Eagles’ fans show their devotion
Long-lived fans, even cows, cheering on Birds
The name of the team may the Philadelphia Eagles, but there is little doubt that fandom has a wide reach for the region as fans from surrounding counties gear up for the Birds' second Super Bowl appearance in five years, this time against the Kansas City Chiefs.
A recent nationwide survey of more than 1,000 Philadelphia and Kansas City fans conducted by BonusFinder.com found that Eagles supporters love their team so much, in fact, that many as 18% would skip the birth of their child for a win in Sunday's game.
The survey also found the same percent of Eagles fans would skip a family member's funeral just to watch the game and 1 in 4 would choose winning the Super Bowl to winning $1 million, and call in sick to celebrate a victory.
Lifelong fans
One place likely no one will be calling out sick on game day will be Brandywine Living at Senior Suites in East Norriton, Montgomery County, where Community Relations Director Kelly Richardson said the facility's parlor and pub will be decked out for a surprisingly lively group of fans living there.
“We still have so much legacy and so many passionate people here,” she said. “They're probably the longest-lived Eagles fans that we know.”
Richardson said games typically attract 40 to 50 attendees and Sunday is looking to be no different. Staff will have some dress-down days in anticipation and are encouraged to wear Eagles green, she said, and residents have been encouraged to invite family to join them on game day.
The flat-screen TVs will all be tuned into the game in the pub and parlor area of the facility, said Richardson, which will itself be festooned with Birds decorations and even some official swag donated by a staff member who is also an Eagles coordinator.
“We're going to have a huge crowd,” said Richardson.
Expected to be among them are two lifelong Eagles fans and Brandywine residents, Kevin Young, 67, and Terry Savino, 91.
“I've been an Eagles fan all my life,” said Young. “I don't know of anyone in this area who's not an Eagles fan.”
“We have to always support the local team,” put in Savino.
Young said that is typically “very difficult,” given the Birds' dearth of Super Bowl appearances over the past 40-odd years. That track record has been getting slightly better of late, with a 2018 win over New England and a sense that the Eagles momentum may carry them on to a second victory just five years later.
“I'm excited. Our families will be with us,” said Young. “That'd be great to have my
family come in and see what it's like.”
“If I have to be anywhere
other than home, this is the place,” Savino said.
Chance of a lifetime
Young was unfortunately in the hospital for the last Super Bowl, but one Delaware County couple found themselves unexpectedly at that game after winning tickets from local radio station Q102.
“We are die-hard Eagles fans and I would sit in my
car every time they (the radio station) would say to call,” said Kelsey Hansen of Swarthmore. “Fifty-two people got entered into it, and then you had to go to an Acme … and there was a raffle. It was like two days before the Super Bowl, but they couldn't book your flight until you won.”
Hansen's husband, Dylan Terenick, somehow got one of those coveted 52 spots and wound up winning the grand prize: A year's supply of hotdogs and a lot of Pepsi.
Oh, and two tickets to Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, complete with airfare and snazzy accommodations.
“They pulled his number and it was the craziest experience ever,” Hansen said. “We were at the Wing Bowl earlier that day and they