Franklin Field

Last updated

Franklin Field
Penn Quakers logo.svg
Franklin Field aerial.jpg
An aerial view of Franklin Field in November 2008
Franklin Field
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Philadelphia
Location in the United States
USA Pennsylvania relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Philadelphia
Location in Pennsylvania
AddressS. 33rd and Spruce Streets
Location University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Public transit SEPTA.svg Penn Medicine:
SEPTA Regional Rail
Aiga bus trans.svg SEPTA.svg SEPTA bus:
30, 40, 42, 49, LUCY
OwnerUniversity of Pennsylvania
OperatorUniversity of Pennsylvania
Capacity 52,958 (2003–present)

Former capacity:

List
    • 30,000 (1895–1922)
    • 50,000 (1922–1925)
    • 78,000 (1925–1958)
    • 60,658 (1958–1970)
    • 60,546 (1970–1989)
    • 52,593 (1989–2002)
SurfaceField
Natural grass (1895–1968)
AstroTurf (1969–2003)
Sprinturf (2004–present)
Track
Cinder (1895–1987)
Rekortan (1988–present)
Construction
Broke ground1895
OpenedApril 20, 1895;
129 years ago (April 20, 1895)
Construction cost$100,000 (1895)
($3.66 million in 2023 [1] )
Architect Frank Miles Day & Brother
Charles Klauder
General contractor Turner Construction
(permanent structure in 1922)
Tenants
Penn Quakers (NCAA) (1895–present)
Philadelphia Eagles (NFL) (1958–1970)
Philadelphia Bell (WFL) (1975)
Philadelphia Atoms (NASL) (1976)
Philadelphia Spinners (MLU) (2012–2014)
Philadelphia Fury (NISA) (2019)
Website
upenn.edu/franklin-field

Franklin Field is a sports stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the eastern edge of the University of Pennsylvania's campus. Named after Penn's founder, Benjamin Franklin, it is the home stadium for the Penn Relays, [2] and the university's venue for football, track and field, and lacrosse. Franklin is also used by Penn students for recreation, intramural and club sports, including touch football and cricket; it is also the site of Penn's commencement exercises, weather permitting.

Contents

Franklin Field is the oldest still operating college football stadium in the nation. It was the first college stadium in the United States with a scoreboard and the second with an upper deck of seats. In 1922, it was the site of the first radio broadcast of a football game on WIP, as well as of the first television broadcast of a football game by Philco. [3]

From 1958 through 1970, Franklin Field was the home of the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). [4] It hosted the NFL Championship Game in December 1960, as the Eagles defeated the Green Bay Packers by four points.

History

19th century

Until around 1860, the grounds of what became Franklin Field served as a potter's field. The crania of some of these individuals were acquired by Samuel Morton and are now housed in the Penn Museum. [5]

Franklin Field was built for US$100,000(equivalent to $3,662,400 in 2023) and dedicated on April 20, 1895, for the first running of the Penn Relays. [6] The Field supplemented and eventually replaced the venue called University Grounds, which was located a few blocks west on a block bounded by Spruce Street (north), 38th Street (east), Pine Street (south), Woodland Avenue and 37th Street T-intersection (northwest). Its location was typically given as "37th and Spruce". [7]

20th century

Permanent Franklin Field construction did not begin until after the turn of the century. Weightman Hall gymnasium, the stadium, and permanent grandstands were designed by architect Frank Miles Day & Brother and were erected from 1903 to 1905 at a cost of US$500,000(equivalent to $16,955,556 in 2023). The field was 714 feet (218 m) long and 443 feet (135 m) wide. The site featured a ¼-mile track, a football field, and a baseball diamond. Beneath the stands were indoor tracks and indoor training facilities. [8]

In 1916, university officials, led by George Neitzche, planned with the city to build a new 100,000-seat half-sunken stadium for $750,000 at Woodland Ravine, a depression on the southeastern side of Woodland Cemetery. Plans called for a new train station called Union Station which would feature a Pennsylvania Railroad stop and a stop on a proposed (and never built) elevated subway line connected to the Market–Frankford Line. Architecture firm Koronski & Cameron created a rendering but plans quickly collapsed. Five years later, it was decided instead to expand Franklin Field. [9]

1922 rebuilding

Workmen laying bricks on the south wall of Franklin Field, c. 1922 FranklinField1922.PNG
Workmen laying bricks on the south wall of Franklin Field, c. 1922
Franklin Field during a 1925 Penn football game Penn - Franklin Field - 1922.jpg
Franklin Field during a 1925 Penn football game

The current stadium structure was built in the 1920s, designed by Day & Klauder, after the original wooden bleachers were torn down. The lower tier was erected in 1922. The old wood stands were razed immediately following the Penn Relays and the new concrete lower tier and seating for 50,000 were built. [10] The second tier was added in 1925, again designed by Day & Klauder, when it became the second and the largest two-tiered stadium in the United States. [11]

The stadium was designed of steel and concrete in the shape of a letter "U". [12] Initial cost was estimated around $725,000. [12] At the time of its construction, it was noted that Franklin Field was one of the few large fields which was built to support baseball as well as football and track sports. [12] Most other large stadia were meant only for football and track. [12]

The first football radio broadcast originated from Franklin Field in 1922, carried by Philadelphia station WIP. This claim is pre-empted by an earlier live radio broadcast emanating from Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, on October 8, 1921, a full year before Franklin Field's claim to fame. Harold W. Arlin announced the live broadcast of the Pitt-West Virginia football game on October 8, 1921, on radio station KDKA. The first commercial football television broadcast in 1939 also came from Franklin Field. [13]

The 1936 Democratic National Convention was concluded at Franklin Field, where President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his acceptance speech after being renominated for a second term.

