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Philadelphia Eagles CEO Jeffrey Lurie hasn’t stopped smiling

By Geoffrey Knox

Jeffrey Lurie, Philadelphia Eagles (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Jeffrey Lurie, Philadelphia Eagles (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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Philadelphia Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie hasn’t stopped smiling following his team’s first-ever Super Bowl win.

If you think Philadelphia Eagles fans are stoked about the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl win, you should check out their chairman and CEO. Jeffrey Lurie addressed the media and fielded questions for well over a half an hour on Tuesday during the NFL Annual Meeting. Sure, professional football is a billion-dollar business, but if you think the owners only look at the game as a way to line their pocket books, you should really check out what Lurie had to say.

Well let’s change that. We’re very aware that some owners probably do see their team as a ‘cash cow’, but we’ve known better than that for quite some time. It’s been all about winning the Lombardi Trophy since he purchased the Eagles for $195 million from Norman Braman on May 6th, 1994.

It was the most anyone had paid for an NFL team at that time, and believe it or not, almost one year after his attempt to purchase the New England Patriots ended.

Related Story: Eagles fans continue to celebrate team’s first Super Bowl win

Lurie helps construct a winner.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – FEBRUARY 04: Owner Jeffrey Lurie of the Philadelphia Eagles raises the Vince Lombardi Trophy after they defeated the New England Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – FEBRUARY 04: Owner Jeffrey Lurie of the Philadelphia Eagles raises the Vince Lombardi Trophy after they defeated the New England Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

Lurie’s approval rating in Philly has always been a good one. Sure, there were frustrating times, but something was always known about him. He was dedicated to winning a Super Bowl, and though it took close to 24 years, fans just knew he shared their thirst for a title. The Eagles have seen, arguably, their most successful time under Lurie’s watch.

He’s hired three coaches, including the most successful coach in team history, statistically, and the one who led the team to their first Super Bowl win. The third hire was the charm, and that’s why Lurie can’t stop smiling.

He addressed the media at the NFL Annual Meeting, and here’s some of what he had to say:

"It’s been a pretty great experience. The incredible nature of being able to see Eagles fans fulfilling their championship dreams is indescribable. It wasn’t just the parade. It wasn’t just on the field with the confetti. It’s every day since. I can’t tell you how many times people come up to me. Wherever it is, there are always Eagles fans everywhere. They may see you and start crying. They may see you and start hyperventilating. The stories they have with their mothers, their fathers, who they got to experience it with. I don’t know if you could explain it to fans everywhere in the country, but those of us who know the passion and the love for this football team and how much they’ve wanted the Eagles to win a Super Bowl. It’s like it gets played out every day in a real, emotional, personal way."

Perhaps it’s this statement that sums it all up though:

"I always say that we’ve got the best sports fans in America, if not the world, but the personal stories are what drives it to be so, so special."

It’s easy to see why Eagles fans, coaches and players love their owner. They love him because he cares. They love him because he’s a fan just like they are. Period.

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