Two off the field Eagles related stories came out this week that caught my eye. While they didn't reference each other and seemingly were unrelated... I think there's a real connection between the two.
First, the San Diego Union-Tribune compiled a list of 308 arrests of NFL players since 2000. It's a pretty interesting read as they talk about repeat offenders, how many cases were resolved, what were the most common charges, how many are pending ect... But probably the most compelling stat they revealed was the amount of arrests per team. Two teams were tied for the fewest in the NFL, that was the St Louis Rams and your Philadelphia Eagles both with 3.
Plus, if I remember correctly one of those arrests was Jabar Gaffney who didn't even make the team and was arrested for what was really just a misunderstanding involving his Texas gun permit in PA.
That article stuck in my head when I saw this article in Forbes magazine.
The fastest growing brand in the NFL is the Philadelphia Eagles.
This was a smart business move by Eagles owner Jeff Lurie, because McNabb will continue to get the City of Brotherly Love plenty of positive media attention and help the team sell lots of merchandise. Meanwhile, Owens has been nothing short of an embarrassment to the Cowboys, and his selfish antics factored into the departure of future Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells after last season. The team is now worth $1 billion, fifth in the NFL.
What it basically means is that value of the Eagles and everything that goes with them(merchandise, TV, stadium, everything) has grown faster than any other team over the past several years. It's interesting that the Forbes writer would focus on character in his writeup of the situation. I don't there's any doubt that the class of this organization and it's players is directly related to the rapid growth of it's brand. These really are the good guys and that obviously means something to people.