PHILADELPHIA // Almost four years on from Terrell Owens's brief and troubled stint in Philadelphia, the city's NFL team, the Eagles, are putting their faith in another controversial player; the convicted Michael Vick.
The club has been lambasted by animal welfare advocates for signing the quarterback who has spent the bulk of the past two years behind bars for his role in a dogfighting operation.
Immediately after Vick's signing, some angry Eagles fans said they would hand back their season tickets and give up their team jerseys.
The team has responded by getting involved in the cause of animal welfare.
"All of us have put ourselves on the line and will be subject to legitimate questions and scepticism and doubt if we end up being wrong, which is why we researched this so thoroughly and feel like we made a very educated decision and took a risk," the team president Joe Banner told the media when he announced Vick's signing.
Vick was once one of the NFL's most popular and exciting players but he was jailed in 2007 for bankrolling a dogfighting ring after police raided his country property in Virginia.
His fall from grace cost him an estimated US$100 million (Dh367.3m) in lost salary and endorsements and his old club, the Atlanta Falcons, relinquished their rights to his contract after he was released from prison in May.
The Eagles signed him last month, with coach Andy Reid saying the player deserved a second chance.
Reid and the club have experience of dealing with headline-making players. The flamboyant Owens, a hugely talented wide receiver, helped the Eagles to reach the Super Bowl in 2005 but quickly wore out his welcome in Philadelphia by demanding that his contract be renegotiated one season into his seven-year, $48-million deal.
Owens feuded with the team owners and tested the patience of Reid and his teammates, repeatedly criticising quarterback Donovan McNabb.
His two-year stint with the team ended in 2005 after just seven games when he was suspended and later deactivated for conduct detrimental to the team after attacks on the management and McNabb.
The Eagles are facing up to controversy this time by submitting proposals to several animal rights groups on how to combat animal abuse, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper.
Vick and Wayne Pacelle, CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, visited a local school together on Tuesday to offer Vick's fall from grace as a cautionary tale.
On the football field, it is still unclear what role the mobile quarterback will play when he is fully reinstated in week three of the league's regular season, when the Eagles host Kansas City Chiefs on September 27.
Critics question whether Vick, 29, a three-time Pro Bowler, has anything left after missing the last two seasons.
In two pre-season games, Vick completed 11 of 15 passes for 45 yards, with one interception and rushed for 36 yards on eight carries with one touchdown.
In a league where wildcat offensive formation is gaining popularity, ESPN analyst and former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy, who has been mentoring Vick through his attempt to return to the NFL, says: "You have to substitute him in certain situations during the football game.
"When you have that many guys who can touch the football to make big plays, if you are a defensive coordinator right now getting ready to play the Philadelphia Eagles, you got a headache."
While Vick awaits his full reinstatement, the spotlight will also fall on the long-time quarterback McNabb.
Despite coming off a career high of 3,916 passing yards, he will feel some pressure from the high-profile presence of a former starting quarterback.
McNabb will want to squash any suggestions of Vick being an eventual replacement when he leads the Eagles on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.
In a sport where injuries are ubiquitous, Vick's one-year deal at $1.6 million (with a second-year option at $5.2 million) represents a relatively cheap insurance policy in case McNabb is hurt.
One of this year's most anticipated games will take place in week 13 when Vick returns to Atlanta to face the Falcons.
* Reuters
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
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TICKETS
For tickets for the two-day Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) event, entitled Dubai Invasion 2019, on September 27 and 28 go to www.meraticket.com.
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
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- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
England's lowest Test innings
- 45 v Australia in Sydney, January 28, 1887
- 46 v West Indies in Port of Spain, March 25, 1994
- 51 v West Indies in Kingston, February 4, 2009
- 52 v Australia at The Oval, August 14, 1948
- 53 v Australia at Lord's, July 16, 1888
- 58 v New Zealand in Auckland, March 22, 2018
FA Cup semi-finals
Saturday: Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur, 8.15pm (UAE)
Sunday: Chelsea v Southampton, 6pm (UAE)
Matches on Bein Sports
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Planes grounded by coronavirus
British Airways: Cancels all direct flights to and from mainland China
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific: Cutting capacity to/from mainland China by 50 per cent from Jan. 30
Chicago-based United Airlines: Reducing flights to Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong
Ai Seoul: Suspended all flights to China
Finnair: Suspending flights to Nanjing and Beijing Daxing until the end of March
Indonesia's Lion Air: Suspending all flights to China from February
South Korea's Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air and Jin Air: Suspend all flights
The specs: 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV
Price, base: Dh138,000 (estimate)
Engine: 60kWh battery
Transmission: Single-speed Electronic Precision Shift
Power: 204hp
Torque: 360Nm
Range: 520km (claimed)
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Rating: 3.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The Bio
Amal likes watching Japanese animation movies and Manga - her favourite is The Ancient Magus Bride
She is the eldest of 11 children, and has four brothers and six sisters.
Her dream is to meet with all of her friends online from around the world who supported her work throughout the years
Her favourite meal is pizza and stuffed vine leaves
She ams to improve her English and learn Japanese, which many animated programmes originate in
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LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
