The Vet | |
 Aerial view of Veterans Stadium in 2002 withCitizens Bank Park under construction in the lower right | |
 Interactive map of Veterans Stadium | |
| Location | 3501 SouthBroad Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°54′24″N75°10′16″W / 39.90667°N 75.17111°W /39.90667; -75.17111 |
| Owner | City of Philadelphia |
| Operator | Philadelphia Department of Recreation |
| Capacity | Baseball: 61,831 Football: 65,352 |
| Field size | Baseball: Left field – 330 feet (100 meters) Left center field – 371 feet (113 meters) Center field – 408 feet (124 meters) Right center field – 371 feet (113 meters) Right field – 330 feet (100 meters) Backstop – 54 feet (16 meters) (2003)  |
| Surface |
|
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | October 2, 1967 |
| Built | 1967–1971 |
| Opened | April 10, 1971 |
| Closed | September 28, 2003 |
| Demolished | March 21, 2004 |
| Construction cost | US$63 million ($489 million in 2024 dollars[1]) |
| Architect | Hugh Stubbins & Associates George M. Ewing Co. Stonorov & Haws |
| Structural engineer | McCormick Taylor & Associates, Inc. |
| General contractor | McCloskey & Co.[2] |
| Tenants | |
| Philadelphia Phillies (MLB) (1971–2003) Philadelphia Eagles (NFL) (1971–2002) Philadelphia Atoms (NASL) (1973–1975) Philadelphia Fury (NASL) (1978–1980) Philadelphia Stars (USFL) (1983–1984) Temple Owls (NCAA) (1978–2002) | |
| Designated | September 28, 2005[3] |
Veterans Stadium was amulti-purpose stadium inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, at the northeast corner ofBroad Street and Pattison Avenue, part of theSouth Philadelphia Sports Complex. The seating capacities were 65,358 for football, and 56,371 for baseball.
It hosted thePhiladelphia Phillies ofMajor League Baseball (MLB) from1971 to2003 and thePhiladelphia Eagles of theNational Football League (NFL) from1971 to2002. The1976 and1996Major League Baseball All-Star Games were held at the venue. It also hosted the annualArmy-Navy football game between 1980 and 2001.
In addition to professional baseball and football, the stadium hosted other amateur and professional sports, large entertainment events, and other civic affairs. It was demolished by implosion in March 2004, being replaced by the adjacentCitizens Bank Park andLincoln Financial Field. A parking lot now sits on its former site.
In 1959, Phillies ownerR. R. M. Carpenter Jr. proposed building a new ballpark for thePhiladelphia Phillies on 72 acres (290,000 m2) adjacent to theGarden State Park Racetrack inCherry Hill, New Jersey. The Phillies' were playing atConnie Mack Stadium, a stadium built in 1909 that was beginning to show its age. Connie Mack Stadium also had inadequate parking, and was located in a declining section of the city. The same year, alcohol sales at sporting events were banned in Pennsylvania but were still legal across theDelaware River in neighboringSouth Jersey.
The stadium proposed by Carpenter would have seated 45,000 fans but would be expandable to 60,000, and would have 15,000 parking spaces.[4]
TheAmerican League'sPhiladelphia Athletics moved toKansas City following the1954 season, while theNBA'sPhiladelphia Warriors moved toSan Francisco to become the Golden State Warriors in 1962, and Philadelphians were not going to allow losing another professional sports franchise.
In 1964, Philadelphia voters approved a US$25-million-bond issue for a new stadium to serve as the home of both the Eagles, who played at theUniversity of Pennsylvania'sFranklin Field, and the Phillies. Because ofcost overruns, the voters had to go to the polls again in 1967 to approve another $13 million. At a total cost of $60 million[clarification needed], it was at the time one of the most expensive stadiums ever constructed.[5]
In 1968, thePhiladelphia City Council named the stadium Veterans Stadium in honor ofveterans. In December 1969, the Phillies announced that they anticipated that they would play the first month of the1970 season at Connie Mack Stadium before moving to the new venue.[6] However, the opening was delayed a year because of a combination of bad weather and cost overruns.
