When Birds Weather Is Frightful
The postponement of Sunday's game was a reminder that the Eagles have played in unsavory conditions before. If Lincoln Financial Field isn't completely shoveled in time by the start of Tuesday night's game against the Vikings, Eagles history suggests what could ensue. Here are some of the more memorable games involving the Eagles and inclement weather:
The postponement of Sunday's game was a reminder that the Eagles have played in unsavory conditions before. If Lincoln Financial Field isn't completely shoveled in time by the start of Tuesday night's game against the Vikings, Eagles history suggests what could ensue. Here are some of the more memorable games involving the Eagles and inclement weather:
The Snowball Effect, Dec. 10, 1989Billed as "Bounty Bowl II" a couple of weeks after the Eagles knocked out a few Cowboys, this rematch featured a Veterans Stadium full of snow that had not been removed. Eagles fans tossed snowballs at almost any target, but especially the Cowboys and coach Jimmy Johnson as he darted off the field under police escort. Lost in the melee was a 20-10 Eagles victory.
The Fog Bowl, Dec. 31, 1988Late in the first half of this NFC divisional playoff game between the Eagles and Bears, a heavy fog rolled into Chicago's Soldier Field. Despite limited visibility, quarterback Randall Cunningham and the Eagles marched up and down the field but failed to punch it into the end zone and lost, 20-12.
Freezing out Dallas, Jan. 11, 1981The Eagles' first NFC championship game was played in frigid conditions at Veterans Stadium. The game-time temperature was 17, and the windchill reached minus-20. The only thing bluer than the lips of Eagles fans were the Cowboys, who had to wear their unlucky road blue uniforms when the Eagles wore their road whites. Running back Wilbert Montgomery, however, warmed the crowd's hearts with a 42-yard first-quarter touchdown, paving the way for a 20-7 win and the Eagles' first Super Bowl appearance.
Deck the Santa, Dec. 15, 1968A frustrating year came to a fitting end when a man dressed as Santa Claus was booed and pegged by snowballs in the season finale against the Vikings at Franklin Field. The incident is often cited as an example of Philadelphia sports fans' boorishness, but the stand-in Santa was some 19-year-old acting like a buffoon. The Eagles lost, 24-17, to end a wretched 2-12 campaign.
The Blizzard Bowl, Dec. 19, 1948A snowstorm nearly postponed the NFL championship game at Shibe Park, but both the Eagles and Cardinals wanted to play, and so they did. Expecting that the game wouldn't go on, Eagles running back Steve Van Buren almost missed the start. But he made it and scored the only points in a blinding blizzard when he ran 5 yards for a touchdown with 1 minute, 5 seconds left in the game to give the Eagles their first NFL title.
- Jeff McLane
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