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Growing up during the Marion Campbell and early Buddy Ryan era, I can say that the organization's recent success makes me wish I were 9 years old again so I could emulate players like Westbrook, McNabb, Runyan and Dawkins and cheer on a successful team each week with wide eyes and a child's wonder.
Now, I confess to being more of a college football fan, but like most fans, I think I'm qualified to pontificate on what can be done to fix the Eagles' problems on the offensive side - think running the ball more - and believe we never should've lost to the Bucs in the last game at the Vet, which dashed our best chance ever to win a Super Bowl.
But I'm not qualified to question their business decisions. They're straight out of the MBA Hall of Fame. Lurie & Co. have developed a license to print money. Their annual revenue is more than $200 million, with estimated operating income over $50 million.
They play 10 games or so a year in a stadium funded by about $100 million of city taxpayer money and another $130 million from the states taxpayers - not including the $400 million the city spent on site preparation and other incidentals related to construction.
Since opening the stadium in 2003, the Eagles have grossed a shade under $1 billion. They even earn revenue from the soon-to-be-bowl-bound Temple Owls football team.
With all this money, the Eagles are a big player in a number of worthy charitable endeavors, including the Eye Mobile and playground rebuilding programs, and they did a great job hosting the block party after this year's citywide cleanup. They know their place in our community.
Despite this revenue, a clear commitment to the community and a taxpayer-subsidized stadium, the Eagles still have an outstanding debt to the city of about $8 million. If you check Mayor Nutter's budget, you'll see a line item anticipating payment with the same maybe-someday look it's had in the past five budgets. This seemingly small debt stems from the original deal to keep the Eagles in Philadelphia through the city's construction of the luxury suites at Vet stadium.
WHEN current ownership bought the team, it took on all of the agreements of the previous owners, including those for the Vet. Without this agreement, the new owners might not have been able to buy the Eagles, as the team seemed headed to Phoenix without the deal for the suites.
Thankfully, the team is here, but the debt lingers. The fans who bought seat licenses to build the stadium and fill it each Sunday probably have little knowledge of this lingering piece of Vet history that still sits on our city's ledger. It wasn't demolished with the stadium. It's revenue the city needs.
To date, the Eagles have disputed this bill for a variety of reasons, including lost revenue from a canceled pre-season game in the Vet last year. Many other reasons probably exist.
The team is within their rights to dispute a bill, just like any other business. But the Fightin' Phils settled up a similar debt long ago. Eight million dollars-plus isn't chump change. The funds owed could pay for 80 or so police officers on the street, increase the recreation department budget by about 25 percent or fund a host of worthwhile programs in various city departments. *
Reach A.J. Thomson
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