:: Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles are an American football team belonging to the Eastern division of the National Football League. Their hometown is Philadelphia in Pennsylvania.

History

The team was found in 1933 by Bert Bell and Lud Wray. It is a constant member of the National Football League (NFL) since then. The name and the logo were not changed significantly over the years. It always featured the Eagle as an eyecatcher. Only the uniform was modified moderately over the years. It was only in 1943 that the Eagles lost their indipendence and had to unite with the Pittsburgh Steelers due to World War II. Since many players had been drafted for the army, it was inevitable to cooperate with another team. In 1970 the NFL and the American Football League (AFL) were merged and the Eagles were placed in the Eastern division of the National Football Conference (NFC).

Infos: New York

In 1995, the Eagles Youth Partnership was found. It is an initiative to support the children of low-income families living in the Philadelphia area. They are supplied with books for instance.

Today

2007 marked the Eagles 75th anniversary. Today, the team has a broad number of fans. Amongst them are Will Smith, the well known actor and singer and Arlen Specter, the Pennsylvanian senator.
The matches of the team are sold out regularly.

Infos: Miami

Achievements

The Eagles were very strong and effective in the 40s and at the beginning of the 60s. They came second in the NFL Eastern Division a couple of times in the early 40s. In the late 40s, they won the NFL championship two times, 1948 and 1949. They won it again in 1960. Afterwards, they were less successful. In the 70s, 80s, and 90s, the only notable outcome was the Super Bowl participation in 1980 which they lost to the Oakland Raiders. It was not until 2000 that the Eagles could reach the playoffs again. This success marked the beginning of their most effective time, subsequently winning the NFC east in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. In 2004, the Eagles even reached the XXXIX. Super Bowl (largest live football event) but lost to the New England Patriots. In the following years, the Eagles performance was quite alternating. After a weak performance in 2005, they won their fifth NFC East title.

Infos: Los Angeles

Players

The Eagles have formed quite a few notable members, eighteen of them being pro football hall of famers. Chuck Bednarik for instance, who played for the Eagles from 1949 – 1962, is best known for his devastating tackles. Reggie White, another famous Eagles member, became famous for his Christian ministry as well as for his outstanding play. Steven van Buren is the team's hero as he saved their first NFL victory in 1948 with the only touch-down of the game. Their numbers are not distributed anymore. Recent stars are David Akers, Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook, and L. J. Smith who all contributed to the Eagles successes at the beginning of this decade. McNabb also became a high-profit advertising vehicle for the team.

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