Editing Philadelphia Eagles (section)

==== Greasy Neale years (1941–1950) ====
{{Further|1947 NFL Championship Game|1948 NFL Championship Game|1949 NFL Championship Game|Greasy Neale}}
After assuming ownership, Thompson promptly hired [[Greasy Neale]] as the team's head coach. During the first years under Neale, the Eagles' struggles continued, and they finished the [[1941 Philadelphia Eagles season|1941 season]] with a 2–8–1 record.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1941 Philadelphia Eagles Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/phi/1941.htm |access-date=August 21, 2024 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] }}</ref> In the [[1942 Philadelphia Eagles season|1942 season]], there was no improvement as the team finished the season 2–9.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1942 Philadelphia Eagles Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/phi/1942.htm |access-date=August 21, 2024 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] }}</ref>

=====Steagles (1943)=====
{{Main|Steagles}}
{{Further|1943 Philadelphia Eagles season|1944 Philadelphia Eagles season}}
In [[1943 Philadelphia Eagles season|1943]], with player shortages stemming from the U.S. entry engagement in [[World War II]], it became difficult to fill the roster, and the team merged with the Steelers to form the "Phil-Pitt Combine", known as the [[Steagles]].<ref name="c806">{{cite web | last=Didinger | first=Ray | title=The Steagles: An Unforgettable 1943 Season | website=PhiladelphiaEagles.com| date=November 8, 2018 | url=https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/the-steagles-an-unforgettable-1943-season | access-date=August 21, 2024}}</ref> Greasy Neale continued to coach the team along with Steelers head coach [[Walt Kiesling]]. The team finished the 1943 season with a 5–4–1 record, and the merger, which was never intended to be a permanent arrangement, was dissolved at the season's end.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1943 Phi/Pit Eagles/Steelers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/phi/1943.htm |access-date=August 21, 2024 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] }}</ref>

In [[1944 Philadelphia Eagles season|1944]], the Eagles, led by head coach Greasy Neale and running back [[Steve Van Buren]], had their first winning season in team history.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1944 Philadelphia Eagles Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/phi/1944.htm |access-date=August 21, 2024 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] }}</ref> After two second-place finishes in [[1945 Philadelphia Eagles season|1945]] and [[1946 Philadelphia Eagles season|1946]], the team reached the [[1947 NFL Championship Game|NFL Championship game]] for the first time in [[1947 Philadelphia Eagles season|1947]]. Van Buren, [[Pete Pihos]], and [[Bosh Pritchard]] fought valiantly, but the young team lost to the [[1947 Chicago Cardinals season|Chicago Cardinals]], 28–21 at [[Comiskey Park]] in [[Chicago]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Championship - Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Cardinals - December 28th, 1947 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/194712280crd.htm |access-date=August 21, 2024 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] }}</ref>

===== NFL champions (1948) =====
{{Further|1948 NFL Championship Game|1948 Philadelphia Eagles season}}
[[File:Van Buren 1952 Bowman.jpg|thumb|[[Steve Van Buren]], Eagles halfback from 1944 to 1951, was inducted into the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 1965.]]
[[File:ChuckBednarik1952Bowman.jpg|thumb|[[Chuck Bednarik]], Eagles linebacker and center from 1949 to 1962, was inducted into [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 1967. His tackle of [[Frank Gifford]], then a running back for the [[New York Giants]], in November 1960, is widely considered one of the hardest [[The Hit (Chuck Bednarik)|hits]] and greatest plays in NFL history]]
[[File:PetePihos1955Bowman.jpg|thumb|[[Pete Pihos]], Eagles tight end from 1947 to 1955, was inducted into the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 1970.]]
Undeterred, the young team rebounded in [[1948 Philadelphia Eagles season|1948]] to return to the [[1948 NFL Championship Game|NFL Championship game]]. With home-field advantage and a blinding snowstorm on their side, the Eagles won their first NFL Championship against the [[1948 Chicago Cardinals season|Chicago Cardinals]] by a score of 7–0.<ref name="i638">{{cite web | last=Robinson | first=Sam | title=The NFL's Bizarre 'Blizzard Bowl' and the Star Who Nearly Missed It | website=HISTORY | date=December 8, 2021 | url=https://www.history.com/news/nfl-championship-blizzard-bowl-game-1948 | access-date=August 21, 2024}}</ref> The only score came in the fourth quarter when Steve Van Buren ran for a five-yard touchdown.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Championship - Chicago Cardinals at Philadelphia Eagles - December 19th, 1948 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/194812190phi.htm |access-date=August 21, 2024 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] }}</ref> Because of the severe weather, few fans witnessed the joyous occasion.

