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Will it finally work?

The Eagles have tinkered but fallen short of the Super Bowl the past three years. Now, they say, they're ready to catch that beepin' prize.

By JOHN ROMANO
Published January 23, 2005

PHILADELPHIA - Ah, you should hear them.

So confident. So eager. So blessed in their talents, and in the belief that their time has finally come.

Andy Reid is cracking jokes. Terrell Owens is making plans for the Super Bowl in Jacksonville. Donovan McNabb, literally, has let his hair down.

The Eagles are back in the NFC Championship Game, and what a spectacle they have become. No fretting about their losses in the last three title games. No worrying about carrying the weight of a city's trust on their shoulders.

They are shooting the breeze with reporters and mingling with the not-so-common folk. To hear them tell it, their locker room is one big frat house. Except they've replaced beer with Evian, and gluttony with purpose.

It's like the Falcons don't even matter. The Eagles have that much faith in each other, and that much expectation of their performance.

(I just hope they don't screw up again.)

Ah, but you should watch this team.

So balanced. So meticulously constructed. Philadelphia has done what no other organization could manage the past few years. The Eagles have stayed within the salary cap while staying on top of their game.

Four consecutive 10-win seasons. Four consecutive division titles. No one else can say that. Not the Buccaneers. Not the Rams. Not even the Patriots.

The Eagles have been smart. They've known when to let players go, and they've been shrewd about what players they've brought in. We're talking Pro Bowl players. Coming and going. That's the mark of a wise front office.

And, for all the success, the Philly brass has not been swayed by emotion. Management understood that it might be better to let a player go a year too soon rather than a year too late. And, when things went wrong, the Eagles avoided making knee-jerk decisions. Getting antsy when they needed to remain patient.

Yeah, they're like a model franchise. They are incorporating a style and a philosophy that other teams are sure to follow.

(I just hope they don't choke this time.)

Ah, but you should know these guys.

They've grown. They've learned. Every year, they have failed to measure up, and they've managed to turn those frustrations into affirmations.

They know better. That's what safety Brian Dawkins said. That the Eagles have been too tense in the past. That they were tight for the previous NFC title games, and the anxieties showed up on the field.

They are self-assured. That's how Reid described it. Others call it a swagger or an arrogance. The coach suggests they have been together so long, and have gone through so much, they are simply confident in what's to come.

They have seen their purpose. McNabb, the quarterback, stood on the field three years ago after losing to St. Louis in the NFC championship, and he watched the Rams celebrate. Now, he says, he can close his eyes and picture himself in the middle of that scene. With the confetti falling. With the crowd cheering. With the accomplishment in his grasp.

(I just hope they don't blow it.)

Ah, but you should see this place.

This morning, the city is covered in snow. From the Delaware River to the Schuylkill, and everywhere in between. It's as if a door was opened in the sky Saturday morning, just to ensure the setting for the game would be memorable.

Other people might gripe. Other towns might shut down. Not here. Not these fans. Sitting for a few hours in the cold is nothing when you've been waiting in purgatory for years.

Few towns can match Philadelphia for the sporting passion of its locals. Sure, they can be boorish. And, yes, there are the misguided few who give the city a bad rap by going too far.

But you have to admire their devotion. The incredible resilience when, year after year, the Eagles have let them down.

There were times when the Eagles were awful, and following them was almost painful. And then there were times when the team was brilliant, and following it was even more painful because it would stumble short of the finish.

Did you know the Eagles have made the playoffs 11 times in the last 17 seasons? And not one time in those 11 years have they made it to the Super Bowl. Compare that to Atlanta. The Falcons have been to the playoffs four times in 17 seasons. Yet they've made it to a Super Bowl.

That's what makes this place so special. That's what makes the city so admirable. They've taken all the disappointments, and they keep coming back.

They will be out this afternoon. They will pay hundreds of dollars for a single ticket. They will slog through the snow. They will sit in the highest points of the stadium when the wind chill goes below zero.

They'll do it because they love this team, and they believe today will be different from the thousands of yesterdays.

(I just hope ... well, you know.)

[Last modified January 23, 2005, 00:15:19]