Tudor Vintage NFL Week 8 “Big Birds” Preview: Big Falcons vs. Big Eagles

Perhaps the Eagles-Falcons Tudor electric football matchup seems obvious – the NFL’s only undefeated team going up against the “home” team. A true test, a hope for an upset, the Eagles turning their season around – or is that upward? – with a win. Let’s just say, I’m not holding my breath.

My all-time favorite Eagle: Pete Retzlaff in Kelley green.

Besides the Eagles disorganized state, they are wearing their black jerseys on Sunday. Black jerseys. Can we be done with this already? I mean, the black jersey thing is so overdone…there is absolutely nothing unique or special about it. Nothing. If the Eagles want to do something special put the old Kelly green jerseys on. There’s only one team on the field Sunday who should be wearing black jerseys, and it’s not the Eagles. (You’ll have to excuse me, as Roddy and I were already ranting earlier this week about the lack of respect for classic NFL uniforms.)

Perhaps my cynicism was born on a day like December 14, 1969, when my father and I took the trolley and the El through a snowstorm to see the Eagles play the Falcons in Franklin Field. (In my mind it’s always been a blizzard, but in checking the newspapers from 1969 it actually only snowed 1.5 inches.) What definitely is a fact is that we had to wipe the snow off the hard wooden benches that served as seats. It’s also a fact that not very many fans bothered to show up to see a very mediocre 4-7-1 team that was in the midst of dropping the last 4 games of the season.

I don’t remember much about the game other than being cold no matter how much hot chocolate I sucked down. The Eagles were only trailing 3-0 at halftime, but the final score was 27-3 in favor of the Falcons. We didn’t stay until the end. Adding insult to injury was the Eagles’ Tom Woodeshick, going into the game as the NFL’s 4th leading rusher, tearing the ligaments in his ankle. Despite surgery, he really was never the same player after that injury.

But at least out in Minnesota, my “adopted” Vikings were winning their 12th straight game of the season. Thanks to the Vikings there was still much rooting to be done in 1969. And Santa would help too. Under the tree in 1969 would be the crown jewel of electric football games — the Sears’ exclusive Jets-Colts Super Bowl III game.

Earl

The 1969 NFL Championship Game