09/02 — The Jets' ninth annual Kickoff Luncheon is now under way at Cipriani Wall Street in lower Manhattan.

This year's theme is the 50th anniversary of the Jets/Titans organization. This year's Jets players have been introduced, as have a number of alumni, including Curtis Martin, Wayne Chrebet, Marty Lyons, Abdul Salaam, Wesley Walker, Kenny Schroy, Bruce Harper, Randy Beverly and Dave Hermann. Lyons is this year's honoree for epitomizing what it means to be a Jet. And the more than $650,000 in proceeds from this year's event will benefit the New York Jets Foundation and the Alliance for Lupus Research.

Eric Allen is attending this event and he'll have a report for us later in the afternoon. For now, as an appetizer to that story, I wanted to reminisce about another event that has been closely connected to all nine luncheons, and that is the final preseason game between the Jets and the Philadelphia Eagles.

In fact, the first kickoff luncheon in 2001 marked the start of the streak of preseason finales between the NFL's two green teams that will reach nine when the Jets and Birds meet at the Meadowlands on Thursday night. The routine is that the Jets hold their luncheon, then the team either gets on buses to go down to the City of Brotherly Love or gets on buses to go to the team hotel before the next night's home game.

I know what you're saying about the relative importance of this fourth game of the summer. Two points in that regard: One is that Bill Parcells more than once made the statement about the NFL preseason that "There is no such thing as a meaningless game."

Point two is that these Jets-Eagles games have actually been fairly interesting as young quarterbacks have stepped up and starred and players have produced some memorable plays as they've fought to improve their spot on the depth chart or their hold on a roster spot. And as plain as these games sometimes are around the league, they are also the last stop before the regular-season express leaves the station.

Here are summaries of the last eight Jets-Eagles games (home team in CAPS):

Aug. 30, 2001 — EAGLES 13, Jets 12

The first time the Jets and Birds began meeting regularly in the final preseason game. Second-round RB LaMont Jordan rushed for 86 yards on 15 carries. Free agent DE Mike Cecere had two sacks but didn't make the final cut. The Green & White offense was limited to four John Hall field goals.

Aug. 30, 2002 — JETS 23, Eagles 16

Top draft choice Bryan Thomas had a pair of second-half sacks. Free agent CB Andrew Davison had a game-high 11 tackles and tipped the last-minute pass by Tim Hasselbeck that LB Scott Bradley intercepted at the Jets 5 to thwart the visitors' late comeback bid. Davison made it to the 53-man roster.

Aug. 28, 2003 — Jets 17, EAGLES 9

In the Jets' first visit to Lincoln Financial Field, free agent rookie QB Marquel Blackwell got the only start of his NFL career and made the most of it, throwing first-half touchdown passes to third-round FB B.J. Askew and WR Jonathan Carter. Second-round LB Victor Hobson posted a game-high nine tackles.

Sept. 3, 2004 — JETS 28, Eagles 27

Second-year QB Brooks Bollinger took the Jets' offensive reins with 7:05 left and facing a 27-7 deficit and engineered the one-point win. Bollinger led drives of 65, 27 and 87 yards to touchdowns by RB Ian Smart (1-yard run) and WRs Terrence Stubbs (4-yard reception) and Matt Dominguez (1-yard catch with 8 seconds to play).

Sept. 1, 2005 — Jets 37, EAGLES 14

Many highlights for the Green & White as they opened a 27-0 halftime lead at "the Link." Free agent WR Chas Gessner caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from Bollinger late in the second quarter. Then S Rashad Washington threaded a third-quarter pass by the Eagles' Mike McMahon back upfield for a 99-yard interception-return TD.

Sept. 1, 2006 — JETS 20, Eagles 17

The Jets overcame a 17-0 deficit with fourth-quarter fireworks. Brad Smith, the fourth-round rookie WR fresh off four years as Missouri's QB, returned behind center to guide a field goal drive, then, after CB Drew Coleman's interception, a short march to his 9-yard keeper for the go-ahead TD. Finally the Jets defense pitched a goal line stand, with rookie Titus Adams and CB Derrick Strait stuffing RB Bruce Perry on fourth-and-goal from the Jets 1 with 1:21 left.

Aug. 30, 2007 — Jets 13, EAGLES 11

Jets QB Marques Tuiasosopo scrambled up the middle for the game's first TD on the first play of the fourth quarter for a 10-3 lead. Eagles rookie QB Kevin Kolb gave the hosts the 11-10 lead on a TD pass and two-point toss. Then "Tui" responded with a 15-play, 65-yard drive to Mike Nugent's game-winning 35-yard field goal at the final gun.

Aug. 28, 2008 — Jets 27, EAGLES 20

Fifth-round rookie Erik Ainge got his first chance to pilot the Jets offense and produced a comeback win. Ainge threw his first pro scoring pass, a 6-yarder to WR David Ball, for the 17-13 third-quarter lead, then led another drive to a Nugent field goal. After the Eagles tied it at 20, Ahmad Carroll recovered a muffed punt at the Philly 17 and three plays later RB Jesse Chatman (180 yards from scrimmage) carried it in for the go-ahead 2-yard TD.

If you'd like to see the Jets try to extend their preseason win streak over Philadelphia to eight games while trying to neutralize Michael Vick in what is expected to be his longest stretch so far in an Eagles uniform, tickets are still available for the game. There's not much time left, so click here to purchase tickets or to check out availability.

If you'd like to pass on this game, the next stop will be Houston, Texas for Regular Season Game 1.