In the 1930s and 1940s, Penn led the nation in attendance. The 65,000-seat stadium was expanded each fall with temporary stands to seat 78,000.[ citation needed ]

The annual Thanksgiving Cornell–Penn game, broadcast on national radio, attracted a reported 70,000 to the stadium in 1931. [14] The game earned a story on the front page of The Philadelphia Inquirer along with a quarter-by-quarter breakdown of every detail of the game. [14] The 1947 game attracted a crowd estimated in contemporary reports at "about 80,000". [15]

By the start of the 21st Century, Franklin Field seated 52,958.[ citation needed ]

Franklin Field switched from natural grass to AstroTurf in 1969 and became first NFL stadium with artificial turf. (The Houston Oilers of the AFL had moved into the Astrodome (with AstroTurf) the previous season.) The stadium's fifth AstroTurf surface was installed in 1993, and the current Sprinturf field replaced it in 2004. [16] Tenants since 1958, the Eagles moved to Veterans Stadium in 1971, also with artificial turf.

Franklin Field was considered a candidate to host games for the 1994 World Cup. FIFA required that host stadiums have natural grass. Had Philadelphia been selected and Franklin Field used, the stadium would have had to return to a grass surface, [17] or perhaps use a temporary grass field as was done at two World Cup sites—Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan.

21st century

After 125 years, the original 1895 concrete stands were deteriorating badly. [18] An extensive $44 million renovation to reinforce the concrete began in 2015. [18] The project was staggered over multiple phases, which allowed the continued use of the stadium during renovation work. [18] Previous coatings were removed, the failing sections were replaced, and rebar throughout the structure was reinforced. [19] [20] The project was completed by September 2023 [19] and received a historic preservation award. [20]

Wide view of Franklin Field.jpg
The University of Pennsylvania Band and alumni spell "Penn" on Franklin Field during the Homecoming game in November 2019. Note the south and east stands are empty while undergoing renovation.

Athletics

Football

Penn Quakers

Penn hosts Harvard at Franklin Field on November 11, 1905 Harvard vs Pennsylvania.jpg
Penn hosts Harvard at Franklin Field on November 11, 1905
The 1916 seating map at Franklin Field for the annual Thanksgiving game between Penn and Cornell 1916 Penn Cornell football stadium map.jpg
The 1916 seating map at Franklin Field for the annual Thanksgiving game between Penn and Cornell
The stadium's fieldhouse at the west end of the field during a Penn-Cornell football game in November 2005 FranklinField.JPG
The stadium's fieldhouse at the west end of the field during a Penn-Cornell football game in November 2005

Penn football played on Franklin Field for the first time in 1895. The University of Pennsylvania was one of the top football schools in the first years of college football. Many consider Penn to have been the national champion in college football in 1894, 1895, 1897 and 1904. [21] Other sources identify Penn as national champions in 1895, 1897, 1904 and 1908. [22]

John H. Outland played at Franklin Field for Penn in 1897 and 1898. On October 26, 1907, Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian school trounced a powerful University of Pennsylvania team, 26–6, before an overflow crowd of 20,000 at Franklin Field. [23]

On October 26, 1918, with the Spanish flu sweeping through the city, the Penn football team played the Navy Yard's Marines football club at an empty Franklin Field with the stadium closed to fans to prevent the spread of the virus. [24]

Red Grange set an NCAA record at Franklin Field when he rushed for 331 yards [25] in the University of Illinois' 24–2 victory over Penn on October 31, 1925, before 67,877 spectators. [26]

On Saturday, November 16, 2002, ESPN broadcast College GameDay from Franklin Field prior to the game between Penn and Harvard. Both teams entered the game undefeated, 5–0, in the conference. It was College GameDay's first broadcast from a Division I-AA college. [27] Penn won the contest, 44–9, and was undefeated and untied for the season. Harvard finished 6–1 in conference, 7–3 overall. [28]

The Penn Quakers football team played their 800th game ever at the stadium on October 4, 2008, against Dartmouth. [29]

Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles played at Franklin Field from 1958 through 1970. They moved to the stadium for the 1958 season after leaving Connie Mack Stadium: Franklin Field would seat over 60,000 for the Eagles whereas Connie Mack had a capacity of 39,000. According to then-Eagles president Frank L. McNamee, the Eagles did not pay rent for use of Franklin Field because Penn was a not-for-profit organization. Instead, the Eagles donated between $75,000 and $100,000 per-year to pay for maintenance and other expenses. The university collected all concessions and parking revenue. [13]

On October 11, 1959, NFL Commissioner Bert Bell died at the nearby university hospital after suffering a heart attack at Franklin Field during the last two minutes of the game between the Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers. [30] [31] [32]

The Eagles hosted the 1960 NFL Championship Game here on December 26, [33] defeating the favored Green Bay Packers 17–13 [34] [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [40] in head coach Vince Lombardi's only career playoff loss. Two years earlier, the two franchises had finished second last and last in the twelve-team league: the attendance for the title game was 67,325. [35] As the venue did not have lights at the time, the game started at noon to allow overtime to be played if required. [33]

Two infamous incidents in Eagles history occurred at the stadium.

