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68-697: The Firebirds were founded in 1968 and were originally a "farm club" of the Philadelphia Eagles . The team was provided with equipment/helmets already emblazoned with Eagle wings. The Firebirds affiliation with the Philadelphia Eagles was short-lived and was withdrawn in 1970. In 1969 and 1970, the Firebirds won back-to-back ACFL championships. In 1971, the Firebirds merged with the Norfolk Neptunes and left Pottstown. After

136-512: A 20% commission on the sale of the Steelers. Bell became the Steelers' head coach and Rooney became the Steelers' general manager. After assuming ownership, Thompson promptly hired Greasy Neale as the team's head coach. During the first years under Neale, the Eagles' struggles continued, and they finished the 1941 season with a 2–8–1 record. In the 1942 season , there was no improvement as

204-430: A 2–12 record in 1968 . In 1969 , Leonard Tose bought the team from Wolman for $ 16.155 million, the equivalent of $ 134 million today, representing a record then for the highest amount ever paid for a professional sports franchise. Tose's first official act was to fire Coach Joe Kuharich after a disappointing 24–41–1 record during his five-year reign. Tose then named former Eagles wide receiver Pete Retzlaff

272-493: A 5–10–1 season, began showing considerable promise. 1987 saw another strike , which shortened the season by one game. The substitutes who had filled in for the strikers performed poorly and were crushed 41–22 by the Dallas Cowboys . After the strike, the regular Eagles' 1987 team won a 37–20 revenge game against Dallas. The season record was 7–8, of which three games had been played by substitutes. The Eagles reached

340-485: A championship" to its first division title since 1949. The team was aided by their two Pro Bowl receivers, wide receiver Tommy McDonald , who later wrote an autobiography titled They Pay Me to Catch Footballs , and tight end Pete Retzlaff . On November 20, 1960, at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx , Bednarik launched a tackle against New York Giants ' running back Frank Gifford , which has come to be known as The Hit ,

408-427: A five-yard touchdown. Because of the severe weather, few fans witnessed the joyous occasion. Prior to the start of the 1949 season , the Eagles were sold by Thompson to a syndicate of 100 buyers, known as the " Happy Hundred ", each of whom paid $ 3,000 for a share of the team. While the leader of the "Happy Hundred" was noted Philadelphia businessman James P. Clark , one unsung investor was Leonard Tose . In 1949,

476-564: A franchise that had not seriously contended in well over a decade. Despite the team's young talent and Gabriel's occasional flashes of brilliance, the Eagles finished 1976 with the same 4–10 record as in 1975. In 1977 , the first seeds of hope began to emerge. The team obtained hard-throwing quarterback Ron Jaworski in a trade from the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for popular tight end Charle Young . The defense, led by Bergey and defensive coordinator Marion Campbell , began earning

544-477: A franchise, $ 10,000 was needed to post a performance bond with the ACFL. The franchise was secured but the group fell short of meeting their financial goals to fund an entire team until the entry of local millionaire Ed Gruber. The Pottstown Firebirds financial short-comings were over as Gruber put up the cash to attract the best minor league players money could buy. Ultimately, Gruber became the team owner and called all

612-578: A group led by Bert Bell secured the rights to an NFL franchise in Philadelphia. Since their formation, the Eagles have appeared in the playoffs 30 times, won 15 division titles (including 12 in the NFC East ), appeared in four pre- merger NFL Championship Games , winning three of them ( 1948 , 1949 , and 1960 ), and appeared in four Super Bowls , winning Super Bowl LII at the end of the 2017 season . As of 2023, 13 individuals affiliated with

680-722: A halftime Christmas pageant. The team had only one winning season, in 1966 , finishing second in the NFL Eastern Conference . The Eagles lost to the Baltimore Colts 20–14, in the post-season's third place consolation game, the Playoff Bowl , which was held at the Orange Bowl in Miami . The Eagles finished 6–7–1 in 1967 . In the following season, the Eagles fell even further in the standings, recording

748-475: A player, he would succeed Shaw as head coach. Ownership, however, opted to promote assistant coach Nick Skorich instead, and Van Brocklin quit the organization in a fit of pique, instead becoming head coach of the expansion Minnesota Vikings . Back-up quarterback Sonny Jurgensen became the Eagles' starter for the 1961 season ; they finished a half-game behind the New York Giants for first place in

