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Is ‘Embrace the Target’ the Eagles’ new catchphrase?

Underdogs no more? The Super Bowl champs opened training camp this week to find a T-shirt emblazoned with a new message — one that may sound familiar to certain Chicago sports fans.

An Eagles fan puts on sunglasses over an underdog mask before the NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2017.
An Eagles fan puts on sunglasses over an underdog mask before the NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2017.Read moreTIM TAI / Staff Photographer

Hey Eagles fans — your dog masks are officially vintage.

Coming fresh off their first Super Bowl win, the Philadelphia Eagles opened training camp at NovaCare Complex this week and were greeted with a T-shirt with a new rallying cry.

The shirts featured the phrase "Embrace the Target" over a bullseye and the team's Eagle logo, representing the first time the team's been "hunted" in the Super Bowl era, Eagles writer Jeff McLane reported Thursday.

Coach Doug Pederson's pre-game message to the team was to "embrace winning, embrace the success … and learn from it," McLane reported.

"Obviously, the ultimate goal is to try to win again," Pederson said. "We know how hard that is in this league. A lot of good football teams in this league. We've got our work cut out for us."

NBC Philadelphia's John Clark posted a photo of rookie free agent and offensive lineman Ian Park wearing the "Embrace the Target" shirt that quickly generated mixed reactions on social media.

"New slogan for repeat," he wrote.

Reactions on Twitter ranged from "dope" to "not catchy."

A team spokesman clarified Friday afternoon that it was not an official team slogan — but neither was "Underdogs," the unofficial slogan that went viral and fueled a massive merch market after players Lane Johnson and Chris Long took the field in dog masks following the team's win against the Atlanta Falcons, paying homage to their status as the first No. 1 seed to be an underdog in its first postseason game at the time.

Dog masks quickly sold out on Amazon while the players used the opportunity to benefit charitable causes, including Philadelphia schools.

But now?

"We're the alpha dog," Eagles center Jason Kelce explained. "And I think any time you're up there, all the other dogs want to be up there with you, and we're going to get that — their best shot," Kelce told USA Today this week. "And it's up to us to prove that we are that top dog, and we're laying the foundation for that right now. If we stay where we were last year, that's not good enough."

To some, "Embrace the Target" may sound familiar. Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon unveiled "Embrace the Target" as the team's slogan in February 2016, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The phrase has been an active trademark with Maddon's Respect 90 Foundation since March 2016. Rick Vaughn, a spokesman for the charitable organization, said it would be in touch with the Eagles.

"We won't have a comment but I can confirm that it is a registered trademark to Joe Maddon's Respect 90 Foundation and we will contact the Eagles to make them aware," Vaughn said via email Friday.

Julian Green, the vice president of communications for the Cubs, showed some support for the Birds on Thursday.

"As an organization who uses slogans as a reminder of what the ultimate goal is, we're certainly in full support of [the Eagles'] quest to reach their goal," Green said.