More than 40 years ago, Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Eagles Head Coach Dick Vermeil labeled local artist Joe Venditti as the “Official Painting Coach” of the team.
In 1979, Venditti was working at the Sign Shack, his art store at Oregon Avenue and Percy Street in South Philadelphia, when a man came into the shop with an offer that the artist could not refuse.
Stanley “Bow Wow” Wojtkiewicz, a publicist for the Eagles, asked Venditti if he would be interested in painting for the team.
Venditti started by painting signs around the training facility and doing any small job that the organization needed.
That stemmed into a bigger opportunity for Venditti, who was then asked to design game balls and ultimately paint the field.
“It was so cool,” said Danielle Venditti Hurd, Joe’s daughter. “It made us feel like we were somebody. I was in grade school at the time, so I felt like a big shot.”
Venditti was known for delicately painting commemorative game balls with Kelly Green paint and the vintage Eagles logo.
The Sign Shack owner would paint all the footballs at his shop. Game balls would be given out to players, coaches, and staff members after big games. In 1980, after the Eagles beat the Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game, Vermeil ordered 138 game balls, one for every member of the organization – including Joe.
Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie received a game ball from Venditti after purchasing the team in 1994. United States President George H. W. Bush is the owner of one as well.
