In about 15 hours I hope to have absolutely no voice from screaming with joy and happiness and singing after lots of touchdowns and another Philadelphia Eagles Championship win. I know people in London think I am super extra; but imagine an entire city of me. I joke part of the reason I built my life in London is because in Philly, I don’t stand out enough (people at home might not agree with this assessment). In London, I am guaranteed to be the loudest and most obnoxious Philadelphia fan in most rooms. I used to also be the drunkest; but thankfully that chapter is over and I will remember all of the game this time.
I wrote about being a fan abroad and what the team means to me (and sleep patterns) and the memories it holds; my Aunt Deb getting me the Eagles Encyclopedia that the author signed with me being the biggest Eagles fan in the UK; my friend Jerome adamantly rejects this claim and knows a lot more history and stats; but I am a lot louder and the squeaky wheel theory applies.
Also, Jerome can’t be annoyed at me, because when he, Alex and Tom (three of the hard core local London regulars) went to the NFC Championship game together in Philadelphia, I printed out their faces and put them on the wall so that they were still with us too.
We have the world’s best fans. Fact:
Once I happened to be in Philly at the same time as my English friends Ali and Hayley from Gray’s were visiting their friend Patrick. The Eagles were playing so we had made some loose plans to go to the Garage to watch the game in South Philly. The Garage is right near Geno’s and Pats; but South Philly is comparable to Hackney; and we were trying to figure out where each other were. Weirdly Ali’s location was coming up as mine; which made no sense. Yes we were both in the generic part of the city- but wanted to actually find each other. And then we heard voices… here, Patrick’s parent’s house connected back yards to my cousin Bobby’s. And we had three screaming women in town from England screaming EAGLES. Yesterday I was trying to teach Ali’s toddler how to sing our fight song (I was not successful- yet).
We are about to nervously pretend not to be freaking the hell out while we wait for the game to start at 11:30 pm London Time. Last time we were up against the most hated man in football Tom Brady and with our backup. This time, we have our QB, who gives no fucks about anyone that doubts him or talks trash, how else could he be strutting around in this?
We have a team that are ready and not looking at it as a dream or fluke or the Rudy story. We have earned our right to be there after a nervous Lions first game, we dominated. 49ers have been so ridiculously ungracious in their huge loss, it’s a bit cringe. Get over it and look to next year instead of crying a river… You got stomped; yes injuries happen; but we won with Nick Foles and Boston Scott who are heroes among men.
I hope the only false start tonight is Kelce’s wife with Braxton Hicks and a lovely healthy baby born after the ring is secured (and a thrilled mama and Grandmama Kelce) and Hurts is Super Bowl MVP. I want Miles Sanders to do me extra Penn State proud and capitalise on every opportunity to find the gaps and make a break for it. I want to see Fletcher Cox do his army shuffle after a bunch of sacks. Obviously Goedert and AJ are going to dominate. Let’s not talk Slay and DeVonte and the damage that Lane Johnson and Reddick are going to do. And I expect Sirianni is going to pull some fourth down trick plays that will make the Philly Philly look like childs play.
Most importantly, this team seems to genuinely act like they are playing touch football with their friends. They like one another and are friends. They seem like they are having a blast and not just when sacking Wentz nine times. They have worked for this but look like they are having a brilliant time. And that is what I want to watch, I want them to kick ass and take numbers and enjoy every minute of it. They have earned it and I for one cannot wait.
I want our team to play the way they can and have and I want them to kick some Kansas City MVP Mahomes ass. And then I want to see Sirianni’s daughter Taylor mock her father at a press conference which was my fave post game moment of his this year. (I was infuriated by the bullshit question about her dating football players and enjoyed how Sirianni so fully shot down the bulshit about his FIVE year old daughter dating)
C’mon. It’s a Philly thing and you wouldn’t possibly understand; but if we win again, I won’t shut the hell up about it for another 9 months… We’re from Philly, fucking Philly, no one likes us we don’t care….
Go Birds. Fly Eagles Fly. I cannot wait. @passyunkavenue here I come. Batten down the hatches. Repeat time. Let’s GO. LESSSSSSSGOOOOOOOOOO. On the road to victory.