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816-712: A professional American football team based in Philadelphia . The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays its home games at Lincoln Financial Field in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex . The franchise was established in 1933 as a replacement for the bankrupt Frankford Yellow Jackets when

884-401: A reported $ 65 million (equal to $ 184 million today) to pay off his more than $ 25 million ($ 71 million today) in gambling debts at Atlantic City casinos. The team again struggled during the 1985 season, and Campbell was fired after week 16, to be replaced by assistant head coach/defensive backs coach Fred Bruney for the season's last game. In the 1985 Supplemental draft,

952-482: A reputation as one of the hardest-hitting in the league. 1978 saw one of the great moments in Eagles history, The Miracle at the Meadowlands , when Herman Edwards returned a fumble by Giants ' quarterback Joe Pisarcik for a touchdown with 20 seconds left in the game, resulting in a 19–17 Eagles victory. The Eagles would edge into the playoffs with a 9–7 season. Young running back Wilbert Montgomery became

1020-489: A share in the association was $ 10. However, there were also contributing memberships, ranging from $ 1 to $ 2.50, made available to the general public. The Association was a community-based non-profit organization of local residents and businesses. In keeping with its charter, which stated that "all profits shall be donated to charity", all of the team's excess income was donated to local charitable institutions. The original Frankford Athletic Association apparently disbanded prior to

1088-498: A tackle that is routinely ranked as one of the hardest and most vicious hits in NFL history. With the game tied 10 to 10 in the fourth quarter, Gifford caught a short pass over the middle and was immediately hit by Bednarik with a clothes line tackle so hard that it dropped Gifford to the ground unconscious. Gifford was removed from the field on stretcher and transported to a local hospital by ambulance, where he remained for ten days. Gifford

1156-639: A trade with the Los Angeles Rams . During the 1959 season , the team showed flashes of talent, and finished in second place in the Eastern Division. Former Eagles owner and co-founder Bert Bell had become NFL commissioner , and attended the Eagles game on October 11 at Franklin Field against the Pittsburgh Steelers , a team Bell used to own. Bell refused the box seats that the Eagles reserved for him and purchased his own tickets to sit with

1224-494: The 1971 season, Williams was fired and replaced by assistant coach Ed Khayat, a defensive lineman on the Eagles' 1960 NFL championship team. Williams and Khayat were hampered by Retzlaff's decision to trade longtime starting quarterback Norm Snead to the Minnesota Vikings in early 1971, leaving the Eagles a choice between journeyman Pete Liske and raw Rick Arrington . Khayat lost his first two games but won six of

1292-645: The Frankford Yellow Jackets . In spite of winning the NFL championship in 1926, midway through the 1931 season , the Yellow Jackets went bankrupt and were forced to cease operations. After more than a year of searching for a suitable replacement for the Yellow Jackets in the lucrative Philadelphia market, the National Football League granted an expansion franchise to an ownership group headed by Bert Bell and Lud Wray , who were also awarded

1360-529: The University of Pennsylvania . Franklin Field had a vastly expanded seating capacity for the Eagles. While Connie Mack Stadium had a capacity of 39,000, Franklin Field's capacity was 60,000. In 1969, the grass field at Franklin Field was replaced by AstroTurf , making Franklin Field the first NFL stadium to use artificial turf. In 1958 , the Eagles took several steps to improve, hiring Buck Shaw as head coach and acquiring quarterback Norm Van Brocklin in

1428-491: The playoffs in 1988 , but lost to the Chicago Bears , the team that Ryan had helped lead to a Super Bowl XX victory as defensive coordinator. The game became known as the " Fog Bowl ", due to the inclement weather during the game. The Eagles lost, 20–12. The following two years would see playoff appearances as well, but the team never made it past the first round. This failure was very frustrating to Eagles fans, as

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1496-418: The "Poor Man's Joe Namath " for his flamboyance; preferring to be a star in the minor leagues over a backup in the NFL, he played a single game in the NFL with the then- Boston Patriots in addition to preseason stints with several others. In 2000, NFL Films returned to Pottstown for an episode of their Lost Treasures series. Pottstown Revisited covered some surviving players reminiscing about their days on

