The Eagles scored a touchdown by bringing back kelly green jerseys | Opinion

Among pressing issues in Philadelphia, the color of the Eagles’ uniforms pretty much ranks near the bottom. But the Eagles have finally tackled the issue — well, sort of. In 1996, the Eagles shifted from kelly green to midnight green uniforms. This week, team owner Jeff Lurie announced that the Eagles are planning to use kelly green alternate uniforms in 2023. Finally.

Midnight green (which will stay the Eagles’ main color) was trendy in 1996. Now it’s a bit stale. Kelly green, in contrast, pops. It has that wow factor. It’s pleasing to the eyes. Most importantly, it’s nostalgic. As Lurie mentioned on Tuesday, the kelly green uniforms are a throwback to Buddy Ryan’s rambunctious Eagles of the 1980s and ‘90s. And who wouldn’t want to harness the memory of Randall Cunningham, Reggie White, Seth Joyner, and Clyde Simmons combined?

Back in the 1980s, I covered the Eagles for The Inquirer. I remember how sharp the team looked in their kelly green jerseys and silver pants on a sunny September Sunday in 1989 when, in a nail-biter against Washington at RFK Stadium, they scored two touchdowns in the last two minutes to claim a stunning victory. I remember those Eagles players walking over to the Washington fans to rub it in.

The kelly green jerseys have yet to be worn by an Eagles Super Bowl championship team. Every self-respecting Philadelphian knows that the Eagles won the Super Bowl wearing midnight green in 2018. But the achievements of teams of the past are not to be scoffed at. The Eagles of 1948, 1949, and 1960 all won NFL championships wearing kelly green. The color definitely has some good vibes.

A brief history lesson will help explain how we got to this color conundrum in the first place. Lurie bought the Eagles in 1994. He wanted to change the team’s color to midnight green to mark the start of a new era — and because his then-wife, Christina, disliked kelly green. That change went into effect in 1996.

The midnight green uniforms marked a break from a hallowed Eagles tradition. According to the Gridiron Uniform Database, the Eagles had worn kelly green since 1935, their third year of existence. Prior to that, they wore light-blue-and-yellow uniforms that matched the colors of the city flag. In 1954, the Eagles added silver wings to their helmets. At the time, they were one of only three NFL teams with helmet decals. They looked classy.

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In many of the seasons that followed, the Eagles lost more games than they won, but they always looked darn good doing it. Legendary Hall of Famer Chuck Bednarik, nicknamed “Concrete Charlie,” looked fabulous in kelly green while leading the Eagles to two NFL titles. As a kid, I liked watching running back Timmy Brown. The Eagles lost a lot in the late 1960s, but when Brown broke into open field, he almost looked like he was flying.

In January 1981, I was about to start my last semester at Temple. I sat in my parents’ living room to watch the Eagles take on the Dallas Cowboys for a trip to the Super Bowl. In a bit of gamesmanship, Dick Vermeil, the intense coach who was always looking for an edge, decided that the Eagles would wear white jerseys that day, forcing Dallas to wear blue jerseys, which they considered unlucky.

I remember Eagles running back Wilbert Montgomery, wearing that kelly green helmet, a kelly green 31 on the back of his jersey with all those kelly green stripes on the sleeves, taking a handoff and bolting untouched through a huge hole for a long first-quarter touchdown, setting up a resounding Eagles’ victory. Kelly green never looked more splendid to me than it did on that frozen afternoon in January. Sports fans just don’t forget that stuff.

“Let’s face it — the midnight green is looking a little dated. A refresh was absolutely in order.”

Perhaps the best temp check for the way Philadelphians feel about the two shades of green is a walk down the streets of Roxborough. Take a look at the Eagles flags on the front porches. Many of them carry the Eagles’ old logo of a soaring, kelly green eagle clutching a football. Kelly green and silver are the colors of our city and our team.

As with anything else in pro sports these days, Lurie is not doing this just for old times’ sake. The franchise also stands to make a lot of money from the sale of kelly green replica jerseys for players on the 2023 Eagles roster.

But let’s face it — the midnight green is looking a little dated. A refresh was absolutely in order. Count me among the many Philadelphians who will be overjoyed just to see kelly green again.

Dave Caldwell grew up in Lancaster County, graduated from Temple University, and lives in Manayunk. He was a sports reporter for The Inquirer from 1986 to 1995.