KELLY OR MIDNIGHT?
WHICH IS TRUE EAGLES GREEN?
First let’s talk about the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Penguins got their name because they played in a domed arena known as “The Igloo.” It never seemed to bother anyone that penguins live near the South Pole, while igloos are found 10,000 miles away in the Arctic circle.
From their first season (1967-68) to midway through the 1979-80 season, the Pens’ uniforms featured “polar” colors – first light blue and, later, dark blue with light blue trim.
The uniforms were stunningly beautiful, but there was a problem – the team sucked. The Penguins went 377-469-172 over their first 13 seasons, missed the playoffs 6 times, finished above 3rd place only twice, and won a grand total of 3 playoff series.
In January 1980, the Penguins decided to go with black and gold uniforms to match Pittsburgh’s then-successful other teams, the Steelers and Pirates.
Dare we say that change brought the Pens luck.
From 1980-80 through 2024-25, the Penguins went 1684-1389-211, finished 1st 10 times, and won 5 Stanley Cups. Guess those black and gold jerseys are here to stay.
Now for the Eagles…
The Birds’ original uniforms (1933 and 1934) were not even green. They had light blue and yellow jerseys - a tribute to Philly’s earlier NFL team, the Frankford Yellow Jackets. They switched to Kelly Green in 1935.
During the 61-season "Kelly Green" era (1935-1995), the Eagles went 365-428-23, finished 1st only 6 times, and won 3 of 5 title games.
Such great memories - like finishing 2-12 in 1968, throwing snowballs at Santa, and hoping Jerry Williams, Norm Snead, and Leroy Keyes would lead us to the Promised Land.
In 1996, the Eagles changed their jerseys to Midnight Green and changed their luck. In the past 31 seasons (1996-2025), the Birds have gone 287-211-3, finished first 12 times, and won 2 of 4 title games (which will be 3 of 5 if they win the Super Bowl in February).
And by the way, in 2 of the 3 “Kelly Green” games this season, the Eagles gave up 24 unanswered points in their loss to Dallas, and 14 unanswered points in their loss to Washington.
We get it. Kelly Green is a majestic color, and a sentimental one for those of Irish descent. But please – when it comes to the Eagles, Kelly Green is a loser color, and Midnight Green is a winner.
Midnight Green it is.
