Breeding a Fan

This past Friday, myself and a million others, stretching from South Broad St. all the way to the Art Museum, came to watch and celebrate the Eagles' Super Bowl win.

I am no Eagles fan, but I enjoy antics and spectacles so of course I was there. As I stood there, surrounded by actual fans- some in trees, most drunk at 1pm on a workday- it stuck with me just how committed these fans were.

The passion of Eagles fans is no secret, and is well documented. I grew up watching English soccer. I am no stranger to the irrationality and fervor that sports can create. But for some reason in Philly it feels a little different. It's hard to pin down but as I drank it all in, it started to make sense.

That Friday, Philly shut down. Mail delivery? Suspended. Courts, garbage collection, universities, zoos, libraries, schools- all paused to celebrated the Birds. The city did everything possible to ensure as many people could come and be part of the moment. Free rides on the SEPTA, ASL interpreters, school closures, thousands of port-a-potties; they were committed.

That's when it started to click. I can imagine being a middle-schooler and getting a Friday off due to the Eagles, that you get to spend with your family being rowdy. I'd probably be a fan too.

Looking around the crowd, it was littered with families. It wasn't as much about the current fans that were out there- it was for the ones who will come after. The kids who are going to grow up with the same passion.

Philly gets a lot wrong, but the way the government and people rally around the Eagles is pretty special.

Side Note: I can't imagine how much income was generated this weekend due to the parade. Has to be Taylor Swift levels of economic activity generation. Every restaurant, shop and hotel was packed.