The city wants $8 million from the Philadelphia Eagles, but the team claims a secret deal leaves them only $1 million in debt, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. This was allegedly an agreement with former Philadelphia Mayor Street as part of the deal to build Lincoln Financial Field.
The city wants the $8 million raked in by the Eagles Skybox at Veterans Stadium from the 2000 and 2001 seasons. But the Eagles won’t pay up, claiming the city is at fault for their losing $8 million when the 2001 pre-season game was canceled due to turf problems, the paper reported.
This legal debacle has been going on for eight years. The city sued the team in 2004. Mayor Nutter’s staff now says this deal is not valid and should have been reviewed by the city’s Law Department .
The Eagles now want a Common Pleas Court judge to enforce the deal and have filed details of the agreement with sworn affidavits from team owner Jeffrey Lurie (stating the deal was to pay the city less than $1 million) and team president Joe Banner (who claimed he was told by attorneys to “rely on the mayor’s promise” although the deal was not put in writing), according to the paper.
Attorney Dean Adler also filed an affidavit claiming the deal with Street was confirmed, but no amount of money was actually specified.
As Philadelphia is drowning in debt, Nutter’s team claims no knowledge of the deal and challenges its legitimacy, while the Eagles argue the city should live up to its word.