1564-414: The "bend-don't-break" defensive strategy in the 1970s. Philadelphia struggled through the mid-1980s, marked by flagging fan participation. The team failed to make the playoffs in 1983 and 1984 . The team nearly moved to Phoenix, Arizona at the end of the 1984 season. In 1985 , Tose was forced to sell the Eagles to Norman Braman and Ed Leibowitz, highly successful automobile dealers from Florida, for

1632-490: The 1909 football season. Several of the original players from the 1899 football team kept the team together, and they became known as Loyola Athletic Club. In keeping with Yellow Jackets tradition, they carried the "Frankford" name again in 1912, to become the Frankford Athletic Association. In the early 1920s, the Frankford Athletic Association's Yellow Jackets gained the reputation as being one of

1700-821: The AFC a year before) 21–20 and the Houston Oilers 18–17 on six field goals by kicker Tom Dempsey . The latter game had been called the "Johnny Rodgers Bowl," because the loser, in finishing last in the league, would gain the first overall pick in the 1973 NFL draft , which was then presumed to be Nebraska wingback Johnny Rodgers , the Heisman Trophy winner . With their loss, the Oilers got first pick and took University of Tampa defensive end John Matuszak , who later faced Philadelphia in Super Bowl XV . With

1768-471: The Browns lit up the Eagles' vaunted defense for 487 total yards, including 246 passing yards, in a 35–10 rout. The Eagles never recovered from the loss, and finished the 1950 season 6–6. Following the 1950 season, Greasy Neale retired and was replaced by Bo McMillin . Two games into the 1951 season , McMillin was forced to retire following a diagnosis of terminal stomach cancer . Wayne Millner finished out

1836-571: The Eagles acquired the rights to the Memphis Showboats ' elite pass rusher Reggie White . In 1986 , the arrival of head coach Buddy Ryan and his fiery attitude sparked team performance and ignited the fan base. Immediately infusing the team with his hard-as-nails attitude, the Eagles quickly became known for their tough defense and tougher attitudes. Ryan began rejuvenating the team by releasing several aging players, including Ron Jaworski. Randall Cunningham took his place and, despite

1904-472: The Eagles have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame : Chuck Bednarik , Bell, Bob Brown , Harold Carmichael , Brian Dawkins , Sonny Jurgensen , Greasy Neale , Tommy McDonald , Pete Pihos , Norm Van Brocklin , Steve Van Buren , Dick Vermeil , and Reggie White . The team's intense rivalry with the New York Giants has been ranked the top rivalry of all time by NFL Network ,

1972-522: The Eagles played at Municipal Stadium in South Philadelphia . In 1940, Bell balked at a 66% rent increase plus 10% of the gate receipts proposed by the City of Philadelphia for use of Municipal Stadium and signed a lease for Shibe Park, which was renamed Connie Mack Stadium in 1954. At Connie Mack Stadium, the Eagles were also able to play night games, since lights were installed at the stadium

2040-570: The Eagles returned to the NFL Championship game for a third consecutive year. The Eagles were favored by a touchdown, and won 14–0 for their second consecutive title game shutout. Running back Steve Van Buren rushed for 196 yards on 31 carries for the Eagles, and their defense held the Rams to just 21 yards on the ground. Chuck Bednarik was selected as the first overall pick in the 1949 NFL draft . An All-American lineman/linebacker from

2108-740: The Eagles struck a deal with the Athletics' crosstown rival, the Philadelphia Phillies , to begin playing at the Baker Bowl . The Eagles played their first game on October 15, 1933, against the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds in New York City , and lost the game 56–0. The Eagles struggled over the course of their first decade, never winning more than four games in any of their first ten seasons. Their best finish

Pottstown Firebirds - Misplaced Pages Continue

2176-424: The Eagles' way, beginning with Tose's imprudent decision to bring comedian Don Rickles into the pregame locker room to lighten the mood. Jaworski's first pass was intercepted by Rod Martin, setting up an Oakland touchdown. Later in the first quarter, a potential game-tying 40-yard touchdown pass to Rodney Parker was nullified by an illegal-motion penalty. The final score was 27–10. Journeyman quarterback Jim Plunkett

2244-594: The Eastern Conference standings with a 10–4 record. Despite the on-the-field success, however, the franchise was in turmoil. The 1962 team , decimated by injury, managed only three wins and were embarrassed at home in a 49–0 loss to the Packers . The off-field chaos continued through 1963 , as the 65 shareholders remaining from the original Happy Hundred sold the team to Jerry Wolman , a 36-year-old millionaire Washington developer who outbid local bidders for

