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City to pay Eagles $5 million

A week after the Eagles were ordered to pay the city $8 million, a Philadelphia Common Pleas Court has told the city it must now send the team $5 million. The ruling puts to rest a dispute stemming from a 2001 pre-season game, which was canceled due to poor field conditions at Veteran's Stadium. Afterward, the Eagles withheld payment of $8 million in revenue owed the city, claiming the city's failure to keep the field in decent condition cost the team money. The city sued, and the team countered with a lawsuit of its own.

"I am pleased that this matter has finally been concluded," Mayor Nutter said in a statement. "Just over a week ago Judge Sheppard ordered the Eagles to pay the City $8 million and today he has ordered the City to pay the Eagles $5 million, resolving both pieces of this case. I look forward to continuing to work with the Eagles as partners in the community to improve the lives of Philadelphians in neighborhoods across this city. Finally I wish them the best in the upcoming season."

The team also appears happy to finally put the matter to rest.

"We are glad that this issue is behind us. We have important civic, community and economic ties to the City of Philadelphia and the region and we look forward to that being the focus of our ongoing dialogue as we look to the future," said Eagles spokeswoman Pamela Browner Crawley in a statement.

Unfortunately for the city, the ruling opens up a fresh $5 million hole in its budget. No word yet on how the city plans to fill that hole.

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