Philadelphia Eagles Win the Super Bowl

Philadelphia Eagles Win the Super Bowl.

While my heart has been broken so many times in the past, I can finally say that the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl. I have been a Philadelphia Eagles fan for over 30 years.

The last time our Eagles went to the Super Bowl was on February 6th, 2004. On that day, also my birthday, we lost to the New England Patriots. As my mom and I watched the game, it seemed like Philly was going to win the championship. As often was the case, our team could not get over the hump. I felt demoralized. I thought to myself that there will never be a championship for my favorite teams.

Phillies Parade.

Luckily, in 2008, the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series in Baseball. This was such a joyous celebration. Living in NYC at the time, I would go to the Phillies bar named Wogies. It was such an incredible experience to be next to Philly fans. While we were beating the Tampa Bay Rays, each and every one of us felt nervous even with the leads. We all had a unified feeling of mistrust that our team will actually win. Lucky for us, our Phillies made us proud.

Going to the parade in Philadelphia was a momentous occasion. Leaving the apartment at 5am to take the Greyhound bus to Philadelphia, I was so happy and hyper. My first celebration as an adult. Taking my camcorder, I recorded the joyous moment on Broad St. With a touch of genuine sentiment, the Phillies organization made a classy move by letting Pat Burrell, who was going to be a free agent, start and ride a horse into the sunset. That gesture will forever stay with me.

Losing Often.

Fast forward fourteen years to the Philadelphia Eagles. After living in Philadelphia for several years, I noticed that the city became a very bitter place. So much hostility and poverty. It was sad to see the morale of our city. Every professional team in Philadelphia lost from 2008-2017. The Philadelphia Phillies could not repeat as champions losing to the New York Yankees in 2009. The Philadelphia Flyers lost to the Chicago Black Hawks in the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals. That was a toughy. Everything about that Flyer season was a miracle. From them making it to the playoffs through a shootout to us coming back down 3-0 against the Boston Bruins, it was sad to see us lose in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The Philadelphia 76ers were never even close to the main stage, and our Eagles never could push through. Repeatedly, our fans endured pain and suffering. Until the Eagles!

Eagles Injured Often.

The whole season was a tour-de-force. So many turbulent moments: Running Back Darren Sproles breaking his arm, the Giants’ Odell Beckham ugly incident on the field, Kicker Caleb Sturgis injuring his hip, Offensive Tackle Jason Peters injuring his knee, Linebacker Jordan Hicks got injured, and Special Teams ace Chris Maragos hurt.

All the while, the Philadelphia Eagles amazingly found ways to win. We were all riding happily, knowing that this team was just that, a TEAM. They found to feed off of each other. The team of destiny was a strong possibility here, until a fatal injury basically shattered our chances. As if all the injuries to key players were not enough, once Quarterback Carson Wentz got injured, we all thought the same thing: why us?

Nick Foles.

Some of us, me included, understood that having Nick Foles as our backup was a great thing. He would usually perform in a calculated manner. Being a good passer before, it took some adjusting. We all felt like our defense had to take things into their own hands. Not many, though, thought that our QB would perform at such a high level as time went closer to the Super Bowl.

Changing Scenery.

From the start, every analyst from professional sports counted us out. Betting lines were even placing Philly as the underdogs at home in the playoffs. The Atlanta Falcons came into Philadelphia as favorites. My wife and I were watching the game at Jane G’s Restaurant on Chestnut St. I wanted to watch the game anywhere but home due to past experiences. My thought process was, it is time to change the norm. While watching the game, the staff worked and kept their eye on the nerve-wrecking game. It went to the final play, as Julius Jones could not catch a touchdown. We all celebrated, but with a certain hesitation, thinking that this was a good performance, but not worthy enough to do anything special in the Conference Championships.

My next idea was to watch the game in a different place. Why stop there? My wife and I, and a family friend, went to New York City and watched the game in our hotel. As the Eagles gave up the touchdown on Minnesota’s first drive, my wife gave me a look of discontent. I, on the other hand, let her know that the game is 60 minutes, and we will have plenty of time to make a game of this. Little did I know that this would be the start of a blowout. While the Eagles’ fans celebrated a complete annihilation of the Vikings (38-7), who were extremely favorite against us based on their “incredible” Defense, we went outside for a quiet Sunday night in Manhattan.

Truth be told, we reveled in this moment. Not knowing how we will do against the New England Patriots, I did not want to wear any Eagles gear. I did not want to talk about the Super Bowl with my wife at all. I just completely shut this team out of my life. Figuring out that the next place to watch this pivotal game could not be in Philadelphia or New York City, I chose Atlantic City as the perfect destination.

Staying at Bally’s, my wife and I went to the room and shut ourselves from society. Just before the game began, I did not like Tom Brady’s face entering the arena. It reminded me of Ivan Drago. Very cold and determined, even a bit arrogant, to put the underdog’s in their place. What he did not realize was that no matter the pain our Eagles went through, the team never buckled. Brilliantly coached by Doug Pederson, this team thrived of being overachievers. Maybe analysts thought the birds overachieved, but we all knew our team was good enough to win at that moment.

Super Bowl Champions.

Our players were determined to bring Philadelphia their first Super Bowl championship. With such players as Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Zac Ertz, and everyone that donned an Eagles jersey this year, resiliency was our number one attribute. Caring for one another is the single most important thing in any community, let it be football or everyday life. We all have a responsibility to treat each other with the utmost respect. Every person on our planet has struggled one way or the other. Being complacent about one another will never bring an inner championship to our world. This team personified that trait.

While believing in one another, the Eagles were able to bring to all of us an incredible championship. They performed as a team. There were no head coaching games by sitting players out to show how strong they were. There were no excuses by way of injuries or age. What brought this city our championship was a real responsibility towards one another and all of their fans.

Rodney McLeod.

My wife and I met several players throughout this season and they knew that all of us Eagles fans were rooting for them no matter what. Meeting Rodney McLeod at the Saxby’s opening on Chestnut St. was a wonderful experience. He was an extremely modest person. He was kind enough to listen and talk with everyone around him. My wife and I got lucky to get a chance to talk to him. We let him know that we love them no matter what happens. Win or lose, all of us have to wake up the next day and persevere.

Champion Spirit.

It is how we handle pain and suffering that makes a true champion. No matter who puts you down or judges you, it is of the utmost importance to never give up. Our Philadelphia Eagles never gave up. Beating the Patriots might have been extra special, but in the big picture, what mattered most was that each and every individual on the Eagles performed like a community.

We all chanted Fly-Eagles-Fly many times during our lives. This time, though, it will last a lifetime.

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