Philadelphia Eagles: Fans need to give up on Kelly Green

Though many Philadelphia Eagles fans seem to love the vintage Kelly Green look, it’s really not that great.

There’s a whole lot going on in the world of Philly sports right now, so what better time than to ignite debate about the Philadelphia Eagles, the one topic that everyone can’t get enough of.

Whether you’re talking pointless tv shows or combine workouts or boring preseason drills, people just love them some Birds. And I’ve found over the years that few things get more mileage than the call to once again cloak the Eagles in the Kelly Green that they wore from 1935-1995.

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I’m telling you now. Give it up. Yes, it was a cool enough retro look the last time they wore it back in 2010, but the whole “what’s old is new again” trend in sports is getting tired.

Nods to a team’s history are fine when they’re done well, and maybe I can get behind the idea of the Eagles busting out Kelly Green on rare occasions if they figure out some way around the league’s helmet safety rules. I’m not saying it’s an altogether terrible look.

But for those of you who just insist that they need to ditch Midnight Green and return to their roots on a permanent basis, you’re wrong.

This generation’s Eagles, the most successful era in team history, have done it all while draped in Midnight Green. It has become their identity. And it’s been a quarter of a century; it’s not like they just came out of the boxes last week.

The Philly Special? Midnight Green. 4th and 26? Midnight Green. Brian Dawkins‘ entire Eagles career? Midnight Green. I shouldn’t have to go any further than that.

If you want to argue that the “Kelly Green” Eagles who won championships in 1948, 1949, and 1960 actually represent the greatest era in team history, you don’t have much ground to stand on.

The NFL was less than half of its current size back then, and most footage and photos of those “great” Eagles teams is in black and white anyway. They could have been wearing chartreuse for all I know. But if you’ve been around long enough to have seen those teams and remember the flashes of Kelly Green flying up and down the field, good for you. See you at your funeral next week.

Anyway, like it or not, the legacy of Midnight Green has been cemented. It is intertwined with this franchise and shouldn’t go anywhere. You’d probably rebut that with the same argument about your Kelly Green, but you’re looking past the fact that about 90% of Eagles fans who claim to love it are only so invested because they’re Notre Dame fans.

Yes, I realize that the Fighting Irish don’t even wear green all that often, but you know deep down that the “I like green teams” mandate is a real thing around these parts. To these folks, Midnight Green just isn’t “green enough” because it doesn’t fit the concept of green that they had gotten used to with the Eagles and had reinforced for them by the Irishness of Notre Dame. Or vice versa.

So try not to pay attention to your uncle with the framed Bill Bergey jersey on the wall (right next to the autographed picture of Lou Holtz) who laments the loss of Kelly Green every time you go over his house to watch a game. Midnight Green is still the way to go until further notice. That Crock Pot pulled pork he makes is always too dry anyway. You’re cooking it too long, Uncle Pat!

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Acknowledging history is fine. And it’s cool to sport a new (old) look once in a while if you can make it happen. But we shouldn’t live in the past. Plus, this guy has ruined the term “Kelly Green” forever for me.

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