Donovan McNabb Expects to be Cheered in Philly

Posted on September 29, 2010

GLENDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 02: Quarterback Donovan McNabb of the Washington Redskins talks with Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals before the preseason NFL game at the University of Phoenix Stadium on September 2, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Redskins 20-10. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

"Honestly, I think I would be cheered..."

Artfully dodging questions about the emotion associated with his return to Philadelphia for most of the "Donovan McNabb Show," the WTEM radio show's namesake finally admitted in the final minute of the DC-based broadcast what he expected fan reaction to be upon his arrival at Lincoln Financial Field this Sunday.

"Honestly, I think I would be cheered. More cheered than booed. No matter what the situation is right now, that I'm with a different team and obviously it's kind of a rival and it wasn't by my choice.

The whole deal about it is that 11 years it was a successful 11 years. I mean we had a lot of great times, a lot of great moments, a lot of exciting plays.

Obviously, some down times but you have that in the NFL. But there's more exciting things that happened in 11 years and I think you just can't forget about that.

I wasn't the one that wanted to get out. I was just looking forward to obviously progressing with the young talent that they had. But things moved in another direction and I'm focused on the guys we have here."

Without trotting out the old cliches about who Philadelphia fans have booed in the past, I think McNabb better brace himself for something that sounds less like "hero returns home" and more like "draft day."