Duuuuuce!

The honored former Eagles RB Duce Staley at halftime of last Sunday's game. Several thoughts came to mind as they replayed highlights of his career with the Eagles on the Jumbotron. First the highlights. There were three that stood out: flashbacks to the Vet's playing field, the second of him dragging some unnamed Giant 6 yards while on his knees, and several plays from the 2000 season opener between the  Eagles and Cowboys.

Man, reflecting back on that 41-14 ass whupping, that game had so much symbolism. It was the pickle juice game. It announced the Eagles were an up and coming team and it also was a harbinger of the demise of the Cowboys for the better part of the ensuing 5 years.

A couple of other things. It was clear by the fans' reaction, "Duuuuuuuuuuuuce!" that Staley remains a fan favorite. Left unsaid is that the Eagles made the right move in not re-signing Staley and letting him get a big contract with the Steelers, a contract that he unfortunately never played up to. Indeed, I'm not sure he ever cracked the starting lineup, certainly not on a consistent basis. But that's the game and career expectancy of a running back. Staley already had some miles on him and then nagging injuries started pilling up and he never returned to his Eagles glory form.

My fondest memory of Duce was at an Eagles-Skins game about 2001 or 2002. I was sitting with a friend who was a Redskins fan in the lower endzone seats at what at the time may still have been Jack Kent Cooke Stadium. The Eagles were driving toward our side and Staley was running it down their throats. There were two Eagle fans several rows lower and across the aisle in Staley jerseys. Everytime Duce reeled off another 5 yard game they would clap twice real quick and then hold up two fingers - like the victory sign. The Eagles got it down to goal to go and ran Staley who was stopped just short, but when he got up he trotted into the end zone and started shaking his head in the affirmative at the fans in the stands - like he would be back in just a moment. Sure enough, he scored on the very next play.

Anyway, the thing that dawned on me as they honored Staley was this. The media makes a big deal about how McNabb was booed when the Eagles drafted him cause the fan base wanted Texas RB Ricky Williams instead. McNabb has been asked on a regular basis - or at least it is cited ad infinitum - about the boos that rained down on draft day.

But really, why hasn't anyone asked Staley about the fans' demand for Williams? After all, Staley was the starting running back at the time and presumably the fans wanted Williams to replace Staley. The fans didn't boo McNabb cause they thought he was a lousy player. They booed cause McNabb wasn't Williams. And they wanted Williams cause he was an all-american running back, and, well, Staley wasn't. I don't think I've ever read or heard anyone comment or connect the McNabb draft boos and what it actually implied for Staley. Staley appears never to commented or revealed his feelings on the matter.

All is forgiven now anyway - on both sides.

Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuce!