Eagles Cancel Training Camp To Avoid Player Hold-Outs

PHILADELPHIA--The Philadelphia Eagles have struck a blow against players who wish to hold out of training camp by canceling their 2005 training camp altogether. Terrell Owens, Hollis Thomas and Corey Simon are all in contractual disputes and are threatening to hold out. Now that training camp has been canceled, that option has been taken off the table.

“We’ve decided to cancel our training camp in order to avoid players holding out of it,” said coach Andy Reid. “It’s not something we wanted to do but in this situation we feel it is the best course of action. Players who wish to get in shape for the upcoming season should do some up-downs and play lots of Madden 2005. If you’re looking for full contact drills, I suggest running into a brick wall.”

GM Jeffrey Lurie called the measure “unavoidable” but said there was still time to reconsider if the players would drop their contractual demands.

“It’s something we simply had to do,” he said. “ We cannot have players skipping camp. That could set the whole team back. So for any player who planned on holding out, forget about it. There’s no camp. And if you think you’re going to hold out of the regular season, we’re willing to cancel that, too. It’s unfortunate, but almost all of our players are unhappy with their deals. I don’t know why. I thought our ‘reverse bonus incentives’ were a stroke of genius. But I guess players don’t like getting their pay docked for reaching statistical milestones.”

The rash of hold outs started with receiver Terrell Owens, but didn’t stop there. Star running back Brian Westbrook skipped mini camp, Hollis Thomas is upset about his lack of a deal, and Corey Simon intends to sit out until he can get his own long term deal. In short, the Eagles have their hands full.

“It’s a tough situation but this is the reality of life in the NFL,” said Reid. “Like it or not, players will hold out, though you usually don’t have this many unhappy players. You’d think they would just want to be a part of the team because we have a chance to win a Super Bowl. Who cares about money? I’m doing this job for free, if you count the money I spend on donuts every year.”

Experts around the league are praising the Eagles for their tough minded approach to contract disputes. In recent years, they’ve been a model organization in terms of financial restraint. This latest incident could inspire other teams to follow suit.

“This is yet another savvy move by Jeffrey Lurie and the Eagles front office,” said ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio. “Any player with the inclination to hold out has to be thinking twice right now. Without the threat of a holdout, these guys don’t have a leg to stand on. They’re going to have to come crawling back to Andy Reid, beg for forgiveness, and play for the contracts they signed. That’s how it was back in the old days. It wasn’t about the money. All the players cared about were wins, losses, hookers, and amphetamines.”

The real victims of the training camp cancellation may be the players who planned to report on time and get in shape for the season. Now they will be forced to work out and study game film on their own. Quarterback Donovan McNabb plans on doing just that.

“Hey, it’s a tough situation but you can’t sit here and cry about it,” he said. “I hope that everyone takes the time to prepare for the season on their own, because we all need to be up to speed when the season starts. I’ve already started watching game film myself. I started out watching last year’s Super Bowl, but it was too depressing, so I decided to watch last week’s Phillies-Mets game instead.”

Commissioner Paul Tagliabue has frowned on the Eagles decision to cancel training camp. Though he will not force them to reconsider, he has threatened legal action if they attempt to cancel the regular season as well.

“Contract disputes are difficult, but there must be a better resolution than this,” Tagliabue told reporters outside his office. “Canceling training camp puts players at a risk of serious injury. Plus, most of the players will probably continue their hold out into the regular season, and there’s no way the regular season can be canceled. So I’m calling on the Eagles and their players to get this thing straightened out. If they don’t, I’m telling David Stern. Then they’ll really be in trouble.”