Home » Podcasts » Super Bowl 2018 – Philadelphia Eagles Create Magic (EDITORIAL)

Super Bowl 2018 – Philadelphia Eagles Create Magic (EDITORIAL)

As Super Bowl 2018 captivated fans this past weekend, the owners of our own Santa Clarita radio station, KHTS traveled to Minnesota to witness the magic firsthand. Here’s their first-hand experience.


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Landing at the Minneapolis airport for Super Bowl LII after leaving 89-degree Southern California can be a shock to the system. “Bring plenty of layers,” friends instructed. For us, layers meant “Go Eagles” t-shirts and an Eagles sweater underneath our jackets.

We knew this season was different and had booked our plane tickets and Minnesota hotel on Thanksgiving night knowing how special this team had become.

Disembarking from our plane, the first lobby area we walked into inside the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport had fake snow blowing onto passengers heading toward the baggage area. Christmas had long since passed, so we decided this must be some crazy joke arranged by the local Chamber of Commerce. My suspicions became confirmed later when my wife suggested we attend an art exhibit the next day, only to discover it was outdoors and all the sculptures were created from, you guessed it, ice. Go figure.

It was snowing that day, the day before kickoff and temperatures had soared to a balmy 13 degrees. That would be the only day the temps would get past single digits.

The Goldmans standing with Eagles’ great, Randall Cunningham.

With that said, the Minneapolis-St. Paul area is beautiful and its citizens exceptional. Leaving the LAX airport where it is difficult to find anyone to ask for anything, in Minneapolis there were thousands (I was later told exactly 10,000) volunteers dressed in blue with a smile on every pale face, and all had answers to any conceivable question asked.

“Can you direct me to the car rental area?”

One after another volunteer offered friendly and helpful advice.

“Certainly, and you probably don’t need their insurance if you are already covered.”

“There’s a gas station three miles outside the airport that’s cheaper, stop there before you return the car and make sure you use the outside pump, closest to the street. It’s easier to exit.”

There were 10,000 of these helpful visitor aides throughout the Twin Cities. No matter where we turned, there were dozens of blue uniformed volunteers just waiting to be helpful. Apparently 30,000 residents applied to be a “Super Bowl guide” at no pay, no chance to see the game and the privilege of possibly standing outside for many hours in sub-zero temperatures just to be helpful. Imagine that in Los Angeles. With four years to prepare before the Super Bowl is played in our southland, we’d have a tough time getting that many friendly, knowledgeable participants, even at union wages.

(L to R) Carl Goldman, Eagles Owner Jeffery Lurie, and Jeri Seratti-Goldman.

Judging from our hotel and the events we attended before the game, the Philadelphia fans outnumbered the New England enthusiasts by a ratio of about 4:1. The same thing had happened in 2005, at Super Bowl XXXIX. There, the prospect of warm weather lured Eagles fans to drive the 13 hours to Jacksonville, most without a ticket. They simply parked their campers, pitched tents on empty lots, pulled out their big screens and turned the Florida city into one giant tailgate party. With the frigid temperatures in Minnesota, most of the fans we encountered this weekend had tickets.

My wife and I made the trek to Minnesota because we are long time friends of Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie. I became friends with Jeffrey when he moved to Los Angeles in the early 80’s to open a film production company. I had finished graduate school at USC and was working for a radio network in Los Angeles.

When the Eagles became available for purchase in 1994, Jeffrey had already come close to obtaining other sport franchises. He was a die-heart Patriot fan, having grown up in Boston. Opportunities and luck had eluded his dream of purchasing a team. When he was finally able to purchase the Eagles for more money ever paid for a professional sports franchise at the time, the Wall Street Journal published an article calling him a rich kid with a silver spoon in his mouth who didn’t have a clue and was destined for failure. They couldn’t have been more off target.

Not only does Jeffrey have an incredible strategic way of thinking, he is passionate and compassionate about his ability to make a difference. He tells the story of walking into the old dilapidated Veteran’s stadium immediately after his Eagles purchase. Seeing it rat infested, with offices built like a prison, he realized a makeover wasn’t going to do it.

Jeffrey went on a quest, with a vision to not just build a new stadium, but to create a state-of-the art, first-of-its-kind sports complex unrivaled by any other. He inspired the owners of the other three major Philadelphia sports franchises — Phillies, Flyers and 76’ers — to join forces and combine the infrastructure for separate stadiums and facilities in one humongous complex. In addition, he decided he would be the first to take it off the energy grid, something unheard of back in the late 90’s. Lincoln Field Financial opened in 2003. Lurie won the prestigious Norman Lear Environmental Media Association (EMA) award for his vision.

While our Los Angeles City Council with the instigation of the Los Angeles Times created an environment making it close to impossible to entice an NFL team back to the southland, the Philadelphia franchise owners, under the leadership of Jeffrey, were able to create a win-win-win situation. Borrowing money through state and city bonds, guaranteed by the sports teams, they built their dream complex, transforming a challenged Philadelphia neighborhood and bringing millions of dollars into the area.