Santa Claus booed

During the 1968 season finale against the Minnesota Vikings on December 15, a Christmas show was planned for halftime. The struggling Eagles entered the game at 2–11, and fans were less than pleased with Eagles quarterback Norm Snead (injured in preseason), owner Jerry Wolman, and especially coach Joe Kuharich: many fans came to the game wearing "Joe Must Go" buttons. [41] Unfortunately, the man meant to play Santa was unable to make it to Franklin Field due to the bad weather.

In lieu of the original halftime show, a 19-year-old fan named Frank Olivo (who came to the stadium already wearing a Santa Claus costume) was invited onto the field to toss candy canes with the cheerleaders. Frustrated by the team, the ugly wet weather, and his unconvincing beard, fans booed Olivo and threw snowballs at him. This incident is often referred to by sportscasters in denigrating Philadelphia sports fans as being so mean they booed Santa Claus. [42] The Eagles lost the game, 24–17. [43] Olivo continued to attend Eagles games and even made a return as Santa Claus four decades later, at the Eagles' December 27, 2009, game against the Denver Broncos at Lincoln Financial Field. [44] This time, Olivo was not targeted by snowballs. Frank Olivo died in 2015 at age 66.

Howard Cosell taken ill

In the first season of Monday Night Football in 1970, announcer Howard Cosell was apparently drunk during the Eagles-New York Giants game on November 23. After throwing up on color commentator Don Meredith's cowboy boots shortly before halftime, Cosell left the stadium and took a taxi back to New York City. Meredith and play-by-play announcer Keith Jackson made little mention of his departure during the second half.

Later, denying drunkenness, Cosell said that he had been dizzy from running laps around Franklin Field's track before the game with track star Tommie Smith. [45] Cosell was 52 years old at the time.

Other college football

The 1908 Army-Navy Game at Franklin Field ArmyNavy1908.jpeg
The 1908 Army–Navy Game at Franklin Field

The Army–Navy Game was played 18 times at Franklin Field between 1899 and 1935 before moving to the larger Municipal Stadium in South Philadelphia in 1936. [13] Penn alumnus and Olympic-medalist George Orton (who had worked with Frank Ellis in managing the Penn Relays) is credited with helping to bring the game to Philadelphia in 1899. [46]

Temple University played its home football games at Temple Stadium until the late 1970s. Temple Stadium, which opened in 1928, seated up to 34,000 for football. Over the years, Temple had played home games at Franklin Field when crowds were expected to exceed Temple Stadium's capacity. Temple moved its home games to Veterans Stadium in the late 1970s but the Phillies had priority for the field for Saturdays during baseball season, which ends the last week in September. When Temple home games conflicted with Phillies home games, Temple would play at Franklin Field. This continued through the 2002 season, Temple's final year at the Vet before the Owls moved to Lincoln Financial Field as tenants of the Eagles. [47] One of the last Temple football games at Franklin Field was a 44–21 loss to the number-one-ranked Miami Hurricanes on September 14, 2002; Miami's Willis McGahee rushed for 134 yards and four touchdowns in front of 33,169 fans. [48]

In 2016, the multi-division Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) held the second installment of its six NCAA Division III post-season bowl games (over three days) at Franklin Field for select member teams that did not make the DIII playoffs. In the series's inaugural year, the games were played at Arute Field in New Britain, Connecticut. The bowl series will move to Delaware Stadium in 2017, but will return to Franklin Field in 2018. [49]

Other professional football

The NFL's Frankford Yellow Jackets hosted the Dayton Triangles on September 24, 1927, at Franklin Field. The Yellow Jackets usually played their home games in the Frankford section of Philadelphia. [50] The Triangles won, 6–3. [51]

On August 23, 1958, a Canadian Football League game was played at Franklin Field, as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated the Ottawa Rough Riders, 13–7. [52] (The contest remains the only regular season CFL game played outside Canada between two Canada-based teams.)

The Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League played their 1975 home games at Franklin Field. (The Bell drew fewer than 12,000 fans total to five home games before the WFL folded in October.)

When the United States Football League's Philadelphia Stars had to move their 1984 playoff games out of the Vet (because the Philadelphia Phillies had games scheduled on those dates), they played at Franklin Field. On June 30, 1984, the Stars defeated the New Jersey Generals, 28–7, behind two touchdowns from Kelvin Bryant; a crowd of 19,038 saw the game on a warm and overcast afternoon. [53] A week later, the Stars downed the Birmingham Stallions, 20-10, in the Eastern Conference championship game at Franklin Field, in front of 26,616 fans. (Both games were carried by ABC Sports, as was the 1984 USFL Championship Game, in which Philadelphia crushed the Arizona Wranglers, 23-3, to claim the league title.)

