Book dares to rank best-ever Eagles plays
That's the one where a field goal, touchdown or safety finally wins a Super Bowl.
Until then, Eagles fans can wax nostalgic - or get apoplectic - over the rankings of clutch performances and eye-popping moves in Game Changers: The 50 Greatest Plays in Philadelphia Eagles Football History.
After some publishing snags, the full-color collection hit stores last month, but authors Reuben Frank and Mark Eckel waited till after the World Series to get serious about signings.
This week, they'll have 7 p.m. sessions at Borders shops today in Springfield, Delaware County and Friday in Warrington.
Even avid Eagles fan might have trouble guessing what finished No. 1.
Nope, not the Miracle in the Meadowlands.
That 1978 TD return of a fumbled snap was more of a New York Giants goof than a great Eagles play, according to these two newspaper sportswriters, who also do occasional hosting gigs on sports-talk WIP (610 AM).
So it's ranked No. 10 - probably the most disputed ranking in the book, Frank said.
Nope, not any of the deciding touchdowns that earned the Eagles their own NFL titles in 1948, '49 and '60, though those plays are all ranked high.
Nope, not Wilbert Montgomery's mad dash to end zone against the Dallas Cowboys in the 1981 as the Eagles advanced to their first Super Bowl.
It's No. 2. "Wilbert's run would have been in the mix for No. 1 if the Cowboys hadn't tied the game at 7-7 soon after his touchdown," Frank said.
The Giants and the Cowboys, by the way, were the foes in 21 of the 50 plays, he said.
No, you say - no, it can't be - not "Fourth and 26"!
Eckel totally agreed. Despite some lobbying by Frank.
"Mark just kept saying, 'We can't put a Freddie Mitchell play No. 1,' " Frank said. "It became comical - we agreed on virtually everything else in the book."
So it wound up No. 4 - even though quarterback Donovan McNabb's do-or-die pass in 2004 led to an overtime playoff win.
"As far as No. 1 goes, that was very tough choice," Eckel said. ". . . I spent an entire day at NFL Films and looked up every play in the book."
One play stood out as spell-bindingly spectacular.
"I must have watched it over and over 10 times and was amazed every time. On my way home, I called Reub and told him that has to be No. 1."
Think you know? Take the quiz at right.
Eagles cornerback Bobby Taylor was just one of many players interviewed for the book.
"Man, Mark, you're bringing back a lot of good memories," he told Eckel.
"I told him that was the point."
For more about the book, including a full list of scheduled signings, go to www.50greatestplays.com.
Contact staff writer Peter Mucha at 215-854-4342 or pmucha@phillynews.com.





