Philadelphia fans love their stadiums almost as much as they love their teams. This was a lesson learned more than two decades ago when fans surrounded Veterans Stadium and literally shed tears as the place crumbled section by section to the ground.

The place was a decaying concrete circle by the time the Eagles and Phillies moved out in 2004, but the memories made inside the place were priceless. Fathers and sons, mothers and daughters watched as the Phillies won the World Series in October 1980, then saw the Eagles beat Dallas in the NFC Championship just a few months later.

The sad days — Black Friday against the Dodgers in 1977 for the Phillies and the shocking NFC Championship loss in 2004 against the Buccaneers for the Eagles — stuck too.

What struck me most when the Vet went down was its age.

Shouldn’t something that cost $63 million to build in 1971 be able to last longer than 33 years. At last check, the house in Willingboro my parents bought for $12,500 in 1961 is still standing. In fact, it can be had right now for just under $359,000.

The thought when Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Park went up as replacements for the Vet was that they would at least be built to last. I can remember being invited into see the Linc ahead of its inaugural 2003 season and it was a modern marvel.

Loved at first sight the Eagles’ logo in the middle of the upper decks on each side of the stadium. They can be seen from the sky when you’re landing at Philadelphia International Airport and I’ve still never seen anything else like that at another NFL stadium.

The amenities, especially compared to the Vet, were marvelous and they still are. The Eagles, as you might expect, have done a terrific job with stadium upkeep, renovating different areas as they became dated.

Citizens Bank Park, likewise, has been a haven for Phillies’ fans. It has terrific sight lines, fantastic food options and lots of other things for kids to do, too.

The biggest difference between the Linc and Citizens Bank Park is that the Phillies seem perfectly happy with the place they call home while the Eagles are not so quietly making it known that they’d like to move into something grander.

You can see a scenario where 100 years from now Citizens Bank Park is looked upon as a treasured antique the way that Wrigley Field is in Chicago and Fenway Park is in Boston.

The Eagles, meanwhile, are hatching a plan to be in new digs before the Linc reaches the age of 30.

Owner Jeffrey Lurie most likely sees this as a good time to pounce on the idea of a domed stadium, so the Eagles pitched the idea to focus groups in May by inviting in current season-ticket holders.

Philly Voice interviewed one of the attendees.

“I was sitting there at the front where the guy was doing his presentation,” the fan said. “Emphatically, he said, ’2032, our lease runs out. Our intent is to build a new stadium.’ There wasn’t a God dang word about renovation. We spent zero time discussing what they could do better at the Linc. Zero. There was not a single question about it.”

Philly Voice reported that emails sent on Thursday asked season-ticket holders about their thoughts on a Lincoln Financial Field renovation and on the idea of a new stadium. This is a continuation of rumblings about a new stadium that surfaced last year.

Lurie was asked ahead of the Eagles’ Super Bowl win in New Orleans if he was pushing for a domed stadium that might allow Philadelphia to host things like the Super Bowl and the Final Four.

“I don’t have a strong opinion about it because you’re torn,” Lurie said. “I love outdoor football. I love it. I love the cold games. I like the hot games. I like the snow games. On the other hand, does Philadelphia deserve to host the Super Bowl? The NCAA Final Four? Lots of great events. It’s an incredible sports city. Does it deserve that? Yes, so you’ve got to balance all of those things.”

The Eagles, of course, aren’t alone in either their own city or their own league for wanting a new place to play. The 76ers and Flyers joined forces late last year on a plan for a new shared arena and an enhanced sports complex project that is targeted for 2031. The Phillies also joined with Comcast to enhance the sports complex experience with a renovation that is expected to cost $2.1 billion.

This is Lurie’s chance to get in on all those improvements and the Eagles should want in.

But the idea of Philadelphia becoming a place where the NFL routinely holds a Super Bowl is unrealistic. The Vikings opened beautiful U.S. Bank Stadium in 2016 and Minneapolis hosted the 2018 Super Bowl between the Eagles and Patriots. But the NFL has shown no interest in returning to the frigid confines of that city since.

Minneapolis has also hosted just one Final Four since opening its domed stadium.

Detroit hosted the Super Bowl in 2006 after Ford Field opened in 2002, but the NFL hasn’t returned there since. The 2009 Men’s Final Four was in Detroit and it will be there again in 2027, but two such events in 18 years hardly seems like a cash cow for a city’s economy.

It’s different in Arlington, Texas, where AT&T Stadium, home of the Cowboys, has only played host to one Super Bowl, but stages the Cotton Bowl at its stadium every year, which has become an annual venue for either a semifinal or championship game under the new college football playoff format.

The same goes for Glendale, Ariz. and Atlanta. Those NFL teams have domes and guaranteed big-time college football games that sellout every year. Philadelphia will not get those games.

The Linc has hosted major soccer events and will again next year during the World Cup. Wrestlemania was here in 2024. Hopefully at some point Lurie and the Eagles will come to their senses and realize that the Linc is an outstanding home for the team and their fans and doesn’t need to be the rare host to other big events.

Since the Eagles moved into the Linc, they’ve gone 107-69-1 during the regular season and 11-4 in the postseason. The Eagles have won four NFC Championship games there and twice gone on to win the Super Bowl.

The Linc has been a special place for the Eagles and the fact that it doesn’t have a roof is a huge part of the charm. Fans will welcome a renovation. They would despise a demolition.

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Bob Brookover can be reached at rbrookover@njadvancemedia.com

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