The Philadelphia Eagles and also the Slimy Ages

Fans of the Philadelphia Eagles have, in recent years, suffered through many disappointments and heartaches as they watch their team find it difficult to find its distance to the elite echelon of professional football. The Eagles, first founded in 1933 when Bert Bell was permitted to buy into the National Football League, have - at times - seemed poised to surge past their competitors in the National Football Conference and win that Super Bowl trophy that has for so long eluded them. Their only two appearances up to now - in 1980 and 2004 - both led to losses. In fact, their best years, some would argue, came throughout the era of Head Coach Earle "Greasy" Neale.The Eagles and also the DraftBefore Neale arrived to coach the team, the Eagles had struggled mightily. Wins were scarce, also it was difficult for the new team to recruit the talent it needed to build a foundation for future success. By 1935, Bell had develop a concept that he thought could provide his team with a vehicle for improvement - but which he sold to the NFL being an opportunity to spread the talent from the NFL across more teams. It was perhaps the first real attempt for achieving parity. The concept, that was to possess teams draft players from college prior to those teams' performance within the last season, was utilized and still remains an important part of the sport today. Unfortunately, the Eagles wasted their first selection by choosing a running back who never wanted to play professional football.Neale builds a teamThe implementation from the college draft might have profound implications for that Philadelphia Eagles, however, using the arrival of Greasy Neale. Beginning in 1941, the Eagles made personnel choices that were far wiser than those produced in the 1930s. It might ultimately function as the quality of these players and also the innovative coaching type of Neale that will build a team that will end up being dominant within a good part of the 1940s. It took only 3 years for Neale's Eagles to rise to second place in their division. 3 years after that, they'd won their very first title within the division. His players, including such Eagles greats as Tommy Thompson and Steve van Buren, were instrumental in elevating the team from perennial league lapdog to championship contender. Actually, the finish from the decade saw the Eagles play in three straight NFL title games - two of that they won. Those Championships, in 1948 and 1949, were a high water mark for that Eagles franchise, and made the Eagles the only team in NFL history to win consecutive shutout titles, as neither the Cardinals nor the Rams could score against the vaunted Eagles defense.Defense and LegacyNeale's defense was, of course, legendary. The what are known as "Eagle Defense" was copied and implemented by other teams within the NFL for many years, and eventually evolved into what's now referred to as 4-3 - a defense that many teams still use to this day. For his use the Eagles and his many contributions to the sport, Neale was honored with induction into the Hall of Fame in 1969.

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