The stadium's design was nearly circular, and was known as anoctorad design, which attempted to facilitate both football and baseball.San Diego Stadium inSan Diego had been similarly designed. As was the case with other cities where this dual approach was used, such asRFK Stadium inWashington, D.C.,Shea Stadium inNew York City, theAstrodome inHouston,Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium inAtlanta,Busch Memorial Stadium inSt. Louis,Riverfront Stadium inCincinnati, andThree Rivers Stadium inPittsburgh, the fundamentally different sizes and shapes of the playing fields made the stadium inadequate to the needs of either sport.
The stadium opened with a $3 million scoreboard complex that at the time was the most expensive ever installed.[7]
Prior to its opening, the stadium was blessed by Marine Corps chaplain veteranFrancis "Father Foxhole" Kelly.[8]
ThePhiladelphia Phillies played their first game at the stadium on April 10, 1971, beating theMontreal Expos, 4–1, before an audience of 55,352. The first ball was dropped by helicopter to Phillies back-up catcher Mike Ryan.[7]
Jim Bunning, who was named to theBaseball Hall of Fame in 1996, was the winning pitcher, andBill Stoneman of the Expos took the loss. EntertainerMike Douglas, whose daily talk show was taped in Philadelphia, sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" before the game. The emcee for the opening ceremonies wasHarry Kalas, the new Phillies play-by-play announcer.
Boots Day opened the game bygrounding out to Bunning.Larry Bowa had the stadium's firsthit, andDon Money hit the firsthome run in the stadium.[9]
On September 26, 1971, thePhiladelphia Eagles played their first game at Veterans Stadium, hosting theDallas Cowboys in a game the Eagles lost 42–7. The first Eagles touchdown at the stadium, and the Eagles only points during the game, came fromAl Nelson's then-record 102-yard return of a missed field goal byMike Clark in the fourth quarter.[10]
As the stadium aged, its condition deteriorated. A hole in the wall allowed visiting teams' players to peep into the dressing room of theEagles Cheerleaders.[11] So many mice infested the stadium that the security force employed cats asmousers.[12]
The final Eagles game played at Veterans Stadium was theEagles' 27–10 loss to theTampa Bay Buccaneers in the2002 NFC Championship Game on January 19, 2003. The Eagles moved intoLincoln Financial Field in August 2003.[13]
The final game ever played at the stadium was the afternoon of September 28, 2003, a 5–2Phillies loss to theAtlanta Braves.[14]
The final win at the stadium was recorded byGreg Maddux of the Braves; the final loss at the stadium was recorded by the Phillies'Kevin Millwood. The final Phillies run was scored byMarlon Byrd in the bottom of the 3rd inning, and the final run altogether by the Braves'Andruw Jones on a double byRobert Fick, who also had the last hit atTiger Stadium while with theDetroit Tigers four years earlier in the top of the 5th.
The final hit at Veterans Stadium was a single by the Phillies'Pat Burrell in the bottom of the 9th inning. The next batter,Chase Utley, grounded into a double play to end the game and Veterans Stadium. A ceremony at Veterans Stadium following the final Phillies game at the stadium pulled at the heartstrings of the sellout crowd.Paul Owens, a former Phillies general manager, andTug McGraw, a former Phillies pitcher, made their final public appearances at the park that day; both men died that winter.[15][16]
The last publicly broadcast words uttered at Veterans Stadium came fromHarry Kalas, who helped open the facility on April 10, 1971, who paraphrased his trademark home run call: "It's on a looooooong drive…IT'S OUTTA HERE!!!"
The following seasons, the Phillies played their first game at the newly constructedCitizens Bank Park on April 12, 2004.
On March 21, 2004, the 32-year-old stadium wasimploded in 62 seconds. Frank Bardonaro, President of Philadelphia-based AmQuip Crane Rental Company, pressed the "charge" button and then he and Nicholas T Peetros Sr., Project Manager for Driscoll/Hunt Construction Company, pressed the "fire" button to trigger the implosion[17] whileGreg Luzinski and thePhillie Phanatic, the Phillies'mascot, pressed aceremonial plunger for the fans, which did not set off any explosives.[18] A parking lot for the current sporting facilities was constructed in 2004 and 2005 at the site.
On June 6, 2005, the anniversary ofWorld War II'sD-Day, aplaque and monument to commemorate the spot where the stadium stood and a memorial for all veterans was dedicated by the Phillies before their game against theArizona Diamondbacks. On September 28, 2005, the second anniversary of the stadium's final game, a historical marker commemorating where the ballpark once stood was dedicated. In April 2006,granite spaces marking the former locations ofhome plate, thepitcher's mound, and the three bases for baseball, as well as thegoalpost placements for football, were added in Citizens Bank Park's Western Parking Lot U.