Track and field

Penn Relays

The Penn Relays at Franklin Field in April 2017 4x1500 Penn Relays (34193912681).jpg
The Penn Relays at Franklin Field in April 2017

Franklin Field has hosted the annual Penn Relays Carnival, the largest track-and-field meet in the U.S., for over 100 years.

The first Penn Relays was held in 1895. Frank B. Ellis, chairman of Penn's track committee, was looking for an event to mark the dedication of the school's then new stadium, Franklin Field. Two years earlier, during his senior year at Penn, Penn and Princeton competed in a one-mile relay race in which four runners from each school each ran a quarter of a mile. That race had been an outgrowth of intramural relay races held at Penn. Ellis and others arranged a series of relay races to take place on Saturday afternoon, April 20, 1895. 64 competitors from eight colleges, six prep schools and two high schools took part. Eight two-team races were run with Harvard beating Penn in the mile-relay feature in 3:34.4. [54]

The Relays were featured in the April 29, 1961, premiere of ABC's Wide World of Sports .

The 2020 and 2021 Penn Relays were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. [55] These were the first times the event had been canceled since the event's inception on April 21, 1895. [55]

Other meets

The 2nd USSR-United States Track and Field dual meet was held at Franklin Field on July 18 and 19, 1959. Stars who competed included Parry O'Brien, Ray Norton, Al Cantello, Hayes Jones, Tamara Press, Vasili Kuznetsov, Dyrol Burleson, Greg Bell, a young Wilma Rudolph, and future long-jump great Igor Ter-Ovanesyan. [56]

Franklin Field hosted the NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship in June 1961, the first time the championship was held on the East Coast. Seven records were set, and the University of Southern California won its 21st team Track & Field championship. [57]

Following the Montreal 1976 Summer Olympics and in honor of the United States Bicentennial, Franklin Field hosted The Bicentennial Meet of Champions track and field event on August 4, 1976. Montreal Olympians at the meet included Hasely Crawford, Don Quarrie, Michael Shine and Edwin Moses. The meet was also a chance for top runners including Houston McTear who had not been able to compete in Montreal to race against medal winners. [58] 13,722 attended the event and saw Dwight Stones set a record for the high-jump and John Walker win the mile. [59]

The University of Pennsylvania hosted the two-day 1980 Liberty Bell Track and Field Classic, an alternate to the 1980 Summer Olympics for 26 countries participating in the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics which were held in Moscow. The Liberty Bell Classic began on July 16, 1980. It was the largest international track meet held in the U.S. since the 1932 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of foreign competitors. Franklin Field hosted the track and field events where 20,111 spectators saw the final evening of competitions. In several events, the times were better than those in Moscow, such as American Renaldo Nehemiah's time of 13.31 in the 110m hurdles ahead of East German gold medal winner Thomas Munkelt's time of 13.39. [60]

Track configuration

The track in Franklin Field has a rarely used configuration where the 400 metre circumference is achieved in lane 4, rather than in lane one. Thus there are two curbs on the track, inside of lane one and also inside of lane 4. In order to accommodate the full fields of the Penn Relays and other meets, special adaptations are made with a movable curb on the backstretch to stagger the runners to arrive at a common break point in lane 4, rather than the conventional lane one. Single lap races in the inner lanes, run portions of an extra straightaway. Multiple lap races spend the majority of the race in lane 4 to run the proper distances. [61]

The Franklin Field track has utilized a Rekortan track surface since 1987. [62] The track was last renovated in 2015 when ATT Sports, Inc., installed the current Rekortan M99 track surfacing. [62] The track was resurfaced again by ATT Sports, Inc. in the summer of 2024.

Other sports

The arched exterior of Franklin Field in April 2006 Franklin Field (Philadelphia)-exterior.JPG
The arched exterior of Franklin Field in April 2006

Franklin Field served as the home field for Penn's baseball, whose varsity baseball team played at Franklin Field beginning from 1895 [63] through 1939. [64]

Franklin Field was the longtime home of Philadelphia's city title high school football championship game. The game was held at the stadium in 1938, 1940, 1941, and from 1943 through 1972, before it moved to Veterans Stadium. On Thanksgiving Day, 1941, 40,000 fans watched West Philadelphia tie West Philadelphia Catholic, 0–0. In 1945, 54,000 fans saw Southern beat West Catholic, 18–13. The 1946 game, played before 60,000, ended in a riot when Northeast fans stormed the field in the final minute of the school's 33–26 victory over West Catholic, prompting West Catholic fans to do the same. [65]

The NASL Philadelphia Atoms had played at Veterans Stadium from 1973–1975. They moved to Franklin Field in 1976 which had better sight lines for soccer. Attendance was 8,400 for the home opener on May 2, 1976. They drew a season high of 25,000 for the July 17 match against the New York Cosmos which featured soccer great Pelé. The team averaged 6,449 at Franklin Field for their 11 home matches in 1976. [66] The Philadelphia Fury hosted a play-off game against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on August 23, 1979, at Franklin Field when the Fury's home field, Veterans Stadium, was being used by the Phillies. [67]

