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Flashback Friday: Jeffrey Lurie purchases the Philadelphia Eagles for $195 million

By Geoffrey Knox

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 04: Jeffrey Lurie owner of the Philadelphia Eagles and head coach Doug Pederson celebrate their teams 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots 41-33. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 04: Jeffrey Lurie owner of the Philadelphia Eagles and head coach Doug Pederson celebrate their teams 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots 41-33. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Once upon a time Norman Braman was the Eagles’ owner and things weren’t quite the same as they are now.

Some of you youngsters may not be very familiar with former Philadelphia Eagles owner Norman Braman. How do we say this nicely? He wasn’t quite the owner that current Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie is.

Braman, along with his brother-in-law, Ed Leibowitz, took control in April of 1985. He would then buy his brother-in-law’s share in July of 1986. He’d remain the sole owner of the Eagles until May of 1994. During his time in Philly, ‘The Birds’ would win ten games in five straight seasons despite only winning the NFL’s NFC Eastern Division once.

Sometimes, numbers don’t always tell the tale.

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It wasn’t what the Eagles accomplished during Braman’s reign that defined him. It’s what he didn’t do. It’s who he didn’t keep around. The end of Braman’s tenure also coincides with the advent of NFL free agency, and at that time, Mr. Braman wasn’t interested in playing the game.

Older ‘Birds’ fans will remember one of the most beloved teams in Philly’s history being ripped apart, Buddy Ryan’s Eagles. Every time a free agent’s contract came up, they just left, so guys like the great Reggie White always seemed to end up in other places.

One by one, the team that Buddy built began to fall apart. Eagles fans never got their first Super Bowl victory from one of the teams that had the best chance of winning one. They, instead, had to watch Reggie White win as a member of the Green Bay Packers. They had to watch Randall Cunningham have one of the greatest single-season performances of all time as a member of the Minnesota Vikings.

Enter Jeffery Lurie.

On May 6th of 1994, Jeffrey Lurie bought the Eagles for $195 million. It was the most that had been paid for a professional sports franchise at the time. Under the current chairman and CEO, the Eagles have seen more success than they’ve seen under any other owner. They’ve won more games and division titles, and they’ve also finally won that elusive Super Bowl title.

The Eagles are, currently, worth $2.4 billion, as reported by Forbes magazine in 2015.

Next: Eagles add 15 undrafted free agents to roster

It hasn’t been a bad run for a former movie producer who once thought about purchasing the New England Patriots. What’s even better news is, for a franchise born in 1933, the Eagles are just getting started. The best is yet to come.

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