Before the stadium's implosion, The Vet's Liberty Bell replica was removed from its perch and placed in storage. In 2019, the bell was installed outside the third base entrance of Citizens Bank Park.
In the years following demolition, an apparentcancer cluster has emerged among several former Phillies players who played at Veterans Stadium who later developedglioblastoma, a form ofbrain cancer.[19] Six former Phillies who played while the team called Veterans Stadium home have died of the cancer.[20]
According to a 2013 analysis byThe Philadelphia Inquirer, thebrain cancer rate of Phillies players while the team was at Veterans Stadium was three times higher than that of the general population.[21] Some of the speculation centers around the possibility that chemicals in the stadium'sAstroTurf field may have played a role, but there has been no research to support that theory definitively.[21]
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The stadium was a complicated structure with its seating layered in seven separate levels in its final configuration. The lowest, or "100 Level", extended only part way around the structure, between roughly the 25-yard lines for football games and near the twodugouts for baseball. The "200 Level" comprised field-level boxes, and the "300 Level" housed what were labeled "Terrace Boxes". These three levels collectively made up the "Lower Stands". The "400 Level" was reserved for the press and dignitaries; the upper level began with "500 Level" (or "loge boxes"), the "600 Level" (upper reserved, or individual seats), and finally, the highest, the "700 Level" (general admission for baseball). Originally, the seats were in shades of brown, terra cotta, orange and yellow, to look like an autumn day, but in 1995 and 1996, blue seats replaced the fall-hued ones.
At one time, the stadium could seat over 71,000 people for football, but restructuring in the late 1980s—including removal of several rows of the 700 Level around most of the stadium to accommodate construction of the Penthouse Suites—brought capacity down to around 66,000.
The stadium was harshly criticized by baseball purists. Even by multipurpose stadium standards, the upper deck was exceptionally high, and many of the seats in that area were so far from the field that it was difficult to see the game withoutbinoculars. Like most of its contemporaries,foul territory was quite roomy. Approximately 70% of the seats were in fair territory, adding to the stadium's cavernous feel. There was no dirt in the infield except for sliding pits around the bases, and circular areas around the pitcher's mound and home plate. In the autumn, the football markings were clearly visible in the spacious outfield area. While the stadium's size enabled the Phillies to shatter previous attendance records, during the years the Phillies were not doing as well, even crowds of 35,000 looked sparse.
The stadium had been known for providing both the Eagles and the Phillies with greathome-field advantage. In particular, the acoustics greatly enhanced the crowd noise on the field, making it nearly impossible for opposing players to hear one another.
In his bookThe Secret Apartment, author Tom Garvey, who managed parking for the stadium, recalls how he spent two years residing in a space at the stadium where he was storing furniture for Eagles tight endRichard Osborne.[22]
The "700 Level", the highest and cheapest seats at Veterans Stadium, became well known for being home to the loudest,rowdiest fans atPhiladelphia Eagles games, and to a lesser extent,Philadelphia Phillies games. In his bookIf Football's a Religion, Why Don't We Have a Prayer?,[23] Jereé Longman described the 700 Level as having a reputation for "hostile taunting, fighting, public urination and general strangeness." Due to an improvement in public facilities, there is no equivalent in either the currentLincoln Financial Field orCitizens Bank Park. The name has also been the inspiration for websites relating to Philadelphia sports, as well as a weekly "Letters to the Editor" section in the Sunday Sports pages ofThe Philadelphia Inquirer.
The field's surface, originally composed ofAstroTurf, contained many gaps and uneven patches. In several places, seams were clearly visible, giving it the nickname "Field of Seams". It perennially drew the ranking of the "NFL's worst field" in player surveys conducted by theNFL Players Association (NFLPA), and visiting players often fell prey to the treacherous conditions resulting in numerous contact and non-contact injuries.[24] The NFLPA reportedly threatened to sue the city for the poor conditions, and many sports agents told the Eagles not to even consider signing or drafting their clients. The Eagles, for their part, complained to the city on numerous occasions about the conditions at the stadium. Baseball players also complained about the surface. It was much harder than other AstroTurf surfaces, and the shock of running on it often caused back pain.