Along with John F. Kennedy Stadium, also in Philadelphia, Franklin Field was one of 15 United States stadiums inspected by a five-member FIFA committee in April 1988 in the evaluation of the United States as a possible host of the 1994 FIFA World Cup. [68] On August 25, 1989, a crowd of 43,356 at Franklin Field saw the US national soccer team defeat Dnepr of the Soviet Top League, 1–0; Eric Eichmann scored the lone goal in the game's 12th minute. [69]

On November 30, 2004, Franklin Field was home to the first rugby league match between the United States and Australia. The United States led the World Cup-holders Australia for much of the game, but eventually lost, 36–24. [70]

The stadium hosted the Division I NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship in 1973 and 1992 and the NCAA Division I Women's Lacrosse Championship in May 2007. [71]

April 14, 2012, marked the debut of Franklin Field as the home stadium for the Philadelphia Spinners in their first AUDL season. An estimated 1700 were in attendance as the Spinners defeated the Buffalo Hunters, 26–14. The Spinners continued to use Franklin Field for the rest of the 2012 season and used it for two games in the 2014 MLU season.

The inaugural Major League Ultimate championship game was played at Franklin Field on July 13, 2013. The Boston Whitecaps defeated the San Francisco Dogfish, 20–15. The Stadium again hosted the MLU Championship on July 16, 2016, as the Philadelphia Spinners defeated the Portland Stags, 14–11.

Other events

Entertainment

U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt accepts the Democratic Party's 1936 presidential nomination at Franklin Field on June 27, 1936 FDR accepts the nomination for the Presidency in speech at Franklin Field, Philadelphia, PA. June 27, 1936 (cropped1).jpg
U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt accepts the Democratic Party's 1936 presidential nomination at Franklin Field on June 27, 1936

Drum Corps International held its annual Drum and Bugle Corps World Championships at the stadium in 1975 and 1976.

On June 8, 1997, Franklin Field hosted Irish rock band U2 during the first leg of their PopMart tour, which was the stadium's first concert since the 1970s. [72]

Films

The 2000 M. Night Shyamalan–directed movie Unbreakable features Franklin Field as one of its main locations. Its main character, played by Bruce Willis, works as a security guard at the stadium.

In the 2006 movie Invincible , Franklin Field served as a stand-in for the demolished Veterans Stadium, whose images were digitally superimposed on some of the football action sequences.

Politics

The stadium was the site of the speech by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in which he accepted the 1936 Democratic Party's nomination for a second term as president. [73] It is estimated that a crowd of 100,000 sat through intermittent rain at Franklin Field to hear FDR's speech. [74]

39°57′N75°11.4′W / 39.950°N 75.1900°W / 39.950; -75.1900

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bert Bell</span> American football player, coach, and executive (1895–1959)

De Benneville "Bert" Bell was an American professional football executive and coach. He was the fifth chief executive and second commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) from 1946 until his death in 1959. As commissioner, he introduced competitive parity into the NFL to improve the league's commercial viability and promote its popularity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philadelphia Eagles</span> National Football League franchise in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays its home games at Lincoln Financial Field in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln Financial Field</span> American football stadium in Philadelphia

Lincoln Financial Field is an American football stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the home stadium of the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) and the Temple Owls football team of Temple University. The stadium is located in South Philadelphia on Pattison Avenue between 11th and South Darien streets alongside I-95. It is part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex and has a seating capacity of 67,594.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veterans Stadium</span> Multi-purpose venue in Philadelphia

Veterans Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. The seating capacities were 65,358 for football, and 56,371 for baseball.

The Philadelphia / Baltimore Stars were a professional American football team which played in the United States Football League (USFL) in the mid-1980s. Owned by real-estate magnate Myles Tanenbaum, they were the short-lived league's dominant team, playing in all three championship games and winning the latter two. They played their first two seasons in Philadelphia as the Philadelphia Stars before relocating to Baltimore, where they played as the Baltimore Stars for the USFL's final season. Coached by Jim Mora, the Stars won a league-best 41 regular season games and 7 playoff games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giants Stadium</span> Former stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey

Giants Stadium was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and primarily hosted sporting events and concerts. It was the home field of the New York metropolitan area's two National Football League teams, the New York Giants and the New York Jets. It also was the home field of two New York metro area professional soccer teams, the NASL's New York Cosmos and Major League Soccer's New York Red Bulls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chuck Bednarik</span> Slovak-American football player (1925–2015)

