Philadelphia Eagles fans are the best in sports, and there is absolutely no debate. Philly fans are knowledgeable, fun, and infamous at the same time. The love and passion for the Philadelphia Eagles are unmatched, and fans will be loyal as long as the team exists.
Without any gear, how would anyone know who your fandom belongs to?
There are signs. Let’s look at my 7 “Kei’s” to Eagles fandom.
7. You Constantly Wait For The Other Shoe To Drop
Since the early 2000s, Philadelphia Eagles fans have been blessed with a mostly winning Eagles team. As fans, we’ve seen multiple NFC championships, two super bowl appearances, and one Eagles Super Bowl victory in that timeframe.
The franchise puts together exciting offseasons, wins playoff games, and generally boasts a winning record. You’d these things would inspire confidence in a fanbase.
Wrong!
A sign that you are an Eagles fan is waiting for the other shoe to drop. It doesn’t matter how great a season is going, because in the back of your mind, you expect it to crash and burn.
Why do we think this? Despite the success, we’ve been hurt so much!
We’ve been to the brink of winning multiple times, only to lose! Even with a Lombardi in our pocket, we are still haunted by Ronde Barber, Ricky Manning Jr, Joe Webb, and many others.
The team’s ability to be affected by self-inflicted wounds breeds that unsettling feeling that happiness as an Eagles fan is too good to be true.
6. You Are Superstitious, Especially On Gameday
Another big sign that you are an Eagles fan is that you’re likely superstitious. You have a seat you refuse to move from on gamedays, don’t you? I bet you also have a specific jersey or t-shirt you deem as “good luck,” and if one shirt results in a loss, you probably ditched it.
Maybe you’re like my mother, who believed if she didn’t light a specific candle on gameday, the Eagles would lose. When the game doesn’t go as planned, you will likely blame yourself for straying from your typical routine.
You may have even called yourself a “jinx” when this happened.
5. You’re Almost TOO Vocal
I said… ALMOST.
If a non-Eagles fan talks badly or incorrectly about the Eagles, you correct them without hesitation.
How dare they! You know more about the Eagles than they do! It’s bad enough that false narratives about the team and fanbase are spread through multiple media outlets, so you get enjoyment out of setting people straight.
You also don’t shy away from rival smack talk and were able to hold your own just fine before the Eagles won a super bowl.
At a party with fans of various NFL teams, you’re probably the loudest one.
4. You Plan Your Life Around Eagles Games
During football season, nothing else matters on Sundays. When Eagles game time rolls around, you’re ready to plant yourself down with your food or drink of choice and focus on nothing but football.
You don’t want to be bothered by any events or conversations that aren’t football related.
Does your Cousin have a wedding on game day? You may go, but you’ll be glued to your phone the entire time. If the reception is in a bar or restaurant with a television, your cousin can forget about you being an attentive guest.
Chances are, you’ve blown off events for Eagles games. Your family and friends know how much you love the Eagles, so they’ll get over it! If you’re on vacation, you’re checking to ensure the Eagles game will be televised wherever you are.
3. Your Whole Week Is Determined By The Game’s Outcome
The Eagles mean so much to us; they control our moods. The outcome of a game dictates your whole mood and possibly even productivity for the remainder of the week.
If the Eagles win, you’re walking on air.
- Work seems like a breeze that week, and you’ll probably brag to co-workers and even pull up highlights on the job.
- You’re extra talkative and may speak to that person at the water cooler that you otherwise wouldn’t.
If the Eagles lose, you don’t want to be bothered.
- Hearing about the loss only infuriates you, and you’re likely to avoid people.
- Work is a drag, and things that normally don’t annoy you would.
2. Tailgating Is A Right Of Passage
If the Eagles home game starts at 1 PM, you’re probably at the Lincoln Financial Field parking lot by 8 AM.
Eagles game day is a full event, not just three hours! Even if you don’t drink and pregame, you’re excited to see your fellow Eagles fan friends representing the birds! It’s also a chance for you to make friends with new Eagles fans.
You may get a game of cornhole in or two, and you want to get good eats in so you don’t have to pay absurd stadium prices! If any rival fans attend, you’re likely to heckle them a bit, so they know whose house it is!
Tailgating gives a great experience of attending your beloved team and getting out of your head. Who cares if you have work the next day?
1. You’ll Never Leave
“There’s always next year” has been an Eagles fan tagline, and you’ve used it a LOT.
Why do you use it? BECAUSE IT’S TRUE!
The beauty of fandom is there’s always another chance to win it all, and no one gets fired up year-to-year like Philadelphia Eagles fans. It doesn’t matter that you’ve experienced countless heartbreak because the beauty of sports is in the possibilities.
You’re fully aware that the Eagles can be terrible one year and amazing the next, and that’s exciting to you!
You’ve put time, energy, passion, and possibly money into this team, and that wasn’t all for nothing! The thought of life without the Eagles makes you sad, and you wouldn’t change a thing.
The team is a big part of your life, period!
Go birds, always.