Two of the most-publicized injuries blamed on the playing surface occurred exactly six years apart. On October 10, 1993,Chicago Bears wide receiverWendell Davis had his cleats caught in a seam while he planted to jump for an underthrown bomb from QBJim Harbaugh, tearing both of hispatellatendons and ending his career, barring a short-lived comeback attempt with theIndianapolis Colts in 1995.[25] On October 10, 1999, Dallas Cowboys wide receiverMichael Irvin suffered a neck injury against the Eagles at Veterans Stadium that proved to be his final play in the NFL and led to his premature retirement.
Long before Davis' and Irvin's injuries,Cleveland Browns standout defensive tackleJerry Sherk contracted a near-fatalstaph infection from the Veterans Stadium turf during a 1979 game. The infection forced him to miss 22 of the Browns' next 23 games and ended a run of nine and a half seasons in the Browns' starting lineup. Sherk never started again and retired in 1981.
In 2001, the original AstroTurf was eventually replaced by a new surface, NexTurf. It was far softer, and reportedly much easier on the knees.[26] However, the city crew that installed the new turf reportedly did not install it properly, resulting in seams being visible in several places.
The first football game on the new turf was scheduled to take place on August 13, 2001, when the Eagles were to play theBaltimore Ravens in a preseason game. However, Ravens coachBrian Billick refused to let the Ravens take the field for warm-ups when he discovered a trench around an area where third base was covered up by a NexTurf cutout. City crews unsuccessfully tried to fix the problem, forcing the game to be canceled. Later, players from both teams reported that they sank into the turf in locations near the infield cutouts. The Eagles' team presidentJoe Banner was irate after the game, calling the stadium's conditions "absolutely unacceptable" and "an embarrassment to the city of Philadelphia."[27] City officials, however, promised that the stadium would be suitable for play when the regular season started.
The problem was caused by heavy rain over the weekend prior to the game, which made the dirt in the sliding pits and pitcher's mound so soft that the cutouts covering them in the football configuration became mushy and uneven. Even when new dirt was shoveled on top, it quickly became just as saturated as the old dirt. The problem was solved by using asphalt hot mix, which allowed for a solid, level playing surface, but required a jackhammer for removal whenever the stadium was converted from football back to baseball (between August and October of each year).
In March 2023, investigative reporters from thePhiladelphia Inquirer bought souvenir samples of the old Veterans Stadium AstroTurf used from 1977 to 1981 and commissioned diagnostics through the Eurofins Environmental Testing laboratory. The resulting lab report linkedper- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals") to the turf. Six former Phillies who played at Veterans Stadium have died fromglioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer:Tug McGraw,Darren Daulton,John Vukovich,Johnny Oates,Ken Brett, andDavid West.[28]
Fans who attended games at Veterans Stadium, especially forPhiladelphia Eagles games, gained a reputation of being among the most vociferous in all of professional sports, especially in the notorious 700 Level, the highest seating level at Veterans Stadium prior to the construction of luxury skyboxes behind that seating area. The stadium became famous for the exuberant rowdiness of Eagles fans.
One of the more well-known examples of the fans' behavior was during the1989 season at a follow-up game to what many called the "Bounty Bowl". OnThanksgiving day, November 23, 1989, the Eagles had defeated theDallas Cowboys atTexas Stadium, 27–0.[29] In that game, Cowboys placekickerLuis Zendejas suffered aconcussion during a rough block bylinebackerJessie Small after a kickoff. After the game, Cowboys rookie head coachJimmy Johnson commented that Eagles head coachBuddy Ryan instituted a bounty on Zendejas and Cowboys quarterbackTroy Aikman. Two weeks later, on December 10, they played the rematch dubbed "Bounty Bowl II" at the stadium which the Eagles won 20–10.[30] The stadium seats were covered with snow in the stands. The volatile mix of beer, the "bounty" and the intense hatred for "America's Team" (who finished 1–15 that season) led to fans throwing snowballs at Dallas players and coaches.[31] Beer sales were banned after that incident for two games. A similar incident in 1995 atGiants Stadium during a nationally telecastSan Diego Chargers–New York Giants game[32] led the NFL to rule that seating areas must be cleared of snow within a certain time period before kickoff.
