| 1968 Philadelphia Eagles season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Jerry Wolman |
| Head coach | Joe Kuharich |
| Home field | Franklin Field |
| Results | |
| Record | 2–12 |
| Division place | 4th NFL Capitol |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
The 1968 Philadelphia Eagles season was the franchise's 36th season in the National Football League (NFL). They failed to improve on their previous output of 6–7–1, winning only two games. Eagles fans expected to get O. J. Simpson if they went winless. They finished 2–12, but the Buffalo Bills went 1–12–1 and got Simpson with the first pick.[1] Before they won their twelfth game, which they won, the Eagles were on target for a winless season at 0–11. They were the first team in the NFL proper to lose eleven consecutive games in one season since their own 1936 season, though in the AFL the 1962 Oakland Raiders lost their first thirteen games.
The Philadelphia Eagles Santa Claus incident, one of the most infamous incidents in Philadelphia sports history, came at halftime of the final game of the dismal 1968 season, when the Eagles were on their way to losing to the Minnesota Vikings. The Eagles had planned a Christmas pageant for halftime of the December 15 game, but the condition of the field was too poor. Instead, the team asked a fan dressed as Santa Claus to run onto the field to celebrate with a group of cheerleaders. The fans, in no mood to celebrate, loudly booed and threw snowballs at "Santa Claus."[2]