The Eagles will play their first game at the Linc in nearly a month when they take on a desperate Chicago Bears team Sunday afternoon on Fox.
In the booth is longtime play-by-play announcer Dick Stockton, who is in his 26th season calling NFL games on Fox. Alongside Stockton will be former offensive lineman and “hater Eagles fan” Mark Schlereth (whom Fox poached from ESPN back in 2017) and sideline reporter Jennifer Hale.
It might surprise Eagles fans to know that, despite having grown up in New York City, Stockton is actually a Philadelphia native, born at Temple University Hospital. After attending Syracuse University, his first on-air job was working as an all-night newscaster when KYW 1060 moved to a 24-hour news format back in 1965.
“I’ve called a ton of Eagles games and a million Sixers games, and I’ve always had great feelings about the city. Always," Stockton told the Inquirer.
Like most sports announcers, Stockton is used to hearing from fans whenever he makes a mistake in a broadcast. But sometimes, the criticism gets nasty and intense. Earlier this week, 94.1 WIP host Angelo Cataldi ripped Stockton on air, calling his style “sing-songy” and laughably declaring him the worst play-by-play announcer in the history of sports television.
“He’s 76-years-old,” the 68-year-old sports talker complained. “He’s awful, awful, awful! I can’t listen to one play he calls!”
Stockton, whose contract with Fox goes beyond this season, said his “mind is still sharp” and he’s prepared to hang up his headset whenever he feels he can no longer call games at a high level. But for now, he’s happy to have the full backing of his Fox Sports bosses and lets most criticism wash over him, especially when the vitriol becomes intensely personal.
“When someone is just mean like that, I think it’s more a reflection of who they are than what I did," Stockton said of Cataldi’s criticism. “I remember critics over a decade ago saying I should quit or be retired. It goes with the territory."
“Do mistakes happen in a three-hour game broadcast? Yes, they do. But I don’t think people should be judged by a mistake here and there," Stockton added. “I think it’s the body of work you do in a game. If I were to make 30 mistakes in a game, well that’s a big problem.”
Here’s everything you need to know to watch and stream Sunday’s game:
When: Sunday, Nov. 3
Where: Lincoln Financial Field
Time: 1 p.m. kickoff
TV: Fox (Dick Stockton, Mark Schlereth, Jennifer Hale)
Streaming: Fox Sports app (requires cable authentication), fuboTV (free 7-day trial), YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Playstation Vue, DirecTV Now (all require a subscription)
Mobile: Eagles app, NFL Mobile app, Yahoo Sports app, Yahoo Fantasy Football app (free on smartphones and tablets within the Philadelphia market)
Radio: 94.1 WIP-FM (Merrill Reese, Mike Quick, Howard Eskin)
Spanish radio: La Mega, 105.7 FM (Rickie Ricardo, Gus Salazar)
Referee: Craig Wrolstad
Week 9 Fox 1 p.m. coverage map, via 506 Sports (red is Eagles-Bears):
506 SPORTS
The NFL games that will air on FOX Sunday, Nov. 3. Red is Bears-Eagles, purple is Vikings-Chiefs, yellow is Redskins-Bills, green is Lions-Raiders (late), and orange is Buccaneers-Seahawks (late).
As with every Eagles game, staff writers Jeff McLane, Les Bowen, Paul Domowitch, and EJ Smith will be covering all the action live on Twitter. Notes and observations about the game will be at Inquirer.com/eagles. Don’t forget to subscribe to our Early Birds newsletter.
In the most recent Birds’ Eye View podcast, McLane, Bowen, and Smith preview Sunday’s match-up with the Bears and debate whether the Eagles have turned a corner.
Over on NBC Sports Philadelphia, Eagles Pregame Live, hosted by Michael Barkann and featuring Seth Joyner, Ray Didinger and Barrett Brooks, will air live at noon. Ed Rendell will join the crew for Eagles Postgame Live after the game. Birds Outsiders, hosted by Jason Ashworth, Roy Burton, and 97.5 The Fanatic’s Natalie Egenolf, airs immediately after the postgame show.
As far as other local network pregame shows go, CBS3 will air CBS3 Sunday Kickoff at 10:30 a.m. (featuring Don Bell, Lesley Van Arsdall, and Pat Gallen). NBC10 will air Eagles Gameday Kickoff at 9:30 a.m. (hosted by Danny Pommells), followed by Eagles GamePlan at 10 a.m. (featuring John Clark, Ike Reese, and Mike Quick).
- Texans at Jaguars: 9:30 a.m., NFL Network (Rich Eisen, Kurt Warner, Steve Mariucci, Michael Irvin, Melissa Stark)
- Colts at Steelers: 1 p.m., CBS (Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts, Evan Washburn)
- Packers at Chargers: 4:25 p.m., CBS (Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson)
- Patriots at Ravens: 8:20 p.m., NBC (Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya)
Sunday, Sept. 8: Eagles 32, Redskins 27
Sunday, Sept. 15: Falcons 24, Eagles 20
Sunday, Sept. 22: Lions 27, Eagles 24
Thursday, Sept. 26: Eagles 34, Packers 27
Sunday, Oct. 6: Eagles 31, Jets 6
Sunday, Oct. 13: Vikings 38, Eagles 20
Sunday, Oct. 20: Cowboys 37, Eagles 10
Sunday, Oct. 27: Eagles 31, Bills 13
Sunday, Nov. 3: Bears at Eagles, 1 p.m., FOX
Bye week
Sunday, Nov. 17: Patriots at Eagles, 4:25 p.m., CBS
Sunday, Nov. 24: Seahawks at Eagles, 8:20 p.m., NBC
Sunday, Dec. 1: Eagles at Dolphins, 1 p.m., FOX
Monday, Dec. 9: Giants at Eagles, 8:15 p.m., ESPN
Sunday, Dec. 15: Eagles at Redskins, 1 p.m., FOX
Week 16
Sunday, Dec. 22: Cowboys at Eagles, 4:25 p.m., FOX
Sunday, Dec. 29: Eagles at Giants, 1 p.m., FOX
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