2312-458: The NFL. 1970 was also the last season for the Eagles at Franklin Field; the team finished the first post-merger season in last place in their division at 3–10–1. In 1971 , the Eagles moved to Veterans Stadium , which had just been constructed and was initially acclaimed as a triumph of ultra-modern sports engineering. After a 3–10–1 record in 1970 and three consecutive blowout losses to Cincinnati , Dallas , and San Francisco to open

2380-468: The Philadelphia Bell in 1974. The Firebirds were perhaps best remembered as the subject of a 1970 NFL Films documentary Pro Football, Pottstown, Pa. which documented the ties between the minor league club, its players, and their hometown of Pottstown, Pennsylvania . Of particular note was the portrayal of the Firebirds' star quarterback, Jim "The King" Corcoran . "The King" was considered

2448-425: The Philadelphia Eagles. While it could seem as if the Yellow Jackets simply rebranded as the Eagles, both the Eagles organization and NFL officially regard the teams as two separate entities. Not only was there no Philadelphia NFL team for a season and a half, but almost no players from the 1931 Yellow Jackets appeared on the Eagles' first roster. In the 1933 NFL season , the Eagles were one of three teams, along with

2516-624: The Pittsburgh Pirates (now the Pittsburgh Steelers ) and the now-defunct Cincinnati Reds , to join the NFL as expansion teams . Wray became the Eagles' first head coach after being persuaded to assume the position by Bell, his former teammate at Penn . The Eagles originally intended to play their home games at Shibe Park, which was the home of the Philadelphia Athletics professional baseball in Philadelphia. When negotiations for use of Shibe Park fell through, however,

2584-528: The University of Pennsylvania, Bednarik would go on to become one of the greatest and most beloved players in Eagles history. In 1950 , the Eagles opened the season against the AAFC champion Cleveland Browns , who, along with two other AAFC franchises, had just joined the NFL . The Eagles were expected to make short work of the Browns, who were widely considered the dominant team in a lesser league. However,

2652-3607: The basement still exists today (2012) as the school had undergone renovations in the past few years. Bellewood Country Club – Both mansions at this country club belonged to Gruber and was later purchased by investors to develop the location into a golf course. Second Place Southern Division 6-5-1 08/17/1968 Harrisburg Capitol Colts 10 at Pottstown Firebirds 0 Franklin Field, Attendance of 5,000 08/24/1968 Virginia Sailors 13 vs Pottstown Firebirds 20 Hemdon Stadium, Virginia 09/07/1968 Hartford Knights 13 at Pottstown Firebirds 7 Franklin Field, Attendance of 6,150 09/14/1968 Bridgeport Jets 24 at Pottstown Firebirds 0 Franklin Field, Attendance of 5,228 09/21/1968 Lowell Giants 14 vs Pottstown Firebirds 35 Cawley Memorial Stadium, Lowell, MA, Attendance of 4,500 09/28/1968 Virginia Sailors 10 vs Pottstown Firebirds 7 Hemdon Stadium, Virginia, Attendance 3,723 10/05/1968 Harrisburg Capitol Colts 7 at Pottstown Firebirds 17 Franklin Field, Attendance 4,000 10/12/1968 Virginia Sailors 0 at Pottstown Firebirds 17 Franklin Field, Attendance 4,820 10/18/1968 Bridgeport Jets 27 vs Potstown Firebirds 7 John F. Kennedy Stadium, Bridgeport, CT, Attendance 13,246 10/26/1968 Lowell Giants 14 at Pottstown Firebirds 25 Franklin Field, Attendance 5,000 11/02/1968 Richmond Roadrunners 17 vs Pottstown Firebirds 17 City Stadium, Richmond, Virginia, Attendance 6,000 11/09/1968 Richmond Roadrunners 3 at Pottstown Firebirds 14 Franklin Field, Attendance 2,600 11/16/1968 Hartford Knights 35 vs Pottstown Firebirds 21 , Dillon Stadium, Hartford, Connecticut, Attendance 5,200 11/23/1968 Harrisburg Capitol Colts 13 vs Pottstown Firebirds 27 , New Island Park, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania #1 Fonash, John – Flanker/Wide-Receiver # 60 Levandowski, Leo – Guard #11 Haynie, Jim – Quarterback #61 Parrish, Phil – Guard #15 Wilson, George – Quarterback/Punter #63 Speers, Steve – Linebacker #20 Elion, Charles – Halfback #64 Hall, Ed – Defensive End #22 Neal, Ford – Halfback #65 Hughes, Walt – Guard #30 Bibaud, Jean – Fullback #66 Morda, Lou – Linebacker #31 Antonini, Frank – Fullback #67 Stillman, Pat – Guard #32 Burton, Bob – Linebacker #68 Karl, Don – Defensive Tackle #40 Drew, John – Fullback #70 Bubnis, Brian – Guard #41 Allen, Buddy – Defensive Back #71 Gassert, Ron – Tackle #42 Klein, Jim – Defensive Back #72 Brooks, Jon – Guard #43 Stancell, Harold – Defensive Back #77 Fry, John – Tackle #44 Ross, Sherman – Defensive Back #79 Harris, Randy – Defensive End #45 Pyne, Ed – Kicker/Defensive Back #82 Day, Pressly – Defensive Tackle #46 Brown, Tom – Defensive Back #83 Derry, Stan – Defensive End #49 DiPhillippo, Jerry – Linebacker #84 Souels, Dick – Flanker/Wide-Receiver #50 Ross, Tom – Defensive Tackle #87 Murphy, H.D. – OE #51 Kosmos, Mark – Linebacker #88 Pelkington, Bob – Tight-End #52 Cercel, Paul – Center #89 McKnight, Ostell – OE #55 Hale, Danny – Linebacker #3 Wilkinson, Don – Wide-Receiver #10 Hayne, Jim – Quarterback #13 Dial, Benji – Quarterback #16 Nauss, Herb – Defensive Back Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are

