1.
Carolina Panthers
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The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League, as a club of the leagues National Football Conference South division. The team president is Danny Morrison, and the coach is Ron Rivera. The Panthers were announced as the leagues 29th franchise in 1993 and they did not have another winning season until 2003, when they won the NFC Championship Game and reached Super Bowl XXXVIII, losing 32–29 to the New England Patriots. After recording playoff appearances in 2005 and 2008, the failed to record another playoff appearance until 2013. After losing in the round to the San Francisco 49ers in 2013 and the Seattle Seahawks in 2014, the Panthers finally returned to the Super Bowl in 2016. The Panthers have reached the playoffs seven times, advancing to four NFC Championship Games and they have won six division titles, one in the NFC West and five in the NFC South. The Carolina Panthers are legally registered as Panther Football, LLC, the team is headquartered in Bank of America Stadium in uptown Charlotte, also the teams home field. They are one of the few NFL teams to own the stadium they play in, the team hosts its annual training camp at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. On December 15,1987, entrepreneur Jerry Richardson announced his bid for an NFL expansion franchise in the Carolinas. Richardson drew his inspiration to pursue an NFL franchise from George Shinn, who had made a bid for an expansion National Basketball Association team in Charlotte. Richardson founded Richardson Sports, a partnership consisting of himself, his family, Richardson looked at four potential locations for a stadium, ultimately choosing uptown Charlotte. In choosing the name, the Richardsons did not run focus groups with potential fans. Their intention had always been the Panthers, Jerry Richardson began driving a car with the license plate PNTHRS near the end of 1989, to highlight the demand for professional football in the Carolinas, Richardson Sports held preseason games around the area from 1989 to 1991. The matchups were between existing NFL teams, in 1991, the group formally filed an application for the open expansion spot, and on October 26,1993, the 28 NFL owners unanimously named the Carolina Panthers as the 29th member of the NFL. The Panthers first competed in the 1995 NFL season, they were one of two teams to begin play that year, the other being the Jacksonville Jaguars. Former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Dom Capers was named the first head coach, the team finished its inaugural season 7–9, the best performance ever from a first-year expansion team. They performed even better in their season, finishing with a 12–4 record and winning the NFC West division
2.
NRG Stadium
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NRG Stadium, formerly Reliant Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium, in Houston, Texas, United States. NRG Stadium has a capacity of 71,795, a total area of 1,900,000 square feet with a 97,000 sq ft playing surface. The stadium served as the host facility for Super Bowl XXXVIII on February 1,2004, Super Bowl LI on February 5,2017, NRG Stadium is part of a collection of venues, which are collectively called NRG Park. The entire complex is named for NRG Energy under a 32-year, the stadium was constructed at the cost of $352 million. NRG Stadium is the first facility in the NFL to have a retractable roof, in February 2017, NRG Stadium hosted Super Bowl LI. It also hosted all 10 of the University Interscholastic Leagues Texas high school championship games at the conclusion of the 2015 season. The Houston NFL Holdings group came to Populous to begin the design for the first-ever NFL retractable roof football stadium in 1997. The intention was to create a stadium to replace the Astrodome that would operate like an open-air facility but have the intimacy. With the design for football and the square footage requirements of the rodeo, groundbreaking for the stadium was on March 9,2000 and the building was officially topped off in October 2001. The stadium opened on August 24,2002, with a game between the Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans which the Dolphins won 24–3. The stadium hosted its first regular season NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans on September 8,2002, construction was completed in 30 months. The first rodeo was held in the stadium in February 2003, during a Texans preseason game on August 30,2012, against the Minnesota Vikings, an intoxicated fan fell to his death from an escalator. On March 19,2014, the stadium was renamed NRG Stadium, after NRG Energy, during the 2015 season, a permanent artificial surface was installed at NRG Stadium. The Texans had used a natural surface since the stadium opened, in recent years, the stadium installed artificial turf to be used during high school and college games while keeping the grass for Texans games. After the Texans home opener, complaints about the field conditions led to the installation of the artificial surface for Texans games. The surface brand is UBU Speed, which is part of Act Global, on the night of September 12–13,2008 the stadium sustained damage from Hurricane Ike forcing the Houston Texans home opener scheduled for September 14 to be postponed. Part of the roof cladding came off, and there was wind and that game was rescheduled to week 8, which was to have been the bye week for both the Texans and Bengals. The Bengals bye week was moved from October 26 to November 9, the stadium reopened on October 5,2008 when the Texans hosted the Indianapolis Colts and hosted three additional home games in October
3.
