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This was a fascinating read. I didn't know this at all. I do remember the Eagles battling the Philadelphia Stars for eyeballs and falling behind for a spell...
EXCERPT---
EXCERPT---
Randall Cunningham was dubbed "The Ultimate Weapon" when he took over the NFL world in the late 1980s, changing the way the quarterback position was played. Alongside being a nightmare for defenses, Cunningham brought life back to a dormant Philadelphia Eagles franchise.
The Eagles were thrust into the national spotlight and a new generation of fans was born from Cunningham joining the franchise. The untold story of the quarterback's rise sits with one woman who spearheaded the braintrust that ensured Cunningham bore the "Kelly Green" jerseys that are still the most popular in the team's history. Susan Tose Spencer, the first female general manager in the history of the NFL, is in large part to thank for the draft choice that went on to shape the franchise.
"My mom never saw a player like Randall," said Marnie Schneider, Tose Spencer's daughter (Schneider spoke for Susan, who is suffering from dementia in her late 80s). "She knew the moment she watched him play she wanted to do whatever she could to get him in. Part of her job as general manager was to follow up with her personnel and this was the culmination of a five-year plan of our scouts watching him."
The daughter of Eagles owner Leonard Tose
Leonard Tose was one of the most popular -- and controversial -- owners in Eagles history. Growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Tose invested with a group to purchase the Eagles in 1949 before finally becoming the principal owner in 1969 for just over $16 million -- the highest purchase for a franchise in sports history at the time.
Tose suffered some trying years in his first couple seasons as owner, but turned the franchise around once he hired Dick Vermeil to become the head coach in 1976. Vermeil took the Eagles to their first Super Bowl appearance just a few years later as Philadelphia defeated the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game in 1980.
While Tose is credited for helping turn the franchise around, his positive impact was displayed throughout the city of Philadelphia. Tose was influential in starting the first Ronald McDonald House in 1974 (there are over 350 worldwide in 2021), and continued raising funds to help benefit local area hospitals. He started "The Eagles Fly for Leukemia" program, personally wrote a check for $80,000 to keep Philadelphia public high school sports up and running in the 1970s amidst financial troubles, and bought 800 bullet-proof vests for the Philadelphia Police Department when the city refused to purchase them.
Not only did Tose help the community, he created a first-class experience for the Eagles organization -- specifically the players, coaches, and staff that entered the building every day.
"His number one priority was the players and the families were always taken care of. The players were always going to be treated first class," Schneider said of Tose, her grandfather, who passed away in 2003. "He was very complicated, but he was colorful. When it came to giving back to the community, he gave everyone an opportunity. If you were suited for the job, you could do the job."
The primary aspect of Tose's job was negotiating contracts, notably for stars like Ron Jaworski and Randall Cunningham. She oversaw the NFL Draft during her three seasons with the team, with a focus on rookie deals. During Tose's tenure, the Eagles selected Reggie White in the 1984 supplemental draft -- although Tose Spencer didn't oversee that deal since White was playing in the USFL.
"Scouts do an amazing job and they are the unsung heroes of the NFL," Schneider said on the team's draft process. "They would sleep in cars to find the best talent and the right players. It's up to the teams to sign those guys. That's what my mom did."
The Eagles struggled to win games in the wake of the 1982 player's strike. Philadelphia went 11-20-1 in Tose Spencer's two years as general manager, all while the team was crumbling from within. The product on the football field was the least of the problems.
Philadelphia was losing popularity to the Stars of the USFL, who coincidentally played in the same stadium. The Stars won back-to-back USFL division championships and the league title in 1984, with a roster made up primarily of local players. That prompted the Eagles to counter and draft Penn State's Kenny Jackson with the No. 4 overall pick in 1984, signing him to a contract worth up to $2.6 million.
"My mom tried to bring in people from Pennsylvania to get the fan base excited and Jackson was a dynamic player from Penn State, one of the best in the country," Schneider said. "We wanted to reinvigorate the brand because the product was stale."
Prior to the 1985 NFL Draft, Tose Spencer was given a scouting report about a player that had the highest quarterback rating the team had ever seen. On top of his impressive passing, UNLV's Cunningham was also a prolific runner. The dual-threat quarterback was just what the Eagles needed and Tose Spencer was certain he would inject life into the franchise that was slowly fading back into obscurity.
"She immediately told my grandfather the Eagles had to draft him," Schneider recalled, as the Eagles selected Cunningham in the second round of the 1985 draft with the 37th overall pick.
In addition to the Eagles' glory days under Tose being in the rearview mirror, the owner was not a favorite of commissioner Pete Rozelle. After gaining a reputation as a gambler and an alcoholic, Tose and Rozelle had conversations about his gambling habits as it would bring bad publicity to the league. Tose gambled in casinos -- not on the Eagles -- but Rozelle didn't like the direction the franchise was headed.
"The NFL wanted to have a team in Phoenix," Schneider said. "They looked around on who wanted to be the right people to go. They thought Philadelphia was the right fit. Like good businessmen do, my mom spent some time out in Phoenix and listened to a potential deal. It was highly unlikely my family wanted to leave, but the opportunity was very grand. The benefits for the players and the fan experience of a new stadium were enticing."
The Eagles appeared set to leave Philadelphia, but Tose had cold feet.
"My grandfather was a Philadelphia guy. At the 10th hour, he spent a lot of time undercover and there was talk of a potential deal announced right after the final regular-season game in 1984," Schneider said. "When my mom came back, the plan was to try and figure out how we can stay in Philadelphia."
Months later, Tose sold the team to Norman Braman for $65 million. Tose didn't have to make the deal, but the aftermath of a potential Phoenix move turned the fans against the once beloved owner. Tose was in debt, but could have found a way to stay the owner -- even if the deck was stacked against him.