2720-713: The best independent football teams in the nation. In 1922, Frankford absorbed the Philadelphia City Champion team, the Union Quakers of Philadelphia. That year, Frankford captured the unofficial championship of Philadelphia. During the 1922 and 1923 seasons, the Yellow Jackets compiled a 6–2–1 record against teams from the National Football League. This led to the Association being granted an NFL franchise in 1924, thus becoming

2788-546: The best teams in the NFL for attendance and have sold out every home game continuously since the 1999 season . The Eagles are owned by Jeffrey Lurie . As of 2023, the Eagles franchise value has increased to $ 4.9 billion, according to Forbes , making them the 10th-most valuable team in the NFL. The Frankford Athletic Association was organized in May 1899 in the parlor of the Suburban Club. The cost of purchasing

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2856-739: The collapse of the ACFL a couple of years later, the World Football League sprang up. Many of the Pottstown Firebirds went on to play for the Philadelphia Bell as described in Vince Papale's book Invincible . Ron Waller, former Head Offensive Coach of the Firebirds, served as interim head coach of the San Diego Chargers for the final six games of 1973, then moved on to become head coach of

2924-431: The defensive side of the line, most notably through the addition of future Pro Bowl linebacker Bill Bergey in 1974 . Overall, however, the team was still mired in mediocrity. McCormack was fired after a 4–10 1975 season . In 1976 , Dick Vermeil was hired from UCLA to coach the struggling Eagles, who had managed only one winning season from 1962 to 1975. Vermeil faced numerous obstacles as he attempted to rejuvenate

2992-494: The exception of the Providence Steam Roller , which won in 1928. By 1936 , the Eagles suffered significant financial losses and were sold through a public auction. Bert Bell was the only bidder and became the sole owner of the team. Wray refused a reduction in his salary and left the team. Bell assumed the head coaching position and led the team to a record of 1–11, last place in the league. From 1936 to 1939,

3060-411: The fans. During the fourth quarter, while sitting behind the end zone, Bell suffered a heart attack and died later that day. The Eagles' 1960 season remains one of the most celebrated year in team history. Shaw, Van Brocklin, and Bednarik , each in their last season before retirement, led an Eagles team more notable for its grit than its talent. One observer later quipped that the team had "nothing but

3128-622: The first Eagle since Steve Van Buren to exceed 1,000 yards in a season. In 1979 , the Eagles tied for first place with an 11–5 record, as Montgomery shattered team rushing records with a total of 1,512 yards. In 1980 , the team dominated the NFC, facing its chief nemesis, the Dallas Cowboys , in the NFC Championship Game . The game was played in cold conditions before faithful fans at Veterans Stadium . Led by an outstanding rushing performance by Montgomery, whose long cutback TD run in

