The Eagles came about in 1933 and were named for one of FDR's symbols of the New Deal during the Great Depression. They are based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and have made two Super Bowl appearances in the years 1980 and 2004 and have won three NFL titles.
They have several players who are in the pro football Hall of Fame. They include an owner and former NFL Commissioner Bert Bell and quite a few players. The players are Bob Brown, Reggie White, Chuck Bednarik, Steve Van Buren, Earle "Greasy" Neale, Tommy McDonald, Sonny Jurgensen, and Pete Pihos.
The team struggled during their first years as a team. They endured many a losing season during the 1930s. The 1940s were not much better when shortages in manpower due to World War II made it a time almost impossible to fill rosters and staff. In 1943 the manpower shortages were so bad that in order to field a team the Eagles temporarily merged with Pittsburgh Steelers to form a team called the Phi-Pitt Steagles. This union lasted for one season.
In 1969, the team was bought for $16,155,000.This was a record purchase for any pro sports franchise. Due to reported gambling debts, Tose had to sell the Eagles to two men from Florida for $65 million in order to pay off his more than $25 million gambling debts that he racked up in Atlantic City casinos.
The Eagles did not do to well in the 1980s. This was marked by a noticeable lack of community and fan participation. In 1986, however, the fiery head coach Buddy Ryan got the team and fan base going again. The Eagles then qualified for the playoffs 6 out of 9 times in the years from 1988 to 1996. Some of their big name players made their mark during this time. One of them was the memorable Randall Cunningham as quarterback and tight end Keith Jackson and of course star running back Herschel Walker. It was the "Gang Green" defense that defined the team in those days though. This was a prize defense led by the likes of Reggie White, Jerome Brown, Seth Joyner, Clyde Simmons, Mike Golic, Wes Hopkins, Byron Evans Andre Waters, and Eric Allen. All were superb football players and played so well together as a defense team it was truly amazing to watch.
The team changed hands again in 1994 when Jeffrey Lurie bought the Eagles from Norman Braman for $195 million. Now the team is considered by many to be the most valuable NFL franchise team worth at least $1.024 billion, at least according to the 2006 issue of Forbes Magazine. Many however would now say that is not true because the Dallas Cowboys have managed to amass a fortune under the leadership of their owner, Jerry Jones.
During the first decade of the 21st century, the Eagles have continued to get better and better with their football talent. 1999 saw the draft of quarterback Donovan McNabb and this marked the beginning of continued improvement for the team. They made the playoffs in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004. The Eagles made it to the 2004 Super Bowl and barely were beaten by the New England Patriots with a score of 24-21. The following year the team was plagued by injuries and controversy with some of the star players and failed to make it to the playoffs that year.
2008 was a slow-start year with the team winning only 2 out of their first five games. They finally won a game with the San Francisco 49ers and drew a bye week. They then returned to play with a rested team to play their showdown game against the Falcons from Atlanta. This was a landmark game for them with a 500th win for the team with a score of 27-14. They were only the seventh team in the NFL to ever do so and this has been their legacy to date.
Writer and editor, Freddie Brister, is a former high school football coach of 25 years. His love of the game of football is reflected in his words and memories of growing up in the South and playing football in the back yard with his brother, cousins and neighborhood friends. His biggest thrill is watching former high school players he has coached play at the college level. His favorite pastime is watching NFL football on tv and attending the games in person every chance he gets. Freddie Brister is a huge fan of the NFL and the Philadelphia Eagles. Check out his Philadelphia Eagles Merchandise or his Philadelphia Eagles Blankets.
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