People outside the Philadelphia fanbase may ask why fans are so passionate about the Eagles winning the Super Bowl. I’ve been thinking about this myself… it’s obviously important to the team and the players, but why do Philly Sports fans get so invested and emotional?
Every fanbase will claim to be the greatest fanbase in their respectful community. But Philly sports fans are truly built differently. While I can’t speak for all sports, the two I pay attention to the most—football and baseball—can prove that point at nearly every game they have; home or away. We just saw it at the Super Bowl; that audience wasn’t split 50/50. The crowd was louder for the Eagles and while it was hard to see on TV, there was much more green. I’d argue that 65-70% of the fans there represented the City of Brotherly Love and our World Champions, the Philadelphia Eagles.
Philadelphia Fandom is a Birthright
Not everyone loves sports equally, but almost everyone born in the Greater Philadelphia Area loves their Philly sports teams, even if they don’t watch them regularly. This comes from family who are passionate about the teams, from friends who are passionate about the teams, and the community who are passionate about the teams. When you are born in this area, your destiny is set for who you will root for and what colors you will bleed. When you travel, the fandom travels. When you move, the fandom moves. Once a Philly sports fan, always a Philly sports fan.
Something that all of the exposition hones in on, for me, is family. And while I do believe it starts with the family you’re born into, I’m talking about that Fast & Furious family. As you get older and start finding your family, what you become passionate about changes. The thing I’ve noticed here in the Greater Philadelphia Area, regardless if you’re an avid sports fan or not, when it’s the end of the season and there’s greatness in the air, everyone pays attention. Everyone gives a “Go Birds” (or team-specific greeting) and everyone is just a little bit happier. And that’s infectious. If you’re friends with someone who is all in on the Birds, you’re going to catch a little bit of that.
Philly Sports Fans are Everywhere
We’ve seen it all year, Eagles fans (and we see it with at least the Phillies too) travel well. We took over Brazil. We take over other stadiums to help even the odds. We made the Super Bowl an Eagles home game. Beyond that though, there are huge pockets of Philly sports fans in other parts of the world—that’s right, not just in America.
While I was in Europe, we made our way to one of the Passyunk Avenue locations (in Waterloo). And while I love London for many reasons, the fact that there is a place that embraces the “Go Birds” mindset (fandom bringing people together) ranks pretty high on that list. It reminds me that no matter where I go, I’ll always have a place to remind me of home. And while I didn’t hunt any other places down while visiting Europe, I know they exist because this city travels and makes it mark like no other city in the world.
For Those We Lost Along the Way
At the end of the day, the reason winning championships in a city where we were in a drought for a long LONG time is important is because we carry the weight of loved ones we lost along the way. How many Philadelphia Eagles fans left this world without seeing us win our first Super Bowl championship in Super Bowl 52? And now they’ve missed this second chip, which helps solidify the Philadelphia Eagles as the elite team of the NFC. What other championships will they miss that may solidify the Philadelphia Eagles as the elite team of the NFL?
My story isn’t unique and it’s unfortunately pretty common. Part of who I am comes from being influenced by my Uncle who was only 15 and a half years older than me. He always felt like an older brother more than anything else (says the only child), but without him, I’m not a Kevin Smith fan. I probably have zero taste in music. And while I may be an Eagles fan, I’d likely be a casual fan. Losing him in 2016 is a loss I still haven’t been able to reconcile with fully. But winning Super Bowl 52 legitimately brought me to my knees with tears flowing.
I’d be lying if I said something about winning the Super Bowl this year. Maybe that’s because of the beatdown the Eagles gave the Chiefs, maybe it’s because it’s the second one, or maybe it’s because I still haven’t fully comprehended that the Philadelphia Eagles are world fucking champions. All I know is that the one person who I’d love to sit down and revel in the glory of the Eagles winning the Super Bowl isn’t here anymore. I’m fortunate enough to have my own family now and be able to share this celebration with them, but let’s be honest, these kids see the Eagles and the Phillies and largely see success. To be able to see my Uncle and say “We did it” is something I can only play in my head.
If the one thing that being a content creator has done for me is hearing stories similar to this, I’ll forever be grateful. These stories are sad, but they are what makes us who we are. They are what makes our passions. These stories are why Philadelphia winning sports championships is important to us.
Go Birds.
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