Houston
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Houston is the most populous city in the state of Texas and the fourth-most populous city in the United States. With a census-estimated 2014 population of 2.239 million within an area of 667 square miles, it also is the largest city in the southern United States and the seat of Harris County. Located in Southeast Texas near the Gulf of Mexico, it is the city of Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land. Houston was founded on August 28,1836, near the banks of Buffalo Bayou and incorporated as a city on June 5,1837. The city was named after former General Sam Houston, who was president of the Republic of Texas and had commanded, the burgeoning port and railroad industry, combined with oil discovery in 1901, has induced continual surges in the citys population. Houstons economy has an industrial base in energy, manufacturing, aeronautics. Leading in health care sectors and building equipment, Houston has more Fortune 500 headquarters within its city limits than any city except for New York City. The Port of Houston ranks first in the United States in international waterborne tonnage handled, the city has a population from various ethnic and religious backgrounds and a large and growing international community. Houston is the most diverse city in Texas and has described as the most diverse in the United States. It is home to cultural institutions and exhibits, which attract more than 7 million visitors a year to the Museum District. Houston has a visual and performing arts scene in the Theater District. In August 1836, two real estate entrepreneurs from New York, Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen, purchased 6,642 acres of land along Buffalo Bayou with the intent of founding a city. The Allen brothers decided to name the city after Sam Houston, the general at the Battle of San Jacinto. The great majority of slaves in Texas came with their owners from the slave states. Sizable numbers, however, came through the slave trade. New Orleans was the center of trade in the Deep South. Thousands of enslaved African Americans lived near the city before the Civil War, many of them near the city worked on sugar and cotton plantations, while most of those in the city limits had domestic and artisan jobs. Houston was granted incorporation on June 5,1837, with James S. Holman becoming its first mayor, in the same year, Houston became the county seat of Harrisburg County and the temporary capital of the Republic of Texas
4.
Cedar Fire (2003)
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The Cedar Fire was a wildfire which burned over 280,000 acres of land in San Diego County, California during October and November 2003. The fires rapid growth was driven by the Santa Ana winds, by the time the fire was fully contained on November 4, it had burned 280,278 acres of land, destroyed 2,820 buildings and killed 15 people, including one firefighter. The fire remains the largest wildfire in California history, according to CALFIRE, it is also the third deadliest and second most destructive wildfire in state history. The Cedar Fire began in the Cuyamaca Mountains within the Cleveland National Forest and it was first reported at 5,37 PM PDT on October 25,2003, to the south of Ramona in central San Diego County. At the time it began, at least eleven other wildfires were burning in southern California. Within ten minutes of the report, the U. S. Forest Service had deployed 10 fire engines. Within 30 minutes,320 firefighters and six fire chiefs were en route, a San Diego County Sheriffs Department ASTREA helicopter that was rescuing a hunter spotted the fire at about the same time as the first phone report was received and called for an air response. Another Sheriffs helicopter equipped with a Bambi bucket was dispatched to drop water on the fire, when the helicopter was only minutes away from the fire, a Forest Service fire chief cancelled the water drop because policy required the cutoff of aerial firefighting 30 minutes before sunset. Between the time the fire started and midnight the predicted strong easterly Santa Ana winds surfaced, by 3,00 AM,62,000 acres had burned. Overnight, the fire killed 12 people living in Wildcat Canyon and Muth Valley in the northern part of Lakeside. The fire destroyed 39 homes on the Barona Indian Reservation, in only a few hours, the Cedar Fire pushed southwest over 30 miles and burned over 100,000 acres at rates of up to 6,000 acres per hour. On October 26, the fire forged into Alpine, Harbison Canyon and Crest, by October 28, the strong easterly Santa Ana winds died down and the fire turned east, consuming another 114,000 acres. The entire community of Cuyamaca, most of nearby Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, on October 29, a fire company attempting to defend a house in Riverwood Estates near Santa Ysabel became entrapped and overrun by the fire. Another firefighter sustained severe injuries, and two others were hurt, firefighters finally achieved full containment of the Cedar Fire on November 3, and total containment of all 2003 wildfires on December 5. President George W. Bush declared Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Diego, air travel in and around the region was also disrupted due to the effect on air traffic control radar. The decision to move the game to Arizona was made less than 24 hours before the game started, investigators determined that the fire was started by Sergio Martinez of West Covina, California, a novice hunter who had been hunting in the area and had become lost. After gathering sticks and brush together, Martinez lit the brush and quickly lost control of the fire because of the heat, low humidity, Martinez was charged in federal court on October 7,2004 with setting the fire and lying about it. In November 2005, a judge sentenced Martinez to six months in a work-furlough program
5.
