, won't stop the pundits from bringing up how McNabb was booed on draft day, and it won't clue them into the nuance of what happened in New York - how it was a small band of buffoons who pouted when the Eagles didn't select Ricky Williams. Nor will it prevent TV stations from using file footage that makes Philly fans look like savages, or radio shows from jabbering about the town's lawless ways.

It wouldn't be a permanent fix for the city's often-unjust reputation. It would, however, be a classy move, and it would prove the outsiders - the ones who pretend to know you and your friends and your family, even though they don't - to be wrong, if only for one day. It would be a small, ephemeral moment, but one to be savored.

Decided to sit Dwayne Bowe last week - so naturally he finally produced after disappointing fantasy owners for weeks. He's evil and should refund my fantasy-league fee. This week, I'm benching Shonn Greene. He'll probably have a career game. This section of the column should be wrapped in yellow caution tape.

QB: Michael Vick, Jay Cutler, Kyle Orton

RB: LaDanian Tomlinson, Peyton Hillis, Beanie Wells

WR: Jeremy Maclin, Johnny Knox, Austin Collie

Flex (RB/WR/TE): BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Kevin Walter, Greg Olsen

QB: Eli Manning, Joe Flacco, Vince Young

RB: Shonn Greene, Jerome Harrison, Marshawn Lynch

WR: Michael Crabtree, Hines Ward, Mike Wallace

Flex (RB/WR/TE): CJ Spiller, Lee Evans, Heath Miller

(Home team in CAPS)

Last week: 2-4

Season: 4-7-1

Ravens +21/2 over STEELERS: There were reports this week that Ray Lewis and Ben Roethlisberger are "texting buddies." There's a joke in there somewhere.

Jets -51/2 over BILLS: Braylon Edwards will not be driving to the game.

Colts -7 over JAGUARS: Jacksonville is beyond bad. It should shut down its entire operation. The football team should disband, too.

RAMS +1 over Seahawks:

I was over .500 on my Sunday Sixer the last two years - mainly by avoiding games like this. How strange that I'm off to such a slow start with my picks this year.

Bengals -3 over BROWNS: This seems too easy - so of course I'm all too happy to walk into the trap.

EAGLES -51/2 over Redskins: I'm also taking the under on McNabb-related boos.