I worked my first Eagles event last week for myphl17!   The Eagles have a thing they call FLIGHT NIGHT.  It is basically a practice that takes place inside Lincoln Financial Field the week before the first pre-season game.  The event is touted as a chance for the players to get to experience the Lincoln Financial Field crowd before game action and the crowd to do the same with the Eagles.  It is a much more family-friendly than a normal Eagles game and much, much less packed…
That said?  Being on the Eagles sideline for an Eagles event is one of the cooler things I’ve gotten to do in Philadelphia sports.
From the minute I walked from beneath the stadium onto the field hours before, (pictured right), I felt a bit like Rudy Ruttiger’s dad when he first saw Notre Dame in the movie Rudy.  Seeing the Lincoln field from the tunnel is really inspiring.  The exterior and tunnels at the Linc are very grey and drab and walking out into the bright sunny green field has an OZ like effect.

Even with the entire upper bowl vacant in the stadium, the roar of the crowd during introductions was quite palpable.  Especially from my vantage point along the row of press that lines the field as the Eagles enter the field via their giant helmet.  (I only wish I had a lens that could have benefited from that vantage point!  I did the best I could with what I had, but if I get to do this again Dec. 2, I will make all efforts to have the 200mm 2.8 I have been looking at!)  As you could imagine the loudest roar came for Kevin Kolb and the Kolb era is officially underway.  The crowd also loved Desean Jackson, Mike Vick, and Brent Celek. among others.

In my travels before and after the game I happened to see a bunch of friends from various places and times of my life, which doesn’t really happen so much when i cover Phillies events.  For Eagles, you are out the the whole time though, and people just find you easier.  I was really happy to see my buddy Ethan and his son, my buddy Bob and his family, my friend Michelle and her dad and daughter and my friends Tom and Paul that were on their way to Eagles Camp after the practice.  That was awesome and doesn’t happen nearly enough at the other events I get to do.

Flight Night was broadcast on WPHL-TV live and the three galleries I shot, (Eagles Fans, Eagles Players, Eagles Cheerleaders) appeared on myphl17.com the next day.  They are linked below.  I was joined on this shoot by WPHL’s Travis Brower and Bob Seiberlich… Go Birds!

And of course what I shot for PHL17.

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