SDCCU Stadium
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Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in San Diego, California, United States. The stadium opened in 1967 as San Diego Stadium and was known for many years as Jack Murphy Stadium. Since 1997, the naming rights have been owned by Qualcomm. It is the home of the San Diego State Aztecs football team from San Diego State University, two college football bowl games, the Holiday Bowl and Poinsettia Bowl, are held in the stadium every December. The stadium was the home of two professional franchises, the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League and the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball. The stadium has hosted three Super Bowl games, Super Bowl XXII in 1988, Super Bowl XXXII in 1998, humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis and Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Qualcomm Stadium is located immediately northwest of the interchange of Interstate 8, the stadium is served by the Qualcomm Stadium station of the San Diego Trolley, accessible via the Green Line running toward Downtown San Diego to the west, and Santee to the east. In the early 1960s, local sportswriter Jack Murphy, the brother of New York Mets broadcaster Bob Murphy, in November 1965, a $27 million bond was passed allowing construction to begin on a stadium, which was designed in the Brutalist style. Construction on the stadium began one month later, when completed, the facility was named San Diego Stadium. The Chargers played the first game ever at the stadium on August 20,1967, San Diego Stadium had a capacity of around 50,000, the three-tier grandstand was in the shape of a horseshoe, with the east end low. Due to expansion of Major League Baseball, this team was replaced by the current San Diego Padres major-league team beginning in the 1969 season and this was replaced in 1987 by a White Way Sign scoreboard, in which the video screen is surrounded almost entirely by three messageboards. The original video board was replaced in 1996 by a Sony JumboTron, after Jack Murphys death in September 1980, San Diego Stadium was renamed San Diego–Jack Murphy Stadium by a 6–2 vote of the San Diego City Council on January 6,1981. In 1983, over 9,000 bleachers were added to the deck on the open end of the stadium raising the capacity to 59,022. The most substantial addition was completed in 1997, when the stadium was fully enclosed, nearly 11,000 seats were added in readiness for Super Bowl XXXII in 1998, bringing the capacity to 70,561. Also in 1997, the facility was renamed Qualcomm Stadium after Qualcomm Corporation paid $18 million for the naming rights, the naming rights will belong to Qualcomm until 2017. In order to continue to honor Murphy, the city named the stadium site Jack Murphy Field, however, as part of the naming agreement Jack Murphy Field was not allowed to be used alongside Qualcomm Stadium. Some San Diegans, however, still refer to the stadium as Jack Murphy or simply The Murph, before his death in 2004, Bob Murphy still referred to it as Jack Murphy Stadium during New York Mets broadcasts, even after it was renamed. The stadium was temporarily renamed Snapdragon Stadium for 10 days in December 2011 as a tie in for Qualcomms Snapdragon brand
6.