"The damage control was very difficult. The name calling and harassment of my family was so bad," Schneider said. "That's what prompted my father to sell the team. He just couldn't take the abuse anymore."
The Eagles were thrust into the national spotlight and a new generation of fans was born from Cunningham joining the franchise. The untold story of the quarterback's rise sits with one woman who spearheaded the braintrust that ensured Cunningham bore the "Kelly Green" jerseys that are still the most popular in the team's history. Susan Tose Spencer, the first female general manager in the history of the NFL, is in large part to thank for the draft choice that went on to shape the franchise.
"My mom never saw a player like Randall," said Marnie Schneider, Tose Spencer's daughter (Schneider spoke for Susan, who is suffering from dementia in her late 80s). "She knew the moment she watched him play she wanted to do whatever she could to get him in. Part of her job as general manager was to follow up with her personnel and this was the culmination of a five-year plan of our scouts watching him."
The daughter of Eagles owner Leonard Tose
Leonard Tose was one of the most popular -- and controversial -- owners in Eagles history. Growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Tose invested with a group to purchase the Eagles in 1949 before finally becoming the principal owner in 1969 for just over $16 million -- the highest purchase for a franchise in sports history at the time.
Tose suffered some trying years in his first couple seasons as owner, but turned the franchise around once he hired Dick Vermeil to become the head coach in 1976. Vermeil took the Eagles to their first Super Bowl appearance just a few years later as Philadelphia defeated the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game in 1980.
While Tose is credited for helping turn the franchise around, his positive impact was displayed throughout the city of Philadelphia. Tose was influential in starting the first Ronald McDonald House in 1974 (there are over 350 worldwide in 2021), and continued raising funds to help benefit local area hospitals. He started "The Eagles Fly for Leukemia" program, personally wrote a check for $80,000 to keep Philadelphia public high school sports up and running in the 1970s amidst financial troubles, and bought 800 bullet-proof vests for the Philadelphia Police Department when the city refused to purchase them.
Not only did Tose help the community, he created a first-class experience for the Eagles organization -- specifically the players, coaches, and staff that entered the building every day.
"His number one priority was the players and the families were always taken care of. The players were always going to be treated first class," Schneider said of Tose, her grandfather, who passed away in 2003. "He was very complicated, but he was colorful. When it came to giving back to the community, he gave everyone an opportunity. If you were suited for the job, you could do the job."
The primary aspect of Tose's job was negotiating contracts, notably for stars like Ron Jaworski and Randall Cunningham. She oversaw the NFL Draft during her three seasons with the team, with a focus on rookie deals. During Tose's tenure, the Eagles selected Reggie White in the 1984 supplemental draft -- although Tose Spencer didn't oversee that deal since White was playing in the USFL.
"Scouts do an amazing job and they are the unsung heroes of the NFL," Schneider said on the team's draft process. "They would sleep in cars to find the best talent and the right players. It's up to the teams to sign those guys. That's what my mom did."
The Eagles struggled to win games in the wake of the 1982 player's strike. Philadelphia went 11-20-1 in Tose Spencer's two years as general manager, all while the team was crumbling from within. The product on the football field was the least of the problems.
Philadelphia was losing popularity to the Stars of the USFL, who coincidentally played in the same stadium. The Stars won back-to-back USFL division championships and the league title in 1984, with a roster made up primarily of local players. That prompted the Eagles to counter and draft Penn State's Kenny Jackson with the No. 4 overall pick in 1984, signing him to a contract worth up to $2.6 million.
"My mom tried to bring in people from Pennsylvania to get the fan base excited and Jackson was a dynamic player from Penn State, one of the best in the country," Schneider said. "We wanted to reinvigorate the brand because the product was stale."
Prior to the 1985 NFL Draft, Tose Spencer was given a scouting report about a player that had the highest quarterback rating the team had ever seen. On top of his impressive passing, UNLV's Cunningham was also a prolific runner. The dual-threat quarterback was just what the Eagles needed and Tose Spencer was certain he would inject life into the franchise that was slowly fading back into obscurity.
"She immediately told my grandfather the Eagles had to draft him," Schneider recalled, as the Eagles selected Cunningham in the second round of the 1985 draft with the 37th overall pick.
In addition to the Eagles' glory days under Tose being in the rearview mirror, the owner was not a favorite of commissioner Pete Rozelle. After gaining a reputation as a gambler and an alcoholic, Tose and Rozelle had conversations about his gambling habits as it would bring bad publicity to the league. Tose gambled in casinos -- not on the Eagles -- but Rozelle didn't like the direction the franchise was headed.
"The NFL wanted to have a team in Phoenix," Schneider said. "They looked around on who wanted to be the right people to go. They thought Philadelphia was the right fit. Like good businessmen do, my mom spent some time out in Phoenix and listened to a potential deal. It was highly unlikely my family wanted to leave, but the opportunity was very grand. The benefits for the players and the fan experience of a new stadium were enticing."
The Eagles appeared set to leave Philadelphia, but Tose had cold feet.
"My grandfather was a Philadelphia guy. At the 10th hour, he spent a lot of time undercover and there was talk of a potential deal announced right after the final regular-season game in 1984," Schneider said. "When my mom came back, the plan was to try and figure out how we can stay in Philadelphia."
Months later, Tose sold the team to Norman Braman for $65 million. Tose didn't have to make the deal, but the aftermath of a potential Phoenix move turned the fans against the once beloved owner. Tose was in debt, but could have found a way to stay the owner -- even if the deck was stacked against him.
"The damage control was very difficult. The name calling and harassment of my family was so bad," Schneider said. "That's what prompted my father to sell the team. He just couldn't take the abuse anymore."
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