SBS Flash Traffic - NFL 

SBS Flash Traffic - NFL

Duce Flying Again With Philly
Gabrielle D'Ayr for SBS

Sunday, August 24th, 2003 marked the return of favored RB Duce Staley to the fold of the Philadelphia Eagles. He had stayed away from the training camp and the first three preseason games for a total of 26 days to the tune of $135,000 in fines.

Interviews with Quaterback Donovan McNabb prior to Staley's return gave us some insight to the team's feeling about the holdout. The team wants him back, considers him an asset, but is not about to get into the Front Office's business.

Well Duce is back and all that nasty holdout business has been swept away under the carpet. It started out as a contract re-negotiation for an extension and more money, and all seemed to go quietly away with a phone call. No new contract, no recriminations from the team, no bitterness from Staley. Just "let's play football".

Amazingly. Holdouts always affect team chemistry and how smart is it to irk the front office? Things like this tend to undermine a player's credibility with the team. The Eagles and their coaching staff are putting on a pretty convincing happy face, but I'll reserve judgement until after I see them play a couple of games.

Hopefully, Philadelphia's notoriously bad-tempered fans will also find it in their hearts to forgive #21 for scaring them and threatening their next winning season as they prepare themselves to make another run for NFC East championship and the Superbowl.