7. We Bleed Green
Some scoff at the sentiment that Eagles fans "bleed green." The pragmatic, matter-of-fact friend (or doctor) will tell you that it's impossible to bleed green. While we know that our genetic code keeps us from bleeding green, under the surface we are convinced that somehow underneath it all, Kelly green courses through our veins and there's no medical test that change our minds.
6. We Are Mysterious
Have you heard about Philadelphia fans? We suffer through avalanches of fugazzi lure and stories where Eagles fans have committed the most heinous of offenses. Some people (not the collective of Eagles faithful) threw snowballs at Santa Claus (more to the story than just pelting the most beloved children's fictional character with snowballs), beat up fans, thrown up on children, burned memorabilia in effigy, and have flooded our stadium with chants of "asshole" only to be heard on national television.
The mystery that surrounds us is one that we embrace. Would I or you throw snowballs at Santa? I would hope not. Would we attack someone for showing up to Lincoln Financial Field wearing a jersey of a player from the opposing team? Again, I do not think all Eagles fans would. (You better believe our verbal jabs, hooks, and uppercuts will leave said fan wishing he hadn't been so bold.) That's our mystery; we are very much the antithesis of what people proclaim us to be but we have absolutely no shame in letting people think that we are knuckle-dragging, arched foreheaded, monosyllabic word gurglers.
5. Misogyny Be Damned
While beer commercials inundate us with images of a bar filled with beautiful fans all wearing pristine jerseys and perfect smiles, it is in the corner bars of Kensington, South Philly, Mayfair and every other neighborhood of Philly that men and women belly up at bars and talk football. Sure, the laws of attraction (and the very opposite) are always in play as human nature is, well, human nature.
However, Eagles fans do not operate as a brotherhood. Philadelphia fans are and will always be a family. Sure, we may not like everyone at Thanksgiving dinner, but that doesn't negate the fact that they are still family. Whether your chromosome is x or y, the only letters that matter are E-A-G-L-E-S!
4. Hate Is A Strong Word
We are typically taught at an early age, hopefully, that hate is a strong and sometimes hurtful word. We may hate certain foods, the price of gas, traffic on the Schuylkill, and places that make cheesesteaks and ask if you want lettuce on your "sandwich;" however, Philadelphia Eagles fans will always hate the Redskins, Giants, and especially the Cowboys.
When we are driving and see a Jersey plate with a Dallas Cowboys bumper sticker or even worse, a giant star emblazoned on the back window, Philadelphia Eagles fans will mutter expletives and in some cases find themselves flicking the driver off because Philadelphia will never, ever, ever be America's team.
Not only are we proud that we could never be America's team, it allows us to transform a la Brian Dawkins style into our own alter-ego. We become ravenous, blood thirsty fans that embrace the essence of football. We are, for the hours during any game, the "Forgotten City." Sandwiched between the city that never sleeps and the city that never tells the truth, Philadelphia is, regardless of popular opinion, the city that grinds and hustles, defends and fights, lives and dies for its football team.
3. Patience IS Our Virtue
We've never won a Super Bowl. When other teams struggle to sell Playoff tickets, it is the Eagles loyal that sell out games in minutes. We have NEVER won a Super Bowl. Did I say that already? Car companies love to tout their automobiles that have J.D. Powers & Associates car of the year twenty years running because it means their product is a winner. No matter what, the Toyota Camry is a reliable car and has won endless awards. That, I imagine, is what sends people onto Toyota lots looking for, imagine that, the car with endless awards under its belt.
The Eagles have won awards, had players break records, and have danced around a Super Bowl win in the past. We may be the Hyundai of the sports world, but unlike the ten years or 100,000 mile warranty offered by some automakers, the Philadelphia fan comes with a lifetime warranty and no matter how many miles or years come to pass, we still believe it is our Philadelphia Eagles that will continue to run for years to come!
2. All We Ask For Is...
As athletes make millions of dollars, all that we ask for is that they leave it all on the field. Though I've already referenced Brian Dawkins, it is his spirit that essentially ruined it for the player that thinks they can do just enough to get by. We do not need, want, or really tolerate excuses. We do not care why Donovan McNabb threw up during the Super Bowl, we just know that he did. After the game, the excuses, reasoning, and lies were all too much to bear.
All we ask for is that our players come out onto that field and put everything they have on the line. It is the blue collar guy and girl in all of us that says, "damn it, we bust our asses to make it to our next paycheck, you damn well better leave it all on that field."
We have expectations that although we always want to win, we can wake up the next day to face our jobs and careers with an appreciation that our team never mailed it in and giving up was never an option.
1. The Real Reason
All of the aforementioned characteristics of an Eagles fan are all well and good but there's something much deeper under the surface of what it means to be a Philadelphia Eagles fan.
There is nothing ethereal or ephemeral about Philadelphia Eagles fans. Truthfully, we are tortured souls that are torn between quarterbacks and coaching styles, running the ball vs. throwing the ball, the Nickel package vs. Dime package, and we even care about our kickers. The real characteristic of Eagles fans is our heart.
Eagles fans have suffered through miserable seasons, magical seasons, and seasons where shrugging your shoulders makes more sense than any words you could manage to scrounge up. We, like our team, are warriors.
We pride ourselves in nicknames like "Gang Green" and though many of us never saw him play, love the fact that we had a guy named "Concrete Charlie." Whether you are an outsider looking in or a die hard from birth, we will channel our inner "Weapon X's" and never care one bit if you think our city is beneath yours. In the end, we pride ourselves on being "shady" and that's all that matters to OUR family!
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