Charles Philip Bednarik, nicknamed "Concrete Charlie", was an American professional football linebacker and center who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn Quakers, and was selected with the first overall pick of the 1949 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, where he played his entire 14-year NFL career from 1949 through 1962. Bednarik is ranked one of the hardest hitting tacklers in NFL history, and was one of the league's last two-way players, so he was also known as "60 Minute Man".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acrisure Stadium</span> American football stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Acrisure Stadium, formerly known as Heinz Field, is a football stadium located in the North Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It primarily serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) and the Pittsburgh Panthers of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The stadium opened in 2001 as Heinz Field, following the controlled implosion of the teams' previous home, Three Rivers Stadium. In 2021, the owners of the Heinz name, now owned by Kraft Heinz declined to renew the stadium's naming rights. The City of Pittsburgh green-lit Acrisure's bid to purchase the rights in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John F. Kennedy Stadium (Philadelphia)</span> Formerly an open-air stadium in Philadelphia

John F. Kennedy Stadium, formerly Philadelphia Municipal Stadium and Sesquicentennial Stadium, was an open-air stadium in Philadelphia that stood from 1926 to 1992. The South Philadelphia stadium was on the east side of the far southern end of Broad Street at a location now part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. Designed by the architectural firm of Simon & Simon in a classic 1920s style with a horseshoe seating design that surrounded a track and football field, at its peak the facility seated in excess of 102,000 people. Bleachers were later added at the open (North) end. The shape of the stadium resembles the horseshoe configuration of Harvard Stadium built in 1903.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baker Bowl</span> Former baseball field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States (1887-1938)

National League Park, commonly referred to as the Baker Bowl after 1923, was a baseball stadium home to the Philadelphia Phillies from 1887 until 1938, and the first home field of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1933 to 1935. It opened in 1887 with a capacity of 12,500. It burned down in 1894 and was rebuilt in 1895 as the first ballpark constructed primarily of steel and brick and with a cantilevered upper deck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temple Owls football</span> Football team of Temple University

The Temple Owls football team represents Temple University in the sport of college football. The Temple Owls compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the American Athletic Conference. They play their home games at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Cappelletti</span> American football player (born 1952)

John Cappelletti is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) with the Los Angeles Rams and San Diego Chargers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temple Stadium</span> Demolished stadium in Pennsylvania, USA

Temple Stadium was a stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It opened in 1928 and hosted the Temple University Owls football team until they moved to Veterans Stadium in 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports in Philadelphia</span>

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has a long and rich tradition in professional, semi-professional, amateur, college, and high-school sports.

Sports in Pennsylvania includes numerous professional sporting teams, events, and venues located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.

Antonio Christopher Hunt is an American former professional football player who was a running back for two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). Hunt played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions and was selected by the Eagles in the third round of the 2007 NFL draft. He also played one season in the Austrian Football League (AFL) in Europe.

Meiklejohn Stadium is a ballpark in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is on the University of Pennsylvania campus and is the home field for the University of Pennsylvania Quakers varsity baseball team. It opened in March 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penn Quakers football</span> College football team

The Penn Quakers football program is the college football team at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. The Penn Quakers have competed in the Ivy League since its inaugural season of 1956, and are a Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Penn's first game was in 1876, and the team has played in 1,413 football games, the most of any school in any division. Penn plays its home games at historic Franklin Field, the oldest football stadium in the nation. All Penn games are broadcast on WNTP or WFIL radio.

The 2017 Penn Quakers football team represented the University of Pennsylvania during the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Ray Priore. They played their home games at Franklin Field. They are a member of the Ivy League. They finished the season 6–4 overall and 4–3 in Ivy League play to place fourth. Penn averaged 5,274 fans per game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philadelphia Eagles Santa Claus incident</span> 1968 American football game

The Philadelphia Eagles Santa Claus incident was an incident that occurred during halftime of an American football game in the 1968 season of the National Football League (NFL) between the visiting Minnesota Vikings and the Philadelphia Eagles. The game itself is referred to as The Santa Claus Game.