Miami Dolphins
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The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football franchise based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League as a club of the leagues American Football Conference East division. The Dolphins play their games at Hard Rock Stadium in the northern suburb of Miami Gardens, Florida. The Dolphins and the Atlanta Falcons are the oldest NFL franchises in the Deep South, however, of the four AFC East teams, they are the only team in the division that was not a charter member of the American Football League. The Dolphins team was founded by attorney-politician Joe Robbie and actor-comedian Danny Thomas and they began play in the AFL in 1966. For the first few years the Dolphins full-time training camp and practice facilities were at Saint Andrews School, in 1970 the Dolphins joined the NFL when the AFL–NFL merger occurred. The team made its first Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl VI, Miami also appeared in Super Bowl XVII and Super Bowl XIX, losing both games. For most of their history, the Dolphins were coached by Don Shula. Under Shula, the Dolphins posted losing records in two of his 26 seasons as the head coach. During the period spanning 1983 to the end of 1999, quarterback Dan Marino became one of the most prolific passers in NFL history, Marino led the Dolphins to five division titles,10 playoff appearances, and Super Bowl XIX before retiring following the 1999 season. During the summer of 1966, the Dolphins training camp was in St. Pete Beach with practices in August at Boca Ciega High School in Gulfport. The Dolphins had a combined 15–39–2 record in their first four seasons under head coach George Wilson, before Don Shula was hired as head coach. Shula was a Paul Brown disciple who had been lured from the Baltimore Colts after losing Super Bowl III two seasons earlier to the AFLs New York Jets and finishing 8–5–1 the following season. Interestingly, Shula got his first NFL coaching job from then-Detroit Head Coach George Wilson, when Shula replaced Wilson at Miami the Colts charged the Dolphins with tampering in their hiring of Shula, costing the Dolphins their first round draft pick in 1971. Shula introduced himself to the Miami press by saying that he didnt have any magic formulas, Shulas early training camps with the Dolphins, with four workouts a day, would soon be the stuff of sweltering, painful legend. But Shulas hard work paid dividends, as Miami improved to a 10–4 record and their first-ever playoff appearance. The Dolphins were successful in the early 1970s, becoming the first team to advance to the AFC Championship for three consecutive seasons and they captured the AFC championship in 1971 behind quarterback Bob Griese, running backs Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick, and wide receiver Paul Warfield. The AFC Divisional Playoff Game, in which the Dolphins defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, was the longest contest in NFL history, in Super Bowl VI, however, Miami lost to the Dallas Cowboys 24–3
7.
Sun Devil Stadium
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Sun Devil Stadium is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of Arizona State University, in Tempe, Arizona, United States. It is home to the Arizona State Sun Devils football team of the Pac-12 Conference, the stadiums current seating capacity is 56,232 and the playing surface is natural grass. The gridiron within the stadium was named Frank Kush Field in honor of the coach of the ASU football team in 1996. Sun Devil Stadium is undergoing a $256 million renovation that is scheduled to be completed before the 2018 season, the stadium has hosted two annual college football bowl games, the Fiesta Bowl from 1971 to 2006, and the Cactus Bowl from 2006 to 2015. Sun Devil Stadium was the home stadium of the NFLs Arizona Cardinals after the teams arrival to the Phoenix metropolitan area in 1988. The Cardinals moved across the Valley to University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale following the 2005 season, built in 1958, the stadiums original capacity was 30,000. The first addition in 1976 substantially raised the capacity to 57,722, seating was added to the south end zone, along with press and sky boxes. A year later, in 1977, the tier was completed to bring seating to 70,311. In 1988,1,700 more seats were added to bring the facility, during that time the Carson Student Athlete Center was added to the south end. The building is the home of the ASU Athletic Department, in 2007, engineers realized the stadiums concrete base of the stadium was buckling due to the rusting of structural steel supporting the foundation. Stadium designers had neglected to waterproof the structure when it was built, engineers estimated $45 million in repairs would be needed to maintain the stadium beyond 2010. A new Arizona bill allows the Arizona Board of Regents to set up a district on ASU property to collect revenue from local businesses, money from the fee will go toward the funding of renovation projects of ASUs athletic facilities, including the stadium. It was estimated the fund would accumulate enough money to begin planning renovations within 2–5 years, in April 2012, Sun Devil Athletics unveiled an estimated $300 million plan for renovated Sun Devil Stadium that entails reduced stadium capacity, field turf and fabric roof shading. The plan to cover the stadium with fabric was later scrapped, in October 2013, Sun Devil Athletics announced the removal of approximately 5,700 north end zone upper deck seats that reduced the stadium capacity to 65,870 for the 2014 season. The 2016 and 2017 Cactus Bowls, which are played in Sun Devil Stadium. Phase 1, Sections of the deck were removed. The bleachers behind the end zone were replaced with a steel. Phase 2, The west side of the bowl was demolished
8.
