On Sunday evening thousands of Eagles fans poured onto Broad Street to celebrate the Philadelphia Eagles 31-7 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. The Eagles will be heading to the Super Bowl in Arizona to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in what should be an exciting and historic matchup. For the first time in Super Bowl history two Black starting quarterbacks will go head to head.
The Eagles were constantly doubted, even before the season began but Eagles fans knew this team was special. The team, led by Quarterback Jalen Hurts went 14-3 this season and silenced doubters as he put on an MVP worthy performance.
After the Eagles win on Sunday Head Coach Nick Sirianni siad “You see this city and the passion they have for this team. We’re so appreciative of these fans. Look at this place. There’s no place like this in the NFL. It’s a hard-working city, it’s a blue-collar city. We think that’s the type of team we have.”
Following wins against the Vikings on September 19th and the Cowboys on October 16th the Philadelphia Police Department reported that no shootings or murders took place overnight. This is unfortunately a rare occurrence in Philadelphia. According to city data there was at least one shooting victim every day in January 2023 besides one. Also according to the city data, it appears there were no shooting victims for over 24 hours starting a few hours before the NFC championship game and going into the next evening. Those numbers occurred in the midst of a violent year in Philadelphia and during an era where Philadelphia is considered the poorest large city in the United States. The city is in need of positivity and hope after the COVID 19 pandemic and lockdown wreaked havoc. Philadelphia needs a hero to root for.
Philadelphia is a city filled with hard working underdogs who are filled with so much passion and pride. Philadelphia is a diverse city with residents from every economic background, race, religion,sexuality, and political party- but the one thing most Philadelphians have in common? Their love for Philadelphia sports teams.
Amidst all the negative things the world hears about Philadelphia there is still no city in the world that comes even close to showing the amount of pride Philadelphians show, especially when it comes to sports. The support shown for the Eagles is proof that there are so many people passionate about Philadelphia who care about its success. For every naysayer, there are far more people who would go to any length to show love for the city- even if it’s climbing a greased pole. The sense of community at our highs can also be a guide to how we come together at our lows. The love and support doesn’t have to stop when the football season is over.