References

  1. ↑ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–" . Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Franklin Field". University of Pennsylvania Facilities and Real Estate Services. December 20, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Franklin Field". Archived from the original on June 6, 2017. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Franklin Field - History, Photos & More of the former NFL stadium of the Philadelphia Eagles". Stadiums of Pro Football - Your Ticket to Every NFL Football Stadium. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  5. ↑ Mitchell, Paul Wolff (February 15, 2021). "Black Philadelphians in the Samuel George Morton Cranial Collection | Penn Program on Race, Science, & Society". prss.sas.upenn.edu. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  6. ↑ "125 years of Franklin Field". Penn Today. April 23, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on January 13, 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ↑ Nitzsche, George E. (1918). University of Pennsylvania: Its History, Traditions, Buildings and Memorials (Seventh ed.). Philadelphia: International Publishing Company. p.  186. Weightman Hall.
  9. ↑ "99 Years Ago in Philadelphia: Middle of February, 1916". Philaphilia. February 18, 2015. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  10. ↑ "PENN CANNOT BE HOST.; Changes at Franklin Field Bar Track for Intercollegiates" (PDF). The New York Times . January 8, 1922. p. 120. Retrieved April 17, 2009.
  11. ↑ McConaghy, Mary D.; Michael T. Woods (2005). "Penn Sports in the 1800s: The Origins of Penn Athletics". University of Pennsylvania: University Archives and Records Center. Retrieved January 8, 2009.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "Franklin Field to Boast Splendid New Stadium". The Cornell Daily Sun. May 5, 1922. p. 3. Retrieved February 17, 2024. Work Has Begun on $725,000 Concrete "U" -- To Hold 50,000 Spectators
  13. 1 2 3 Didinger, Ray; Lyons, Robert S. (2005). The Eagles Encyclopedia. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. p. 205. ISBN   1-59213-449-1 . Retrieved January 8, 2009.
  14. 1 2 "U. of P. Defeated by Cornell, 7-0, Before 70,000". The Philadelphia Inquirer . November 27, 1931. pp. 1, 22. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  15. ↑ Juliano, Joe (November 23, 1989). "Penn-Cornell recalls Thanksgivings of past". The Philadelphia Inquirer . pp. 1-C, 16-C. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  16. ↑ Gertner, Michael (September 2, 2004). "Franklin Field features new turf, scoreboard". Daily Pennsylvanian . Retrieved December 17, 2008.
  17. ↑ "Franklin Field May Get Grass if Phila. Gets World Cup Soccer". The Philadelphia Inquirer . July 15, 1989. p. D01.
  18. 1 2 3 Rovner, Zack (September 18, 2019). "Franklin Field is under renovation this fall. What should Penn football fans expect?". Daily Pennsylvanian. Archived from the original on November 11, 2019. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
  19. 1 2 "CVM completes rehabilitation of PENN's Franklin Field". CVM. September 10, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  20. 1 2 "Franklin Field Concrete Restoration". J.J. White. Archived from the original on February 17, 2024. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  21. ↑ Rottenberg, Dan (1985). Fight On, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Trustees of University of Pennsylvania. pp. 28, 33–34.
  22. ↑ "College Football National Champions". collegefootballpoll.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2009.
  23. ↑ "15 Most memorable Phila. sports moments". The Philadelphia Inquirer . May 9, 2009. Archived from the original on September 26, 2009. Retrieved November 9, 2009.
  24. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Frank (March 11, 2020). "In 1918, it was Spanish influenza that afflicted Philadelphia sports". The Philadelphia Inquirer . Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  25. ↑ "Franklin Field". The Ivy League. Archived from the original on April 11, 2008. Retrieved January 8, 2009.
  26. ↑ "All-Time Scores: 1925". University of Illinois Athletics. July 2008. Archived from the original on December 16, 2008. Retrieved January 8, 2009.
  27. ↑ "Yo! Who's No. 1?". The Ivy League. November 19, 2002. Archived from the original on June 14, 2006. Retrieved January 5, 2009.
  28. ↑ Jere Longman (November 16, 2002). "COLLEGE FOOTBALL; Harvard Learns Something: Penn's Defense Is Really Good". The New York Times . Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  29. ↑ Kuhn, Andy (October 2, 2008). "Franklin Field 800: On Saturday, Quakers host 800th football game at facility for which they're 'caretakers'". Daily Pennsylvanian . Archived from the original on October 4, 2008. Retrieved January 22, 2009.
  30. ↑ "NFL head Bert Bell dies at 65". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Associated Press. October 12, 1959. p. 1.
  31. ↑ "Bert Bell, NFL czar, dies at 65". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. October 12, 1959. p. 2, part 2.[ permanent dead link ]
  32. ↑ "NFL History by Decade: 1950-1959". NFL . Retrieved January 5, 2009.
  33. 1 2 "Packers rated 2½ pt. pick for NFL crown". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Associated Press. December 26, 1960. p. 44.
  34. ↑ Strickler, George (December 26, 1960). "Packers, Eagles meet for title today". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, part 6.
  35. 1 2 Maule, Tex (January 9, 1961). "A big run wins for a big defense". Sports Illustrated. p. 40.
  36. ↑ Lea, Bud (December 27, 1960). "Eagles win NFL title". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 1.
  37. ↑ "Eagles rally once again". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. December 27, 1960. p. 13.
  38. ↑ Kuechle, Oliver E. (December 27, 1960). "Eagles beat Packers for title, 17-13". Milwaukee Journal. p. 14, paft 2.
