Eagles•More PHL•News•Unique Columns
Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons. Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons.
Philadelphia’s organized sports — dating as far back as our own Civil War — have frequently been intertwined with American history. Our first professional ballpark (Recreation Field) was an outpost for Union Cavalry in the 1860’s. On March 11th of 2020 — the Sixers beat the Pistons at the Wells Fargo Center 124–106 including a 30-point, 14-rebound performance by Joel Embiid just hours before Philly joined the rest of the world in a pandemic shutdown that would bring Philadelphia sports to a halt for the first time since those same 1860’s.
And on the day that an event propelled our nation into the second World War eighty-four years ago — was no different.
On December 7th, 1941 — the Eagles were in Washington for a Divisional Game at Griffith Stadium in front of over 27,000 fans. Washington was 5–5 coming into the game — the Eagles were 2–7.
On this day — it actually wasn’t the sequence of football events themselves during the last regular season game of 1941 that was so memorable. If fact — it’s what happened off of the field that made this game so forgettable. During the first quarter — the stadium announcer began paging official Washington personnel to return to their offices. An ominous feeling spread across the stands. Pearl Harbor had been attacked — and America’s involvement in World War II would soon follow.
Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons.
World War II was a historic event for both our Eagles and for our nation. After winning seven games in both 1944 and 1945, the Eagles were ready to make a run for the Championship in 1947. After beating the Steelers in the playoffs, the Eagles rallied against the Chicago Cardinals but came up just short by a final score of 28–21. The following year — in a Philadelphia nor’easter — the Eagles would beat those Chicago Cardinals 7–0 to win their first NFL Championship. They would repeat in Los Angeles the following year, in 1949.
That night after the 20–14 win for the home team — Washington players marched in front of the Japanese Embassy in DC. America would remember December 7th, 1941 forever.
But not for a forgotten Eagles, Washington Game.
Categorized: Eagles More PHL News Unique Columns
