Lincoln Financial Field

Lincoln Financial Field, located in the South Philadelphia area, has been home to the Philadelphia Eagles since its grand opening in 2003. This $512 million dollar stadium holds seating for nearly 70,000 fans. For many years, the team shared Veterans Stadium with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Vet was built in 1971, and this new stadium was constructed adjacent to the old Veterans Stadium. Following the stadium's opening in 2003, the first sporting event was a soccer match between Manchester United and FC Barcelona.

Ever since its grand opening in 2003, Lincoln Financial Field has made it a main priority to become one of the few solely energy-self-sufficient stadiums worldwide and reduce its environmental footprint. The stadium is well known for its full commitment to its waste management and renewable energy programs. Studies have shown that a single NFL game with 70,000 people in attendance produces 58 tons of carbon dioxide emissions and around 15-25 tons of landfill waste per game. As part of the “Go Green” initiative, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), city officials, and other businesses fitted the facility with over 11,00 solar panels and 14 wind turbines that supply over 4mw of generating capacity. The majority of these solar panels are located in the parking lot, which happens to be the largest array of solar panels in Philadelphia. This array of solar panels at Lincoln Financial is also the largest of any stadium in the NFL. The solar panels supply the bulk of the self-sufficient energy, while the wind turbines have been explained by the Eagles president, Don Smolenski, as more of “...a visual representation of our commitment to sustainable efforts” (Simon, 2016). One of the biggest accomplishments that this initiative has achieved is a 99.8 percent waste diversion rate through numerous recycling and compositing programs. These efforts have shown to save the stadium over 140 tons of waste from reaching landfills every season.

The stadium is known for its rowdy fanbase, and Philadelphia Eagles fans relish their reputation as some of the most intense fans in the NFL. While creating a hostile environment for opposing teams, the stadium can even turn hostile on their own players. When Donovan McNabb made his first appearance at Veterans Field after he was drafted in 1999, he was met with boos because most fans hoped for a different draft pick. Donovan went on to be one of the best quarterbacks in Eagles franchise history.

The most notorious event at Veterans Stadium is the bombardment of snowballs at Santa Claus in 1968. After a disastrous season was about to come to an end, the Eagles were getting ready for their annual Christmas-themed halftime show for the last game of the year. When the hired Santa Claus did not show up due to a snowstorm, a random fan dressed as Santa Claus was picked out of the crowd as the replacement, and he was bombarded with snowballs.

Sports Complex History

The area in South Philadelphia, now used to house multiple stadiums and arenas, first began in 1926 with the Sesquicentennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The Sesquicentennial International Exposition was a World’s Fair to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In conjunction with the fair a large stadium was built. After the exposition, all that remained was the stadium, which was now renamed Municipal Stadium. In 1964 the stadium was renamed again to honor President John F. Kennedy. During its run JFK Stadium hosted the Philadelphia Quakers who were part of the first American Football League, the Philadelphia Eagles, and numerous Army-Navy games. The stadium was demolished in 1992.

In 1967, The Spectrum Arena was opened and hosted teams such as the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) and the Philadelphia Flyers (NHL). The Spectrum hosted numerous Stanley Cup Finals, NBA finals, and a few All-Star games for both the NHL and NBA. There were dozens of concerts held at the arena, including Aerosmith, Genesis, Pink Floyd, The Who, The Doors, and many more. Before its closing in October 2009, rock group Pearl Jam performed The Spectrum's last concert. By April 2011, the demolition of The Spectrum was complete, and the area now consists of a parking lot. Plans to open a 300-room hotel on this site are underway.

Veterans Stadium started construction in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 2, 1967, at a cost of $60 million dollars, making it one of the most expensive stadiums of its time. Veterans Stadium was home to both the Philadelphia Phillies (MLB) and the Philadelphia Eagles (NFL) from 1971 to 2003. The first game played at the new stadium was on April 10, 1971, when the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Montreal Expos 4 – 1. The first game for the Philadelphia Eagles was played on September 26, 1971, against the Dallas Cowboys who beat the Eagles 42 – 7.

Fans would go on to name Veterans Stadium “The Vet." Fans and players generally maligned the stadium, with players complaining about the hard surface under the artificial turf. Visiting players not only had to deal with the hard turf but also notoriously rowdy Phillies and Eagles fans. Visiting players referred to “The Vet” as a “hellhole”. “In a 1989 game against the Dallas Cowboys, rowdy fans tossed snowballs at visiting players, coaches, and officials; even then, Mayor Ed Rendell got into the act–to his later embarrassment and chagrin–betting a fan that one of his missiles couldn't reach the field. Eight years later, the Eagles became the first team in sports to set up an on-site courtroom to handle the gamut of game-day infractions from public drunkenness to fist-fights to harassing visiting rooters. To help maintain decorum, the police department even dispatched officers dressed in opposition jerseys to sit in the Vet's upper 700-level.” "The Vet" was becoming too costly to maintain so the decision was made to demolish it and build two new stadiums. The Eagles would play their final game at "The Vet" in 2002 while the Phillies played their last game a year later. Before demolition began, rock group Bon Jovi performed the very last concert at Veterans Stadium to a sold-out crowd. On March 21, 2004, Veterans Stadium was imploded in only 62 seconds and replaced by a parking lot for two new stadiums, Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Park.

The South Philadelphia Sports Complex is now home to three stadiums and arenas. The Wells Fargo Center arena opened in 1996 and hosts games for the Philadelphia 76ers and the Philadelphia Flyers. The arena also plays host to numerous concerts throughout the year, including a holiday production of The Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Lincoln Financial Field, also known as “The Linc”, opened in 2003 and hosts the Philadelphia Eagles. In 2015 “The Linc” will also host the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which is a championship soccer game to determine the regional champion between North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Citizens Bank Park, also known as “The Bank”, opened in 2004 and hosts games for the Philadelphia Phillies.

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“Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia Eagles Football Stadium - Stadiums of Pro Football.” Stadiums of Pro Football, www.stadiumsofprofootball.com/stadiums/lincoln-financial-field/.

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