  39. ↑ "Eagles win NFL title with 17 to 13 victory". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). UPI. December 27, 1960. p. 2.
  40. ↑ "Green Bay Packers at Philadelphia Eagles – December 26, 1960". Pro Football Reference . Retrieved April 13, 2009.
  41. ↑ "Joe plans on staying". The Pittsburgh Press . UPI. December 16, 1968. p. 36.
  42. ↑ Polaneczky, Ronnie (December 15, 2008). "This is Philly: After 40 years, we'll still boo a bad Santa". Philadelphia Daily News . Archived from the original on December 16, 2008. Retrieved December 15, 2008.
  43. ↑ "Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles – December 15, 1968". Pro Football Reference . Retrieved April 13, 2009.
  44. ↑ Gabriel, Kerith (December 28, 2009). "'Santa' recalls Eagles 1968 snowball incident". Philadelphia Daily News . Archived from the original on December 31, 2009. Retrieved December 28, 2009.
  45. ↑ "Ex-ABC Executive Says Cosell's Drinking Was a Problem on Air". Los Angeles Times . May 12, 1988.
  46. ↑ "George Washington Orton (1873–1958)". Penn Biographies. University of Pennsylvania Archives. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
  47. ↑ "A Look Back at Temple Football" (PDF). Temple University . Archived from the original (PDF) on August 4, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  48. ↑ McQuade, Dan (September 16, 2002). "Top-ranked Miami runs past Temple at Franklin Field". The Daily Pennsylvanian . Archived from the original on May 14, 2007. Retrieved June 19, 2009.
  49. ↑ "ECAC DIII Football Fest Sites Announced for 2017 & 2018".
  50. ↑ Fenton, John J. (2001–2007). "Philadelphia's Pro Football Stadiums". Ghosts of the Gridiron. Archived from the original on December 14, 2008. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
  51. ↑ "1927 Dayton Triangles Game Results". Pro Football Reference. 2000–2008. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
  52. ↑ Guadagnoli, Tony (October 5, 2008). "Football's oldest stadiums: Witnesses to the game's evolution". ESPN. Archived from the original on October 7, 2008. Retrieved October 16, 2008.
  53. ↑ "1984 USFL Quarterfinals". OurSportsCentral.com/usfl. Retrieved January 5, 2009.
  54. ↑ "The Relays!". Sports Illustrated . May 2, 1955. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved January 8, 2009.
  55. 1 2 Chang, David (March 4, 2021). "2021 Penn Relays Canceled Due to Coronavirus Pandemic". NBC 10 Philadelphia. Archived from the original on March 10, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  56. ↑ "This Day in Track & Field: July 18–19". American Track & Field. May 22, 2008. Retrieved January 8, 2009.
  57. ↑ Terrell, Roy (June 26, 1961). "The Ncaa Visits The Wild East". Sports Illustrated . Archived from the original on July 18, 2012. Retrieved January 8, 2009.
  58. ↑ Associated Press (August 4, 1976). "Olympic medalists in Bicentennial meet". The Prescott Courier . Retrieved July 6, 2009.
  59. ↑ Berger, Dan (August 5, 1976). "Stones aims higher". The Free Lance–Star. p. 8. Retrieved July 6, 2009.
  60. ↑ Neff, Craig (July 28, 1980). "...and Meanwhile, In Philadelphia: Half a world from Lenin Stadium, boycotting athletes, some of whom gave Olympian performances, proved there's no alternative to the Games". Sports Illustrated . Archived from the original on December 2, 2012. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
  61. ↑ "Franklin Field - CollegeOvals.com". sites.google.com.
  62. 1 2 "Rekortan Chosen for Running Track Renovation at University of Pennsylvania's Franklin Field". PR.com. Advanced Polymer Technology. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  63. ↑ Woods, Michael T. (August 2005). "Penn Baseball in the 1800s: 1895 Varsity Team". University of Pennsylvania: University Archives. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  64. ↑ "PENN BEATS YALE IN STRAW HAT GAME; Ten Thousand Baseball Fans, Many in Summer Head Dress, See Favorites Win, 8-5". The New York Times . May 24, 1924. pp. S2. Retrieved April 17, 2009.
  65. ↑ "FB City Title Recaps". tedsillary.com. Ted Sillary. Retrieved April 23, 2009.
  66. ↑ Holroyd, Steve. "Philadelphia atoms History: 1976". PhiladelphiaAtoms.com. Retrieved January 22, 2009.
  67. ↑ Tierney, Mike (August 22, 1979). "Luck writes Rowdies' playoff script". St. Petersburg Times . p. 3C. Retrieved June 10, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  68. ↑ Vecsey, George (April 10, 1988). "Sports of The Time; Americans Prepare for Lights, Cameras and Soccer". The New York Times . Retrieved April 24, 2009.
  69. ↑ "RESULTS PLUS". The New York Times . Associated Press. August 26, 1989. Retrieved April 13, 2009.
  70. ↑ Tannenwald, Jonathan (December 1, 2004). "U.S. Rugby's upset bid spoiled by Australia at Franklin Field". Daily Pennsylvanian . Retrieved January 5, 2009.
  71. ↑ "2007 NCAA Division I Women's Lacrosse Championship Ticket Information". Draw Philadelphia. January 10, 2007. Archived from the original on January 7, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2008.
  72. ↑ Burke, Shannon (June 12, 1997). "U2 rocks Franklin Field with energized show". Daily Pennsylvanian. Archived from the original on February 4, 2009. Retrieved January 5, 2009.
  73. ↑ Bakst, M. Charles (August 21, 2008). "At conventions, JFK and FDR also spoke outdoors". The Providence Journal . Retrieved August 28, 2008.
  74. ↑ Gammage, Jeff (August 29, 2008). "Before Obama, there was FDR at Franklin Field". The Philadelphia Inquirer . Archived from the original on December 16, 2008. Retrieved August 29, 2008.
Preceded by Home of the
Philadelphia Eagles
1958–1970		Succeeded by
Preceded by Host of the
Drum Corps International
World Championship
1975–1976		Succeeded by
Preceded by Home of the
NCAA Lacrosse Final Four
1973		Succeeded by
Preceded by Host of the College Cup
1976		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.