After their heart-breaking Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs, It hasn’t taken long to realize that the Eagles’ 2023 season will have a different look.

Offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon each finalized deals in the past few days to become head coaches at Indianapolis and Arizona, respectively. The Birds also have the possibility to lose a number of free agents, notably on defense.

With the exit of coaches and players, there can be a relatively good chance that the team’s path next season will take a significantly different one from this year’s.

When the Eagles made their first Super Bowl appearance in 1981, what was their offseason like? And do you remember Leonard Mitchell, Marlin Briscoe, and Joe Gilliam? How about “The Mike Douglas Show,” or a Superball?

In this week’s version of my Yesterday column - a look back at sports and pop culture in the 1960s, ‘70s, ‘80s, and sometimes beyond – I will delve into the Eagles’ ‘81 season, the rise of black quarterbacks in the NFL, and some other February follies.

No Back-to-Back ‘Super’ Seasons ... In 1981, the Eagles basically had their entire team that lost to the Raiders in the Super Bowl that January remain intact.

There were plenty of high hopes, but they would eventually be deflated like a balloon with a hole in it - or is that a bad analogy with all the talk about balloons in the last couple weeks?

Quarterback Ron Jaworski threw for 3,095 yards with 23 touchdowns, but he had 20 interceptions. Wilbert Montgomery had another banner year with 1,402 yards rushing and 39 catches. Harold Carmichael had 61 catches.

But Philly made another bad choice with its top draft pick as Leonard Mitchell, a defensive end from the University of Houston, never lived up to expectations. Mitchell somehow spent six seasons with the team before he had his final year with Atlanta.

The rest of the ‘81 draft was basically a bust as well, producing only defensive back Ray Ellis and little-used running back Hubert Oliver.

The Eagles finished the season with a 10-6 record and in second place behind Dallas (12-4) in the NFC East.

The Eagles got a home wildcard game at the Vet against the Giants in the first round of the playoffs. However, they were flat most of the afternoon, and fell behind to a legendary Giants’ quarterback. And it wasn’t Phil Simms. Remember Scott Brunner? He was a Sellersville native and went to suburban West Chester Henderson High School, before embarking to the University of Delaware.

The Eagles also really took a hit from Giants’ running back Rob Carpenter - the ex-Oiler who ran for 169 yards. If you’re a Giants’ fan, I’m sure you remember their 27-21 victory.

Rise of African-American quarterbacks ... The matchup of Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts was the first Super Bowl with two African-American starting quarterbacks.

Who was the first African-American starting quarterback in the modern era of the Super Bowl? Denver’s Marlin Briscoe was a safety who was pressed into action in 1968. It was a short stint. You might better remember Briscoe as a successful wide receiver who ended his career with Miami.

The following year, Buffalo drafted James Harris (sound familiar?), who saw action, but didn’t start a game. Harris did get his day with the Rams in 1972 and started 41 games in his career.

I remember Harris in the 1974 NFC Championship Game against the Minnesota Vikings in a classic game in which the Rams came up short, 14-10. Harris became the second African-American quarterback to begin the season as a starter in 1975, but he battled injuries throughout the season. Harris never regained his starting spot, and was traded to the San Diego Chargers in 1997, where he spent his final two seasons.

Does Joe Gilliam ring a bell? Gilliam saw time with the Steelers in 1974, and stayed with the team through 1976, until he was released due to his constant battle with drug abuse.

Before Harris, Gilliam was the first African-American to start a game in 1974. He could never shake his drug addiction, and sadly died from a heroin overdose at the age of 50 in 2020.

We also vividly remember Doug Williams for his Super Bowl victory, but let’s not forget about Warren Moon, who was one of the most prolific quarterbacks, throwing for over 49,000 yards in 17 seasons.

I Wanna Hold Your Hand ... Last week (Feb. 9) marked the 59th anniversary of The Beatles appearing on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964. Unlike most acts, the Fab Four performed five consecutive songs.

Nearly 10 years later, John Lennon and Yoko Ono spent a week co-hosting “The Mike Douglas Show” during Valentine’s Week in 1972.

I remember the Douglas show, but had trouble recalling Lennon on the show for a week.

Another Classic Game ... In 1979, Regency Electronics released the game, “Power Pigskin Football.”

It was an “electronic” game in the shape of a football with a field in the middle of it and powered by four AA batteries. There were buttons for one or two players, offense (run or pass) and defense buttons, and a direction button. A result of each play was then released on the screen.

It was another in the flurry of 70’s electronic games. I remember the picture, but I didn’t have the game.

A Bouncing Ball and a Great Deal ... In 1964, the “Wham-O” company created the “Super Ball.” It was a great fad in the ‘60s, and how many times did we see how high we could bounce it. And when we did, we usually ended up running after it.

In the ‘70s, McDonald’s was still a viable and reasonable option for all of us. It’s hard to think that we could buy a cheeseburger and a milkshake for a total of 45 cents.

Today, a McD’s cheeseburger will cost nearly two dollars, and milkshakes have been on their way out.

Memory Lane ... Each week, I will recount the memory of a former player, coach, manager, or announcer from our yesterday.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention former Phillies catcher and broadcaster Tim McCarver, who passed away Thursday at the age of 81.

McCarver spent nine of his 21 seasons with the Phillies, ending his career with them in 1980. He hit .272 overall with the Phils, and was Steve Carlton’s “personal” catcher, once stating that they should be buried “60 feet, six inches apart.”

After his retirement from the game, McCarver entered the broadcast booth, working playoff and World Series games over several decades for ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX, and also called Cardinals games on a FOX affiliate from 2014-2019. He was honored with the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2012 for his broadcasting career.