Joe Theismann
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Joseph Robert Theismann is a former professional gridiron football player, sports commentator, corporate speaker and restaurateur. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003, following his retirement from football in 1985 after a career-ending injury, Theismann worked as a sportscaster and an analyst on pro football broadcasts with ESPN for nearly 20 years. He primarily partnered with Mike Patrick, for the networks Sunday Night Football package and for one season of Monday Night Football with Mike Tirico, Theismann also worked as a color analyst on NFL Networks Thursday Night Football package with play-by-play voice Bob Papa and Matt Millen. Theismann also co-hosts the networks weekly show Playbook, since 2011, he has worked on the Redskins preseason television broadcast team. Additionally, he works on the NFL Network on a variety of programs, Theismann is the owner of Theismanns Restaurant and Bar in Alexandria, Virginia, founded 1975. He also performs as a speaker for events, speaking on topics such as leadership and self-motivation. Theismann was born to Austrian Joseph John Theismann who ran a gas station and his Hungarian mother, Olga Tóbiás worked for Johnson & Johnson until her retirement. Theismann was raised in South River, New Jersey, and attended South River High School, where he lettered in baseball, basketball, Theismann accepted a college football scholarship to attend the University of Notre Dame. At Notre Dame, Theismann became the quarterback as a sophomore. In the three remaining games in the season, he led the Irish to two wins and a tie. In 1969, Theismann led the Irish to a number five ranking, the next year, the Irish had a 10–1 record, a number two ranking, and won against Texas in the 1971 Cotton Bowl Classic, 24–11. That year, Theismann was an All-American and an Academic All-American, Theismann set school records for passing yards in a season and touchdowns in a season. He also set a record for passing yards in a game and completions in a game while playing against the University of Southern California in a torrential downpour in 1970. As a starting quarterback, Theismann compiled a 20–3–2 record while throwing for 4,411 yards and 31 touchdowns and his 4,411 passing yards rank fifth on Notre Dames career passing list. Theismann was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003 and he was the eighth Notre Dame quarterback enshrined into the hall, joining former Heisman Trophy winners Angelo Bertelli, John Lujack, and Paul Hornung. Theismann was selected in the round of the 1971 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. After prolonged negotiations with the Dolphins failed, Theismann elected to sign with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League for $50,000 per season. A fumble late in the quarter by Argonaut running back Leon McQuay close to the goal line cost the Argonauts what would have been their first Grey Cup victory since 1952
9.
