Philadelphia Eagles Finalize Plans to Honor 1960 Championship

Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie today announced that the Eagles will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1960 NFL championship team during their home opener on Sept. 12, 2010 against the Green Bay Packers.  

The festivities will include a number of different commemorative events to celebrate the rich history of the franchise. 
The announcement, held at the site of the game, Franklin Field, was made by Lurie along with Eagles president Joe Banner and Eagles 1960 alum Pete Retzlaff, who joined the voice of the Eagles, Merrill Reese,  and 1960 the voice of the Eagles, Bill Campbell, in remembering the game. 

The event was also highlighted by appearances from Eagles 1960 alumni Tommy McDonald, Chuck Bednarik, Dick Lucas, Riley Gunnels, and Maxie Baughan, as well as current Eagles tight end Brent Celek, wide receiver DeSean Jackson, linebacker Stewart Bradley, and Eagles head coach Andy Reid. 

“We are excited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1960 team. This celebration marks a very important event in Philadelphia Eagles history. In the past few months, we have had the pleasure of working with an advisory committee of volunteers, many who actually attended the game at Franklin Field 50 years ago,” said Lurie. 

He added, “This milestone in Eagles history will be commemorated with the authentic kelly green uniforms from 1960, as well as a number of different events planned to make sure this extraordinary group of men are lauded for their efforts. Remembering this accomplishment and these players is important not only for the team, but for our fans whose passion for the Philadelphia Eagles spans many generations.” 

After losing the season opener against Cleveland, the 1960 Eagles rattled off nine straight wins, tying the longest streak in team history and securing their fourth Eastern Division title. 

On Dec. 26, 1960, Hall of Famers Norm Van Brocklin, Tommy McDonald, and Chuck Bednarik led the Eagles to their third NFL championship after mounting a come-from-behind, 17-13 victory over Green Bay at Franklin Field. This victory handed Vince Lombardi’s Packers their only playoff loss under his tenure.

NOTE: Jeff Lurie quotes courtesy of Philadelphia Eagles Communications.

Philadelphia Eagles To Honor Their Last NFL Championship

In 1960 the Philadelphia Eagles capped a 10-2 season by beating the Green Bay Packers 17-13 in the NFL Title game. It wasn’t the last NFL Championship game the Eagles played in (Super Bowls XV and XXXIX), but it was the last Championship won by the franchise.

There has been some talk here in Philadelphia this offseason that the current Eagles ownership should consider honoring the 50th Anniversary of that 1960 NFL Championship by actually playing their September 12 season opener against the Green Bay Packers at Franklin Field.

As novel as the idea sounds, it would be a logistical nightmare. For one there is a great deal of infrastructure work taking place near Franklin Field with one of the main entry roads to the stadium currently closed.

There is also the question of what do with all those Eagles fans and big businesses that own or rent luxury suites at Philadelphia’s current stadium, Lincoln Financial Field.  

Luxury suites simply do not translate to the 115-year venue located on the University of Pennsylvania campus. Not to mention that Lincoln Financial Field currently seats 68,532 Franklin Field 60,658. 

I would love the idea, but again it just does not seem like a realistic option. What will probably happen is that the two teams will commemorate the the anniversary by playing their 2010 season opener in their respective 1960 throw back uniforms, of course not much of a commemoration for Green Bay.   

With that said, the Eagles have scheduled a press event for Monday, May 3. Team owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Joe Banner will lead the ceremony, which begins at 10:30 a.m. at Franklin Field. Others attending will be former players from the 1960 title team, Chuck Bednarik, Dick Lucas, and Maxie Baughan, as well as current players DeSean Jackson, Brent Celek, and Stewart Bradley. 

The event has been tabbed as “Philadelphia Eagles Unveil Plans to Honor 50th." I, for one, am very interested in seeing exactly what the Eagles have in planned.

Remembering Wilbert Montgomery

There are some wonderful blog sites on the internet and one of my favorite is Sportsthenandnow.com. The site is the creation of Dean Hybl and he has some wonderful contributing writers. I wanted to share this Blog with Eagles fans in advance of the birds heading south to battle the Cowboys. Enjoy.

Written by Dean Hybl
http://www.sportsthenandnow.com

As we prepare for the NFL Playoffs, we remember as the Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month a running back that enjoyed a tremendous playoff run to lead his team to their first-ever Super Bowl appearance. Though only 5-foot-10, Wilbert Montgomery was a workhorse running back during his career playing primarily for the Philadelphia Eagles.

A sixth round choice in the 1977 NFL Draft out of Abilene Christian University, Montgomery saw action primarily as a kick returner during his rookie year, but he gained 103 yards as the Eagles defeated the New York Jets 27-0 in the final game of the regular season. That performance proved to be the prelude to a great streak for both Montgomery and the Eagles.

In 1978 Montgomery moved into the starting lineup and earned his first Pro Bowl trip by rushing for 1,220 yards with an average of 4.7 yards per attempt. The Eagles posted a 9-7 record and reached the playoffs for the first time in 18 years.

The following season, the Eagles finished with an 11-5 record and Montgomery was one of the best running backs in the league. He rushed for a career-high 1,512 yards to rank fourth in the NFL. He also caught 41 passes for 494 yards and led the NFL with 2,006 yards from scrimmage.

Injuries hampered Montgomery during the 1980 regular season as he played in only 12 games and rushed for 778 yards while catching 50 passes. Even with Montgomery missing significant action, the Eagles finished with a 12-4 record to win the NFC East Division and the top seed in the NFC Playoffs.

By the time the playoffs came along, Montgomery was healthy and ready to help the Eagles advance through the playoffs. He rushed for 74 yards and two touchdowns in an opening round victory over the Minnesota Vikings. In the NFC Championship Game, he rushed for a record 194 yards as the Eagles defeated the Dallas Cowboys 20-7 to advance to their first Super Bowl. Montgomery opened the scoring with a 42-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and also had a 55-yard run in the game.

The Eagles lost the Super Bowl to the Oakland Raiders, but Montgomery had 44 yards rushing and 91 yards receiving in the game.

Montgomery registered the third 1,000-yard season of his career in 1981 as he gained 1,402 yards rushing. He also caught 49 passes for 521 yards. The Eagles finished with a 10-6 record to make the playoffs for the fourth straight season. However, they lost to the New York Giants in their only playoff game.

In the strike-shortened 1982 season, Montgomery rushed for 515 yards, but the Eagles finished with a 3-6 record to miss the playoffs.

After injuries limited him to only five games in 1983, Montgomery rebounded in 1984 to rush for 789 yards and catch a career-high 60 passes for 501 yards. Montgomery finished his career with the Detroit Lions in 1985.

For his career, Montgomery gained 6,789 yards rushing, which ranked 14th in NFL history at the time of his retirement. He also caught 273 passes for 2,502 yards and scored 58 career touchdowns.

Interestingly, Wilbert was one of four brothers to play college or professional football. The most notable of the brothers was Cleo, who played six years in the NFL and earned a Super Bowl ring with the Los Angeles Raiders in 1984.

Since his retirement, Montgomery has developed into a successful NFL assistant coach. He was the running back coach for the St. Louis Rams during their championship run in the late 1990s. He is currently the running back coach for the Baltimore Ravens.