PHILADELPHIA — Seven Februaries ago, Doug Pederson stood on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and declared days like those a new normal.
He wouldn’t stick around long enough as the head coach of the Eagles to see it come true. Nor would his quarterback(s) of that season, nor all but four players feted as the city’s first Super Bowl champions that day.
But nearly a decade on, as a new group of celebrants convened before a million or so of their closest friends Friday morning, it did feel normal.
Exultant, sure. Picturesque, definitely. But for a franchise that has played in three of the last eight Super Bowls and added a second Lombardi Trophy to a long-barren trophy case, Friday’s celebrations brought less of a sense of Super Bowl LII revival, and more of a new reality.
A franchise that for decades made bold proclamations about what it wanted to be has instead become just that, quieter and more workmanlike, reflecting the innate approach its current MVP quarterback adds to the landscape. So the Super Bowl LIX celebrations brought no pronouncements of dynasties or repeats, beyond owner Jeffrey Lurie’s de rigueur, “let’s shoot for three.”
Instead, the speeches at the Parkway grounded themselves firmly in the present, celebrating a moment that in 2018 had felt unbelievable but now feels like an annual expectation.
“Team is not celebrated enough,” head coach Nick Sirianni offered. “This team is special, and we can’t be great without the greatness of others. And that certainly applies to our fans.”
That was, of course, the theme throughout the regular season, which ended with wins in 14 of 17 games, before three NFC playoff victories and ultimately a clobbering of the two-time reigning champion Chiefs in the Super Bowl. It certainly was what Hall of Fame announcer Merrill Reese described as, “the greatest team in modern Eagles history.”
It began 2-2, with question marks and appeals for the firing of head coach Nick Sirianni. It evolved into a run-heavy attack behind Saquon Barkley’s historic season. It applied when Jalen Hurts was criticized for not doing enough even in games that he didn’t need to. It was felt by a defensive unit that absorbed the losses of Brandon Graham and Nakobe Dean but came out somehow more dominant.
And it followed the mix of temperaments and personalities Friday. From the exuberant cameo by “The Exciting Whites” – namely Cooper DeJean and Reid Blankenship – attempting to rap to Meek Mill to the understated delivery of Hurts.
“I told myself when I got drafted, that I wouldn’t come to the Rocky Steps until I won a championship,” Hurts said, after a savvy pause to let the crowd’s MVP chants build. “Now we’re here.”
The mixture of bawdiness and vulnerability on stage. There is, after all, only so much gravitas one can summon when Howie Roseman bleeds from a beer can to the head.
CJ Gardner-Johnson stepped to the mic with his unprintable “BTA” chant, then got less network friendly. But along the way, he described being “lost” when he was traded in 2022 from New Orleans to the Eagles, then crying when the Eagles let him walk to Detroit a year later. Jordan Mailata brought the crowd together for a rendition of “We Are the Champions” that might be worthy of a(nother) record deal. Landon Dickerson, between bleeps, shared a salient truth about life as an Eagle.
“I’ll tell you right now, when I got drafted here, everybody said it was impossible to play in Philly,” the offensive lineman said. “I found out all y’all want is for us to give everything we can for this city, and y’all give it right back. I can’t tell you how much we appreciate you guys. … I don’t think I’ve played an away game my entire career.”
A.J. Brown brought the biggest applause from the crowd, short of Hurts, with his distillation of his own reality vs. the larger perception, one of many things endearing him to fans here.
“They said I was a diva,” Brown said. “They said all I care about is stats. You’re going to get all those things wrong about me, but one thing you can get right: I’m a (bleeping) champion.”
Echos of Chase Utley.
Graham, the 15-year veteran who recovered from a triceps tendon tear to play in the Super Bowl in what is likely his last professional game, let the moment wash over him.
“I’ve been so thankful to be able to play and grow up here, pretty much here half my life,” he said, flanked by both Lombardi Trophies, as per his request. “I came here at 21, and now I’m about to be 37. … I’m so thankful to be here, so thankful that I’ve been a part of this organization, because y’all have molded me into the man that I am today.”
Perhaps Lane Johnson summarized it best. One of the holdovers from 2018 – with Graham, Jake Elliott and Rick Lovato – Johnson has been in Philadelphia for 12 years and stated a desire for “many more years to come.” His collection of lessons from mentors and peers didn’t only blend the sacred and the profane in a quintessential Eagles way. It illustrated the transmission of culture from year to year.
“It was Jeff Stoutland that taught me, no man is an island, you must draw your strength from others,” Johnson sermonized. “It was Jason Kelce that taught me nothing in the world can take the place of persistence and to always press on. Coach Sirianni taught me about dog mentality. Nick Foles taught me how to speak soft and to carry a big stick. That was actually Teddy Roosevelt, but I thought it was pretty fitting. And Jalen Hurts taught me how to have a purpose before someone has an opinion.
“I’m proud of how our team battled this year. We have a lot of personalities, a lot of talent, but everybody put aside their own personal goals for the benefit of the team. That’s what it’s all about, and that’s the reason why we’re up here celebrating today.”
That expectation to be champions wasn’t dependent on Pederson or Foles or the physical bodies of the last championship team. With time, it has become a standard passed from one group to the next.
Source: Berkshire mont
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