The Eagles fans' behavior during a 24–12Monday Night Football loss[33] to theSan Francisco 49ers in 1997 and a 34–0 loss to Dallas a year later[34] was such that the City of Philadelphia assigned a Municipal Court Judge,Seamus McCaffery, to the stadium on game days to deal with fans removed from the stands in what was referred to as "Eagles Court". Judge McCaffery would hold court in the stadium until the stadium's closure in 2003; the Eagles' replacement stadium, Lincoln Financial Field, does not have a court, but a holding cell instead.[35][12] Two years later, fans threwD-Cell batteries atSt. Louis Cardinals outfielderJ. D. Drew after he spurned the Phillies' offer to play with them, and wound up going back into the draft and picked by the Cardinals.[36]
From 1970 to 1987, theCape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) played its annual all-star game at various major league stadiums. The games were interleague contests between the CCBL and theAtlantic Collegiate Baseball League (ACBL). The 1984 game was played at Veterans Stadium. The CCBL won the game 7–3 behind the performance of winning pitcher and future major leaguerJoe Magrane of theUniversity of Arizona.[54]
TheLiberty Bell Classic, Philadelphia Division I college baseball tournament, was played at the stadium from its inception in 1992 through 2003. The original eight schools were:
In the first championship game in 1992, the University of Delaware defeated Villanova 6–2.[55]
The stadium hosted the 1998Atlantic 10 Conference baseball tournament, won byFordham.[56]
In November 1987, the new owners of the Phillies AAA franchise, theMaine Guides, considered playing the 1988 season at the Vet becauseLackawanna County Stadium would not be ready until the 1989 season. The team would have had to play 12:35 pm day games when the Phillies had night games scheduled at the Vet.[57] Ownership elected to remain inOld Orchard Beach for 1988, renamed the club the 'Maine Phillies', and moved to Moosic, Pennsylvania in 1989 as theScranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons.
TheEastern LeagueTrenton Thunder played two home games at the stadium in April 1994. The Thunder beat theCanton–Akron Indians, 10–9, in front of 483 fans on April 20, 1994, and won 9–3 on April 21. Future Phillies broadcasterTom McCarthy was in the booth for the Thunder during these two games.[58]
The stadium was the home field for thePhiladelphia Atoms and thePhiladelphia Fury, bothNorth American Soccer League teams. The Fury drew 18,191 fans for theirApril 1, 1978, opener at the stadium which they lost 3–0 to theWashington Diplomats. The Fury averaged 8,279 per-match in1978 NASL, 5,624 per-match in1979 NASL, and 4,778 in the1980 NASL seasons. The club was moved toMontreal in1981 NASL season.[59]
The stadium hosted an exhibition match on August 2, 1991, between theU.S. National Team and Englishprofessional soccer clubSheffield Wednesday F.C.John Harkes played for Wednesday, the first American to play in the EnglishPremier League. 44,261 fans saw the U.S. score two second-half goals to defeat Sheffield Wednesday 2–0.[60]
Philadelphia established a bid committee to host matches for the1994 World Cup which was to be played in the United States. Phillies presidentBill Giles was on the Philadelphia bid committee and hoped to use Veterans Stadium for games. In addition to the challenge of installing a natural grass field for the games,FIFA would have required the Phillies to vacate the stadium for a month to allow for sufficient preparation time prior to the matches. Giles could only offer 17-days.[61] The nine venues eventually chosen to host matches were all stadiums that did not host baseball games.
| Date | Winning Team | Result | Losing Team | Tournament | Spectators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2, 1991 |  United States | 2–0 |  Sheffield Wednesday | International friendly | 44,261 |
ThePhiladelphia Athletics of theAmerican Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL) played their 1978 seasons at Veterans Stadium.
Veterans Stadium hosted Philadelphia's City Title high-school football championship game from 1973 to 1977 and in 1979. The series was suspended in 1980.[62] With the entry of thePhiladelphia Catholic League into what is nowPIAA District XII (which was formed when thePublic League joined the PIAA in 2002), the "City Title Game" was restored in 2008.
