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Congratulating the Philadelphia Eagles for their historic victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
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WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Eagles are a cornerstone Philadelphia institution. During the tenure of its owner, Jeffrey Lurie, and its president, Don Smolenski, the Eagles organization has been a model franchise. The organization’s values are reflected in its deep engagement with fans and community members, its charitable work with children, and notably in the players themselves; and
WHEREAS, The team members, brought together under the leadership of executive vice president Howie Roseman, embody a hardworking and resilient spirit that resonates deeply with the people of this great City. The strength of the team’s character was exemplified this season by players’ advocacy for social justice, which received national attention. These efforts included advocacy for criminal justice reform by Malcolm Jenkins and donation of the entire season’s salary by Chris Long for educational equality; and
WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Eagles entered Fall 2017 as a contender for a division title in the NFC East. Their perennial rivals, the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants, were also predicted to have strong teams, however, and the Eagles came into the season prepared for a dogfight; and
WHEREAS, Second-year head coach Doug Pederson and veterans such as Jason Peters, Zach Ertz, Malcolm Jenkins, Jason Kelce, Fletcher Cox, and returning quarterback Carson Wentz were joined in the off-season by new additions Torrey Smith, Alshon Jeffery, LeGarrette Blount, and Chris Long. Meanwhile, backup quarterback Nick Foles made a return to the Eagles, which would also prove to be a crucial addition; and
WHEREAS, With a City of passionate fans behind them, the Eagles began their season by winning ten of their first eleven games. During this stretch, the team defeated each of their NFC East rivals, with two of the victories coming against Washington; and
WHEREAS, After a tough loss on the road against the Seattle Seahawks, the Eagles beat the Los Angeles Rams, but only after losing Carson Wentz to a season-ending knee injury; and
WHEREAS, Prior to his injury, Wentz was considered a leading candidate for the NFL’s Most Valuable Player Award. With All-Pro tackle Jason Peters already sidelined with a season-ending injury, the Eagles’ Super Bowl dreams were suddenly in doubt; and
WHEREAS, In his first game as starting quarterback, Nick Foles made the City proud as he threw for 237 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 34–29 victory over the rival New York Giants. Foles took on starting quarterback duties for the rest of the season, and in spite of critics’ doubts, lost only one game; and
WHEREAS, Despite finishing their season with 13 wins against only 3 losses, a record that earned the team the top seed in the NFC playoffs, the Eagles were still dismissed by most commentators as they entered the playoffs. These doubts only fueled the team and its fans, who embraced their underdog status; and
WHEREAS, Against the odds, the Eagles beat both the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Divisional Round and the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship. These wins earned the Eagles their third trip to the Super Bowl, and their first Super Bowl appearance since a tragic defeat at the hands of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005; and
WHEREAS, Heading into the Super Bowl after a convincing win against the Vikings in their previous game, the Eagles still maintained their underdog status against the favored New England Patriots. Donning their notorious German Shepherd masks, the team and its fans maintained their faith in this season’s Super Bowl destiny, despite the critics, and shocked the Patriots and the rest of the world with a 41-33 victory; and
WHEREAS, The game featured a number of instantly classic moments in professional football history. Among them were acrobatic touchdown catches by Alshon Jeffery, Corey Clement, and Zach Ertz; a gutsy fourth down conversion in the fourth quarter; a dazzling strip sack by Brandon Graham of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady; and the legendary “Philly Special” play, which resulted in a touchdown pass from tight end Trey Burton to quarterback Nick Foles; and
WHEREAS, Foles was brilliant throughout the game, passing for 373 yards and three touchdowns, resulting in a stellar 106.1 passer rating. For these contributions, along with his leadership and poise during the game, he was named Super Bowl MVP.
WHEREAS, The victory in Super Bowl LII is the Eagles’ first-ever Super Bowl title and the first NFL Championship for the team since 1960 – a full 7 years before the first Super Bowl was played. After the Eagles’ win, Philadelphians marked the joyous occasion by pouring into the streets to celebrate the victory with family, neighbors, and friends, celebrating well into the night of February 4th; and
WHEREAS, The championship celebration continued on February 8th, when the City and region descended upon South Broad Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway for the Eagles’ victory parade. The scenes of cheering players and fans, all showered in confetti, and the stirring speeches from the victorious players are sure to live on in Philadelphians’ memories for decades; and
WHEREAS, These joyous celebrations speak to Philadelphia’s identity as the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, and moreover, they highlight the bravery and dedication of the Philadelphia Police Department, Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management, SEPTA, and other key parade partners, who worked tirelessly to keep Philadelphians enjoying the festivities safely; and
WHEREAS, This body celebrates the Philadelphia Eagles for a historic season, on and off the field, and wishes it ascension to even greater heights in seasons to come; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby congratulates the Philadelphia Eagles for their historic victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to the Philadelphia Eagles organization, as evidence of its esteem and appreciation.
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