I am a born-and-raised California guy who has been a Philadelphia Eagles supporter since 1995.
I say ‘supporter’ because I didn’t become a fan (fanatic) until a few years later.
Once I had a better grasp of the passion Eagles fan bring I knew I was hooked. I do not have any family history connected to Philadelphia, for I was born into a San Francisco 49ers family. My Mom was in SF and grew up in the Mission District. My Dad (RIP) was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and moved to the North Bay area (California) when he was in middle school.
I remember watching the 49ers dynasty in the 80’s win their Super Bowls with Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, and company at my Auntie’s house in Rohnert Park, CA.
People often ask me, “Why are you a Philadelphia Eagles fan?” if you aren’t from there and have no family ties(great 80’s sitcom, btw).
Some try to test me by asking who my very first favorite Eagle was, and my answer is always Randall Cunningham.
Randall was such a gifted athlete and a rarity at the quarterback position. There were mobile qb’s that came before him, like Tobin Rote and Fran “the scrambler” Tarkenton, but Randall made plays that just made you say, “Wow, did he really just do that?!? There were other black QBs before Randall, but he was the first to be a great runner and passer in my era. He really paved the way for guys like Michael Vick, Lamar Jackson, and Jalen Hurts.
My very first connection to Philadelphia was when my Dad took me to a Blockbuster (video rental), and we rented the movie Rocky. I had an instant attraction to the iconic character that Sylvester Stallone brought to the big screen.
I have watched all the Rocky (and Creed) movies many times, and I am excited to watch “I Play Rocky” later this year, which marks the 50th anniversary of the original film. The reason Rocky’s character has stuck with me all these years is that he’s very likable, and the training scenes were and still are so inspiring. As I grew up and started following the Eagles at 13, I gained a better understanding of how Rocky’s bravery, determination, and sheer will are a great representation of the hard-working people of Philadelphia. That representation and my passion for football made it very easy to pick the Philadelphia Eagles as my team. My old friend Phil (no lie) gave me my first Eagles Starter jacket (pullover with a pocket in the front), which was my very first piece of Eagles gear (I have dozens now). I also have Italian heritage on my Mom’s side, so that is another connection I have with the Italian Stallion Rocky Balboa.
As i grew up I had other connections to Philadelphia that strengthened my bond with the city. Just like the average person, I watched my share of TV back in the early 90’s, and one of my favorite shows was The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Some of the lyrics of that show’s theme song are “In West Philadelphia born and raised”. The main character of the show was named Will (played by Will Smith), who was from Philly and would regularly wear a Kelly Green Randall Cunningham jersey, which I thought was the coolest thing since the other side of the pillow. I also grew up listening to music and singing in the middle school choir. During that period of my life, one of my favorite singing groups was Philadelphia’s own Boys 2 Men, with great songs like “End of the Road”, “On Bended Knee”, “One Sweet Day” (a collaboration with Mariah Carey), and, of course, “Motownphilly”.
My Brother was born in SF but has hated the 49ers for as long as I can remember. I remember him liking the Denver Broncos, but when the Cowboys had their dynasty in the 90’s, he jumped ship from Denver to Dallas. The adage of “sibling rivalry” is real, and only gave me more of a reason to pick the Eagles as my team around the same time my Brother chose the Cowboys as his. I love my brother, but I absolutely hate the Dallas Cowboys with a strong passion.
I support multiple teams in other sports, like the SF Giants/Philadelphia Phillies (baseball), Sacramento Kings/Philadelphia Sixers (basketball), and San Jose Sharks/Winnipeg Jets (hockey). But when it comes to the sport of football, I will for now and forever be a die-hard fan of the Philadelphia Eagles!
“We Fly Together, We Die Together, Eagles Fans For Life!!”
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