The only professional wrestling event held in Veterans Stadium wasNWA/Jim Crockett PromotionsThe Great American Bash on July 1, 1986, with an attendance of 10,900. The event was the start of a 14-city summer tour.
| Date | Artist | Opening act(s) | Tour / Concert name | Attendance | Revenue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 10, 1974 | Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young | The Band | CSNY 1974 | – | – | |
| August 14, 1985 | Bruce Springsteen &The E Street Band | – | Born in the U.S.A. Tour | 108,000 / 108,000 | – | |
| August 15, 1985 | ||||||
| September 8, 1985 | Wham! | Chaka Khan Katrina and the Waves | Whamamerica! | 43,000 / 50,000 | $698,000 | |
| May 28, 1987 | Genesis | Paul Young | Invisible Touch Tour | – | – | |
| May 29, 1987 | ||||||
| July 11, 1987 | Madonna | Level 42 | Who's That Girl World Tour | 48,182 / 51,500 | $969,815 | |
| July 30, 1987 | David Bowie | Squeeze | Glass Spider Tour | – | – | |
| July 31, 1987 | ||||||
| May 15, 1988 | Pink Floyd | – | A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour | 88,010 / 95,800 | $1,917,675 | |
| May 16, 1988 | ||||||
| July 9, 1989 | The Who | – | The Who Tour 1989 | – | – | |
| July 10, 1989 | ||||||
| August 31, 1989 | The Rolling Stones | Living Colour | Steel Wheels Tour | 110,556 / 110,556 | $3,181,143 | |
| September 1, 1989 | ||||||
| July 14, 1990 | Paul McCartney | – | The Paul McCartney World Tour | 102,695 / 102,695 | $3,107,980 | |
| July 15, 1990 | ||||||
| September 15, 1990 | MC Hammer | After 7 Michel'le Oaktown's 3.5.7 | Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em World Tour | |||
| May 31, 1992 | Genesis | – | We Can't Dance Tour | 97,774 / 97,774 | $1,518,080 | |
| June 1, 1992 | ||||||
| September 2, 1992 | U2 | Primus The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy | Zoo TV Tour | 88,684 / 88,684 | $2,691,880 | |
| September 3, 1992 | ||||||
| June 13, 1993 | Paul McCartney | – | The New World Tour | 45,711 / 45,711 | $1,288,394 | |
| June 2, 1994 | Pink Floyd | – | The Division Bell Tour | 152,264 / 152,264 | $5,091,120 | |
| June 3, 1994 | ||||||
| June 4, 1994 | ||||||
| July 8, 1994 | Elton John Billy Joel | – | Face to Face 1994 | 150,511 / 150,511 | $7,315,495 | |
| July 9, 1994 | ||||||
| July 12, 1994 | ||||||
| September 22, 1994 | The Rolling Stones | Blind Melon | Voodoo Lounge Tour | 80,976 / 80,976 | $3,818,719 | |
| September 23, 1994 | ||||||
| October 12, 1997 | Blues Traveler | Bridges to Babylon Tour | 56,651 / 56,651 | $3,275,572 | ||
| May 20, 1999 | Dave Matthews Band | Santana The Roots | Summer Tour 1999 | – | – | |
| May 21, 1999 | ||||||
| May 22, 1999 | ||||||
| July 15, 2000 | Ozomatli Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals | Summer Tour 2000 | – | – | ||
| July 16, 2000 | ||||||
| June 13, 2001 | NSYNC | BBMak | PopOdyssey | 46,005 / 54,212 | $2,534,204 | |
| September 18, 2002 | The Rolling Stones | The Pretenders | Licks Tour | – | – | |
| July 12, 2003 | Metallica | Limp Bizkit Linkin Park Deftones Mudvayne | Summer Sanitarium Tour | – | – | |
| July 26, 2003 | Bon Jovi | Sheryl Crow Goo Goo Dolls | Bounce Tour | – | – | The stadium's final concert. |
The venue also played host to religious events including annualJehovah's Witnessesconventions, which was open to the public each year it took place. It also played host to aBilly Graham crusade in 1992; the crusade was held on the same day that the Eagles'Jerome Brown was killed in a vehicular crash andReggie White, who was invited to speak at the event, broke the news to the gathered crowd.
| Events and tenants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Home of thePhiladelphia Eagles 1971–2002 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Home of thePhiladelphia Phillies 1971–2003 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Home of theTemple Owls 1978–2002 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Host of theAll-Star Game 1976 1996 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Host ofNFC Championship Game 1981 2003 | Succeeded by |
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