Certainly Philadelphia sports fans have heard the song, "Fly, Eagles, Fly." It's a popular song in these parts on Sundays during football season. But this week protesters tailgated outside of team owner Jeffrey Lurie's Main Line mansion and sang, "Pay, Eagles, Pay."
Only they weren't much in tune and gave the send-up of the team's fight song more of a chant vibe.
At least that's how the scene was described by the local press.
Apparently members of the social advocacy group ACORN had a few burgers and dogs outside of Lurie's manse in protest of what the claim is the team's refusal to pay approximately $8 million in fees to the City of Philadelphia from shared revenues in luxury boxes at Veterans Stadium.
In other words, ACORN wants the Eagles to pay the city the money it did not offer Brian Dawkins.
Bigger than that, ACORN is wants the football team, (recently valued at $1 billion by Forbes Magazine and currently $40 million under the salary cap according to team president Joe Banner) to pay up because Mayor Michael Nutter has promised budget cuts for some social services provided by the city.
So that $8 million the Eagles reportedly owe will go a long way, says ACORN.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer:
Ian Phillips, the group's legislative director, said businesses and other entities owe the city millions.
"We could use that money to cut the budget shortfall," Phillips said. "We're going to be calling out other people who owe the city money. We're moving down the list."
Certainly it's more fodder for Lurie's critics during a week filled with some PR hits related to the team's personnel moves. Still, a team spokesperson told KYW radio that the amount the team owes is in dispute and the Eagles are awaiting a decision by an arbitrator to determine who much money the club owes.
Now here's the interesting thing about Lurie and ACORN. During the 2008 Presidential campaign Lurie reportedly donated $4,600 to then candidate Barack Obama. The interesting part about that is President Obama had an association with ACORN from his days as a community organizer in Chicago.
Lurie also has made $67,500 in federal campaign contributions dating back to 1984. Going back to late 2006, Lurie has made four donations of over $2,000 to Hillary Clinton and was a supporter of the current Secretary of State's presidential campaign.
So it sounds as if Lurie and the Eagles will pay the city its share of the luxury box revenues... the team just wants a judge to tell it how much.
Source: News Meat