This one is too good to resist, and should bring a frown to the brow of Eagles fans.

Opening day for the 2009 season is less than three months away. And while the Birds do not head for Lehigh and training camp until the end of July, today is football season for many fans.

That’s because the team puts single-game tickets on sale today. The old tradition of camping outside the stadium ticket office has gone by the boards. We’re way too high-tech for that quaint old practice.

You can only buy tickets, starting at 10 a.m., on the phone or online.
Why do I think that stacks the deck in favor of brokers who inevitably seem to wind up with lots of tickets?

But here’s a little nugget to consider while you are frantically dialing the phone or trying to log on to the team’s Web site or Ticketmaster.com for the chance to enter Lincoln Financial Field this fall.

The company whose name adorns the Eagles stadium is looking for a handout.

Lincoln Financial Group, based in Radnor, made a splash a few years back when it dropped a ton of money for the naming rights to the Eagles stadium.

It’s hard to argue with them. Every time the stadium gets mentioned, their corporate brand is out there.

It does not mean they have been recession-proof. The company is seeking $950 million from the federal bailout program as they look to raise $2 billion.

Lincoln Financial has posted two straight losses in the last two quarters. That’s almost as bad as the Eagles’ first two quarters in the NFC title game against the Cardinals.

Maybe they should ask Donovan McNabb for a loan. The Eagles QB got the final two years of his deal reworked, and a $5 million raise to boot.