3196-532: The first half is one of the most memorable in Eagles history, and a gutsy game from fullback Leroy Harris , who scored the Eagles' only other TD that day, the Birds earned a berth in Super Bowl XV with a 20–7 victory. The Eagles traveled to New Orleans for Super Bowl XV , where they were heavily favored over the Oakland Raiders , who had squeaked into the playoffs as a wild-card team. Things did not go

3264-413: The formidable Lombardi the sole championship game loss of his storied career. Bednarik lined up at center on offense and at linebacker on defense. Fittingly, the game ended as Bednarik tackled a struggling Jim Taylor and refused to allow him to stand until the last seconds had ticked away. Van Brocklin came to Philadelphia and agreed to play through 1960 with an understanding that, upon his retirement as

3332-534: The fourth-best NFL rivalry by Sports Illustrated , and one of the fiercest and best-known football rivalries by ESPN . The Eagles' bitter rivalry with the Dallas Cowboys has become more high-profile and intense since the 1960s, and the team has a historic rivalry with the Washington Commanders . Their rivalry with the Pittsburgh Steelers dates back to 1933 and is known as the "Battle of Pennsylvania ". The Philadelphia Eagles rank among

3400-618: The liquidated assets of the defunct Yellow Jackets organization. The Bell–Wray group had to pay an entry fee of $ 3,500, or roughly US$ 67,000 in inflation-adjusted 2022 dollars, and assumed a total debt of $ 11,000 the Yellow Jackets owed to three other NFL franchises. Drawing inspiration from the Blue Eagle logo of the National Recovery Administration , a centerpiece of President Franklin D. Roosevelt 's New Deal policies, Bell and Wray named their new franchise

3468-408: The location where important team meetings took place and where the Firebirds ate a number of their meals. The Elks Home is still in operation today. Pottstown High School – Firebird home games were played at the high school football stadium that is used to this day. Firebird team players used the high school locker room in the basement for practices and games. Not sure if the old locker room in

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3536-441: The merger, which was never intended to be a permanent arrangement, was dissolved at the season's end. In 1944 , the Eagles, led by head coach Greasy Neale and running back Steve Van Buren , had their first winning season in team history. After two second-place finishes in 1945 and 1946 , the team reached the NFL Championship game for the first time in 1947 . Van Buren, Pete Pihos , and Bosh Pritchard fought valiantly, but

3604-774: The park's capacity to over 39,000, but the Eagles rarely drew more than 25,000 to 30,000. The Eagles finished the 1937 season 2–8–1 and continued to struggle over the next three seasons. In December 1940, Bell intervened to stop the sale of Art Rooney 's Steelers to Alexis Thompson , and Rooney then acquired half of Bell's interest in the Eagles. In a series of events known as the Pennsylvania Polka , Rooney and Bell exchanged their entire Eagles roster and their territorial rights in Philadelphia to Thompson for his entire Steelers roster and his rights in Pittsburgh . Rooney provided assistance to Bell by rewarding him with

3672-449: The season before being replaced by Jim Trimble . While the remnants of the great 1940s teams managed to stay competitive for the first few years of the decade, and younger players like Bobby Walston and Sonny Jurgensen occasionally provided infusions of talent, the team lacked the total talent necessary for true greatness during most of the 1950s. After the 1957 season , the Eagles moved from Connie Mack Stadium to Franklin Field at

3740-476: The season's last nine, thanks largely to the efforts of the Eagles' defense, led by all-pro safety Bill Bradley , who led the NFL in interceptions (11) and interception return yardage (248). The team regressed in 1972 to finish 2–11–1, and Khayat was released. The two wins (both on the road) proved to be surprises, however. Philadelphia beat the Kansas City Chiefs (which had had the best record in

3808-401: The second overall pick, the Eagles selected USC tight end Charle Young . Khayat was replaced by offensive guru Mike McCormack for the 1973 season . Aided by the skills of quarterback Roman Gabriel and towering young wide receiver Harold Carmichael , they managed to infuse a bit of vitality into a previously moribund offense. New general manager Jim Murray also began to add talent on