Jeffrey created an environment for his team that tied them into the community, spearheading many non-profits, joining forces and so often becoming the impetus for the good of the city. Unlike many of the other NFL owners, he shied away from being the one in the limelight. He liked making a difference without necessarily being recognized for doing so. He’s smart, and when he does step into the limelight, as was the case this week, he shines. But he’s much more comfortable making magic happen without having to be in front of cameras.

There are two qualities Jeffrey possesses that keep him striving for excellence: he loves to make a difference and he hates to lose. His dream has always been to bring the Lombardi trophy to Philadelphia. That dream was postponed year after year. Their one previous opportunity in their only other Super Bowl appearance was having to lose to the unstoppable Tom Brady and his New England Patriots in their 2005 Jacksonville loss. That post-game party was much closer to a wake then a celebration of even having made it as far as the final showdown.

This season has been different. There was something special about this team. Carson Wentz became the spark and the catalyst that transformed the team into something magical. As pro-ball player after pro-ball player went down to injury, the Eagles still found a way to win. And then Carson went down on that balmy December Sunday in Los Angeles. Everyone, and I mean everyone, gave up on any chance for the Eagles to get to the Super Bowl. But Nick Foles and the rest of the team weren’t about to wait until next season. The remainder of the story played out like a fairy tale. Our own Los Angeles Times should rewrite their damning editorial written a few days prior to the Super Bowl claiming the only thing to watch of interest would be the commercials, since Brady will be Brady and repeat what he had done so often.

When my wife and I spoke with Jeffrey and his amazing wife, Tina, the night before kick-off, they were both more nervous than we’d ever seen them. But Jeffrey had already witnessed the unexplained magic that had tied not only his team together, but the entire city of Philadelphia.

Earlier that day, we had visited with many fans who had taken their savings, purchased tickets for their kids, nieces and nephews and were ready to be there for history. They spoke of sitting in stands in blizzards and staying through the last tick of the clock, even when victory was beyond possible. One of them shared the story of burying her dad in a Brian Dawkins jersey. It’s no accident Sylvester Stallone created Rocky in Philadelphia.

As Brady duplicated his often 4th Quarter comeback, taking a one-point lead, the energy level of the Philadelphia fans didn’t dissipate. The few doubters in the stands were overwhelmed by the majority. This team was different. This team wasn’t going to let their city and fans down. This team was going to complete the dream that had eluded Philadelphia for so many decades. The game was magical. No Hollywood scriptwriter could have come close to the excitement, tension and drama that took place at the stadium. As soon as Brady threw his final “Hail Mary,” the much smaller crowd of New England fans raced out of the stadium. Knowing they had so many Super Bowl victories under their belts, they could courteously congratulate the Philadelphia fans, leaving them to savor the moment. With fans in tears, Jeffrey Lurie stood in front of the microphone holding the Lombardi trophy, and graciously thanked the fans.

My wife, Jeri, and I are so grateful to have been invited to share in Jeffrey and Tina Lurie’s celebration. On Monday, we packed our bags and headed for the airport, smiling not just because we witnessed the impossible, but because my wife and I knew we were returning to 89-degree weather. As we walked through the fake snow in the Minneapolis airport carrying our bags, I was stopped by my final Minnesota volunteer dressed in blue. “If you take that escalator straight ahead, you can get to your gate a lot quicker, and make sure you stop at the third store on your left after you get through security. They have the best cheese curds in the airport.”

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KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and sign up for KHTS email and text alerts today!

Super Bowl 2018 – Philadelphia Eagles Create Magic (EDITORIAL)

2 comments

  1. Nice story. What a treat to see the Super Bowl in person. You know the Lurie’s too! Wow! Glad for the two of you.

  2. Awesome experience! Thanks for sharing with this broken hearted Vikings fan! If it couldn’t be us, I’m thrilled it went to a team & a man that are so deserving! So glad you found the people of MN welcoming…. It’s not a chamber stunt, I promise! We are genuinely “Minnesota Nice”!

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About Carl Goldman

Carl Goldman, along with his wife, Jeri repurchased KHTS AM-1220, Santa Clarita’s hometown station on October 24, 2003. They owned it from 1990-1998, and then sold it to Clear Channel Communication in 1998, buying it back from Clear Channel in 2003. Since then, they have rebuilt KHTS as a critical voice of the Valley. In 2015 the radio station moved to its new headquarters on Main Street in Old Town Newhall, in the original Newhall Hardware building. In 2018 an FM was added, 98.1, with its signal being simulcast with AM-1220. In January 2020, Carl and Jeri cruised on the Diamond Princess. Carl was one of the first Americans to come down with Covid-19. Months earlier he was impacted by Guillain Barre Syndrome as a result of a Shingles vaccine in September 2019. He is still in recovery from the vaccine.