Prior to the start of the [[1949 NFL season|1949 season]], the Eagles were sold by Thompson to a syndicate of 100 buyers, known as the "[[Happy Hundred]]", each of whom paid $3,000 for a share of the team. While the leader of the "Happy Hundred" was noted Philadelphia businessman [[James P. Clark]], one unsung investor was [[Leonard Tose]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Didinger |first1=Ray |first2=Robert S. |last2=Lyons |title=The Eagles Encyclopedia |publisher=Temple University Press |year=2005 |isbn=1-59213-449-1 |pages=127–128}}</ref>

===== NFL champions (1949) =====
{{Further|1949 NFL Championship Game}}
In 1949, the Eagles returned to the [[1949 NFL Championship Game|NFL Championship game]] for a third consecutive year. The Eagles were favored by a touchdown,<ref name="eshpfv">{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1949/12/16/page/49/article/eagles-7-1-2-point-choice-for-title |newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune |last=Warren |first=Harry |title=Eagles 7½ point choice for title |date=December 16, 1949 |page=1, part 4 |access-date=April 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160207160021/http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1949/12/16/page/49/article/eagles-7-1-2-point-choice-for-title/ |archive-date=February 7, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="rpfuoe">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OM9WAAAAIBAJ&pg=6886%2C63367 |newspaper=[[Reading Eagle]] |location=Pennsylvania |agency=United Press |title=Rams point for upset over Eagles |date=December 17, 1949 |page=7 |access-date=April 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170512065219/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OM9WAAAAIBAJ&sjid=K0INAAAAIBAJ&pg=6886%2C63367 |archive-date=May 12, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="erbfttd">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iFgaAAAAIBAJ&pg=7242%2C2142192 |newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel |agency=Associated Press |title=Eagles, Rams battle for NFL title today |date=December 18, 1949 |page=2B |access-date=April 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426012747/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iFgaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CA0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=7242,2142192 |archive-date=April 26, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> and won 14–0 for their second consecutive title game shutout. Running back [[Steve Van Buren]] rushed for 196 yards on 31 carries for the Eagles, and their defense held the Rams to just 21 yards on the ground.<ref name="ertbrir">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4s0LAAAAIBAJ&pg=2698%2C211869 |newspaper=St. Petersburg Independent |location=Florida |agency=Associated Press |title=Eagles retain title, beat Rams in rain |date=December 19, 1949 |page=21 |access-date=April 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170512061931/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4s0LAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gFUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2698%2C211869 |archive-date=May 12, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Chuck Bednarik]] was selected as the first overall pick in the [[1949 NFL draft]]. An All-American lineman/linebacker from the University of Pennsylvania, Bednarik would go on to become one of the greatest and most beloved players in Eagles history.

In [[1950 Philadelphia Eagles season|1950]], the Eagles opened the season against the [[All-America Football Conference|AAFC]] champion [[Cleveland Browns]], who, along with two other AAFC franchises, had just [[1950 NFL season#The AAFC–NFL merger|joined the NFL]]. The Eagles were expected to make short work of the Browns, who were widely considered the dominant team in a lesser league. However, the Browns lit up the Eagles' vaunted defense for 487 total yards, including 246 passing yards, in a 35–10 rout. The Eagles never recovered from the loss and finished the 1950 season 6–6.

Following the 1950 season, Greasy Neale retired and was replaced by [[Bo McMillin]]. Two games into the [[1951 Philadelphia Eagles season|1951 season]], McMillin was forced to retire following a diagnosis of terminal [[stomach cancer]]. [[Wayne Millner]] finished out the season before being replaced by [[Jim Trimble]].

While the remnants of the great 1940s teams managed to stay competitive for the first few years of the decade, and younger players like [[Bobby Walston]] and [[Sonny Jurgensen]] occasionally provided infusions of talent, the team lacked the total talent necessary for true greatness during most of the 1950s.

After the [[1957 Philadelphia Eagles season|1957 season]], the Eagles moved from Connie Mack Stadium to [[Franklin Field]] at the [[University of Pennsylvania]]. Franklin Field had a vastly expanded seating capacity for the Eagles. While Connie Mack Stadium had a capacity of 39,000, Franklin Field's capacity was 60,000.<ref name="The Eagles Encyclopedia">{{cite book |title=The Eagles Encyclopedia |last1=Didinger |first1=Ray |first2=Robert S. |last2=Lyons |year=2005 |publisher=[[Temple University Press]] |isbn=1-59213-449-1 }}</ref> In 1969, the grass field at Franklin Field was replaced by [[AstroTurf]], making Franklin Field the first NFL stadium to use artificial turf.