3876-402: The shots. The Downtown Motor Inn's name has since gone but the hotel itself, at High and Manatawny Streets, still exists. The Firebirds and their staff lived there during the season. The Firebird's "Roost" was a home near Hanover and Third Streets where a number of the Firebirds players lived. The "Roost" was later torn down and no longer exists today. The Elks Home , 61 High Street, was

3944-432: The standings, a practice still followed today, strove to increase fan interest by guaranteeing that even the worst teams would have the opportunity for annual infusions of the best college talent. Between 1927 , when the NFL changed from a sprawling Midwestern-based association to a narrower, major-market league, and 1934, three teams, the Chicago Bears , New York Giants , and Green Bay Packers , won all but one title with

4012-527: The team finished the season 2–9. In 1943 , with player shortages stemming from the U.S. entry engagement in World War II , it became difficult to fill the roster, and the team merged with the Steelers to form the "Phil-Pitt Eagles", known as the Steagles . Greasy Neale continued to coach the team along with Steelers head coach Walt Kiesling . The team finished the 1943 season with a 5–4–1 record, and

4080-431: The team was widely regarded as among the most talented in the NFL. On offense, the Eagles were led by quarterback Cunningham, one of the most exciting players of his generation; tight end Keith Jackson ; and running back Keith Byars . The defense is commonly acknowledged as among the greatest in league history, and as the best to never win a championship. Mark Kosmos Too Many Requests If you report this error to

4148-525: The team's general manager and Jerry Williams as its new head coach. With the merger of the NFL and AFL in 1970 , the Eagles were placed in the NFC East Division with the New York Giants , Washington Redskins , and Dallas Cowboys . The Eagles' heated rivalry with the Giants is the oldest of the NFC East rivalries, dating back to 1933, and is often cited as one of the best rivalries in

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4216-463: The team, paying an unprecedented $ 5.505 million for control of the club. In 1964 , Wolman hired former Cardinals and Washington Redskins coach Joe Kuharich to a 15-year contract. Over the next five seasons the team failed to make the playoffs and the failures of the team over this period were highlighted by the Santa Claus incident , when fans pelted a Santa Claus with snowballs during

4284-466: The team, remembered the town's relationship with the long-gone football team, and filmed a 30-year player reunion. Bob "Chuz" Calvario and Al Cavallo were credited with founding the Firebirds minor league football franchise in Pottstown. To raise funds, Calvario and Cavallo assembled a group of local investors that all put up a few hundred dollars each and they also sold public stock. In order to secure

4352-416: The year before. In the 1941 season, the Eagles played their home opener at Municipal Stadium, and then moved to Shibe Park. To accommodate football at Shibe Park during the winter, management erected stands in right field, parallel to 20th Street. Some 20-feet high, these east stands included 22 rows of seats. The goalposts stood along the first base line and in left field. The uncovered east stands enlarged

4420-532: The young team lost to the Chicago Cardinals , 28–21 at Comiskey Park in Chicago . Undeterred, the young team rebounded in 1948 to return to the NFL Championship game . With home field advantage and a blinding snowstorm on their side, the Eagles won their first NFL Championship against the Chicago Cardinals by a score of 7–0. The only score came in the fourth quarter when Steve Van Buren ran for

4488-408: Was diagnosed with a deep concussion that resulted in his retirement from the game for 18 months. On the 100th anniversary of the NFL's founding, the NFL ranked Bednarik's tackle the 44th greatest play in league history. On December 26, 1960, one of the coldest days in recorded Philadelphia history, the Eagles faced Vince Lombardi 's Green Bay Packers in the 1960 NFL Championship Game and dealt

4556-523: Was in 1934 , the second season for the Eagles, when they tied for third in the East. The Eagles' early rosters largely consisted of former Penn, Temple , and Villanova players who played for the Eagles for a few years before going on to other things. In 1935 , Bell proposed an annual college draft to equalize talent across the league. The draft was a revolutionary concept in professional sports. Having teams select players in inverse order of their finish in

4624-508: Was named the game's MVP. The team got off to a promising start in the 1981 season by winning their first six games. They ended up 10–6 to earn a wild-card berth. However, their hopes to repeat as NFC champs were dashed in the wild-card round by the New York Giants , who won 27–21. After the Eagles finished 3–6 in the strike-shortened 1982 season , Vermeil quit the team, citing "burnout". Defensive coordinator Marion Campbell replaced Vermeil as head coach. Campbell had helped to popularize

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