Philadelphia should look to the Eagles for inspiration — and soar | Editorial

The Eagles’ victory over the Kansas City Chiefs turned into one of the biggest blowouts in Super Bowl history. The 40-22 final score flattered the Chiefs — back-to-back defending champions — who failed to even cross midfield until the second half.

Patrick Mahomes, a three-time Super Bowl MVP, was completely thwarted by the Eagles’ ravenous defensive line and merciless secondary. Birds wide receivers ran roughshod over the Chiefs, and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts found his targets with immaculate throws all game long.

Fans and players alike began celebrating the win early, with Broad Street filling up and head coach Nick Sirianni receiving a Gatorade bath before the two-minute warning. As Birds receiver A.J. Brown can attest, it was truly a display of Inner Excellence.

It was also the culmination of decades of work.

When Jeffrey Lurie first purchased the Eagles in 1994, they were a locally beloved franchise, but one not known for success. Before Lurie, the Eagles of the Super Bowl era (since 1966) claimed two NFC East division titles, a single Super Bowl appearance, and no Lombardi Trophies. Under Lurie, they’ve won 11 NFC East titles, gone to the Super Bowl four times, and have now been crowned twice.

The team’s front office, under the direction of General Manager Howie Roseman, is routinely described as one of the best run in the NFL, and the club is worth a record $8.3 billion, the most of any American sports franchise.

The Eagles did not turn things around with luck. Under Lurie’s leadership, the team has embraced new ideas. While fans cherished the Saquon Barkley-led rushing attack, the Eagles were early adopters of pass-first offensive systems. While other teams were publicly hesitant to rely on Black quarterbacks, Lurie’s Eagles over the years have acquired the likes of Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick, and Hurts, who Sunday night was named the Super Bowl MVP.

The team was also an innovator when it came to using data analysis to inform football strategy, such as when to go for it on fourth down. By leaning into the long game, Roseman is empowered to make shrewd decisions that prioritize the team’s future; his work has led to the assembly of one of the most talented rosters in NFL history.

Beyond basking in the Eagles’ greatness, however, Philadelphians must start asking ourselves: How can we all reach similar heights?

After all, the Eagles are the only major community sports institution likely to garner these kinds of accolades for the time being. While the Phillies have a beloved ballpark — and have overcome their own legacy as baseball’s losingest franchise — they also aren’t on the Eagles’ level quite yet. The Sixers had about as much luck gaining widespread support for an arena they promised to pay for themselves as they have had moving beyond the second round of the NBA playoffs. Meanwhile, the less said about the Flyers, the better.

It isn’t just the city’s sports teams that have failed to live up to the Eagles’ standards — it is the players in our business and political realms, too. Philadelphia is the home base of only one Fortune 500 company, and local job growth has long lagged peer American cities.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic upended the commercial real estate market, Philadelphia’s lack of demand for office space made the city a national leader in residential conversions. Those projects have helped Center City maintain its liveliness, but they are a product of a dismal local economy and tens of thousands of missing office jobs.

When it comes to local politics, the notion of pursuing excellence — inner or otherwise — crosses over into the comical. For example, there is nothing excellent about rehiring failed local politicians at generous salaries, which is becoming a concerning hallmark of the administration of Mayor Cherelle L. Parker.

City Council hosts meetings about our city’s lack of job growth, only to turn around and pass more legislation that discourages businesses from planting roots in the city. Instead of pursuing modern trash collection systems like containerization, the city is trying to clean the streets by adding a second trash pickup day and blowing around dirt with gas-powered leaf blowers. That’s the epitome of short-term thinking.

If Philadelphia is going to soar like the Eagles, civic leaders will have to learn from what makes the team great — innovation, boldness, and long-term planning — rather than sticking with the same old strategies that have left the city grounded.