Joe Namath
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Joseph William Namath, nicknamed Broadway Joe and Joe Willie, is a former American football quarterback and actor. Namath was an AFL icon and played for that leagues New York Jets for most of his football career. He finished his career with the Los Angeles Rams and he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. Statistics belie Namaths enduring influence on the game of professional football and he retired after playing 143 games over 13 years in the AFL and NFL, including playoffs. Due mainly to chronic injuries that undermined his career at its peak, his record is 68 wins,71 losses, and four ties, 64–64–4 in 132 starts. He completed 1,886 passes for 27,663 yards, threw 173 touchdowns and he played for three division champions, earned one league championship, and one Super Bowl victory. In 1999, he was ranked number 96 on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, in his 1975 autobiography, Alabama head coach Bryant called Namath the most natural athlete he had ever coached. Namath is known for boldly guaranteeing a Jets victory over Don Shulas NFL Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, already a celebrity, he was now established as a sports icon. He remained a recognizable figure in the media and sports worlds nearly half a century after his brashness cemented his identity in the public mind. Namath was born and raised in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania,30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh and he is the son of Rose and János John Andrew Namath, a steelworker. While growing up, Namath was close to both of his parents, who eventually divorced, following his parents divorce, he lived with his mother. He was the youngest of four sons, with an adopted sister. Namath excelled in all sports at Beaver Falls High School and was a quarterback in football, guard in basketball. In an age when dunks were uncommon in high school basketball, coached by Larry Bruno at Beaver Falls, Namaths football team won the WPIAL Class AA championship with a 9–0 record in 1960. Coach Bruno later was his presenter to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, upon graduation from high school in 1961, he received offers from several Major League Baseball teams, including the Yankees, Indians, Reds, Pirates, and Phillies, but football prevailed. Namath graduated from college at age 64 in 2007, after he returned to the University of Alabama about forty years after leaving early to pursue a professional football. He successfully finished a 30-hour external program bachelor of degree in interdisciplinary studies. He was rejected by Maryland because his college-board scores were just below the schools requirements, after ample recruiting by Bryant, Namath accepted a full scholarship to attend Alabama
10.
Tom Coughlin
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Thomas Richard Coughlin is the executive vice president of football operations for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was the coach for the New York Giants for 12 seasons. He led the Giants to victory in Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI, Coughlin was also the inaugural head coach of the Jaguars, serving from 1995 to 2002 and leading the team to two AFC Championship Games. Coughlin attended Syracuse University, where he played halfback for the Syracuse Orange football team and he was teammates with Larry Csonka and Floyd Little. In 1967, he set the schools single-season pass receiving record, Jim Boeheim was his residence advisor during Coughlins senior year at Syracuse. Coughlin was mentored by Bill Parcells while Coughlin was wide receivers coach, like his mentor, Coughlin is known as a stern disciplinarian and for his meticulous attention to detail, earning him the nickname Colonel Coughlin. Coughlins first head coaching job was at the Rochester Institute of Technology from 1970–1973 and he then returned to his alma mater where he was eventually promoted to offensive coordinator, a position he also held at Boston College where he coached Doug Flutie. He returned to the staff after his stint at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Coughlins second stint started in 1974, and ended in 1980. He left the level to become a wide receivers coach in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles. While at New York, he was an assistant to Bill Parcells, after the 1990 season, Coughlin returned to Boston College to take on his second job as a head coach. In three seasons at Boston College, he turned the program into a consistent winner, Coughlins tenure was capped with a 41–39 victory over #1 ranked Notre Dame in 1993, the first time Boston College defeated Notre Dame. Coughlins success at Boston College led to his subsequent hiring as the first head coach of the NFLs expansion Jacksonville Jaguars, in eight seasons at Jacksonville, he helmed the most successful expansion team in league history. During Coughlins tenure, the Jaguars made four consecutive playoff appearances and he was named NFL Coach of the Year by United Press International. However, in appearances in the championship game, the Jaguars were defeated, in 1996 by the New England Patriots. Coughlins Jaguars won 49 regular season games in his first five years as head coach, but the Jaguars record for the next three years was only 19–29, and after a 6–10 finish in 2002, Coughlin was fired by owner Wayne Weaver. He finished his career in Jacksonville with a 68–60 regular season record. In 2011, Weaver said when looking back on his tenure as owner, after being out of football in 2003, Coughlin was hired to replace Jim Fassel as head coach of the New York Giants in January 2004. He inherited a team that finished 4–12 in 2003, as Coughlin took over, the Giants were trying to put together a trade for the first pick in the draft
11.
Lincoln Financial Field
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Lincoln Financial Field is the home stadium of the National Football Leagues Philadelphia Eagles and the Temple Owls football team of Temple University. It has a capacity of 69,176. It is located in South Philadelphia on Pattison Avenue between 11th and South Darien streets, also alongside I-95 as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, many locals refer to the stadium simply as The Linc. The stadium opened on August 3,2003 after two years of construction began on May 7,2001, replacing Veterans Stadium. While total seating capacity is similar to that of The Vet, the fields construction included several light emitting diode video displays, as well as more than 624 feet of LED ribbon boards. Naming rights were sold in June 2002 to Lincoln Financial Group, additional construction funding was raised from the sale of Stadium Builders Licenses to Eagles season ticket holders. The Army–Navy football game has played at the stadium. Temple Universitys Division I college football team plays their home games at Lincoln Financial Field. The Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer have played games here against high-profile international clubs when their stadium Talen Energy Stadium does not provide adequate seating. The stadium also plays host to several games each year. In late spring of 2013, the Eagles announced that there will be some major upgrades to Lincoln Financial Field over the next 2 years, the total project estimate is valued at over $125 million. The upgrades included seating expansion, two new HD video boards, upgraded amenities, WiFi, and two new connecting bridges for upper levels and these upgrades were decided upon after research from season ticket holders, advisory boards, and fan focus groups. The majority of changes, including WiFi, were completed by the 2013 home opener. The upgraded sound systems and video boards were finished for the 2014 season, August 3,2003, Lincoln Financial Field hosted its first ticketed event, a soccer match between Manchester United and FC Barcelona. August 22,2003, The Philadelphia Eagles hosted the New England Patriots in the first pre-season football game at Lincoln Financial Field, September 6,2003, Lincoln Financial Field hosted its first regular-season college football game, a college matchup of local Philadelphia rivals, Villanova and Temple. Villanova prevailed 23–20 in double overtime, September 8,2003, The Eagles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers competed on Monday Night Football in the first regular-season NFL game at Lincoln Financial Field. The game was referenced as the Inaugural Game at Lincoln Financial Field, the Buccaneers defeated the Eagles 17–0 in their new home. NFC Divisional Playoff, January 11,2004 and this game is also known as The Miracle of 4th and 26
12.
2003 Green Bay Packers season
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The 2003 Green Bay Packers season was the franchises 84th season in the National Football League and the 85th overall. The season may be most notable for Brett Favres Monday night performance against the Oakland Raiders the night after his father had died, the Packers won the division on the last play of the season. Needing a win and a Minnesota Vikings loss to clinch the division, the Packers were able to add Al Harris to their starting lineup from a trade with Philadelphia. They lost starters Terry Glenn to a trade and Vonnie Holliday to free agency, the Packers finished the season 10–6 and advanced to the Wild Card round of the playoffs. The day before the Week 16 game, Irvin Favre, father of Brett Favre, Favre elected to play and passed for four touchdowns in the first half, and 399 yards in a 41–7 defeat of the Raiders. Afterwards, Favre said, I knew that my dad would have wanted me to play, I love him so much and I love this game. Its meant a great deal to me, to my dad, to my family, but I know he was watching tonight. Packers defensive back Al Harris returned an interception 52 yards for the winning touchdown 4,25 in overtime. The game was sent into overtime on Seahawk running back Shaun Alexanders third touchdown of the day, ahman Green scored two touchdowns for Green Bay, and Bubba Franks caught a 23-yard touchdown in the second quarter. The game is memorable for Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbecks ironic comment after winning the toss for the start of overtime. This game remains one of two times in NFL history that an NFL playoff game has ended with a touchdown in OT. The other being the January 10,2010 Wild Card game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Green Bay Packers, Packers quarterback Brett Favre completed 26 of 38 passes for 319 yards and a touchdown. Ahman Greens franchise postseason record 156 rushing yards was not enough to lift the Packers to victory, the play set up David Akers 37-yard field goal to send the game into overtime. In the overtime Favres deep pass was intercepted, and Akers then kicked a 31-yard field goal, mcNabb had a spectacular performance in the game, completing 21 of 39 passes for 248 yards and 2 touchdowns, while also rushing for 107 yards on 11 carries. Brett Favre, NFC Leader, Completion Percentage Brett Favre, NFC Leader, Touchdown Passes 2003 Packers results and recaps
