The Dallas Cowboys are known best as “America’s Team.” In fact, if you were to ask Siri who America’s team is, she responds with, “Looking up the Dallas Cowboys roster.” Then, there are the New York Giants, an original team of the league who won championships in the past and still continue to do so today, most recently Super Bowl XLVI. The Washington Redskins do not compare in popularity as the other two but they have been successful, winning three Super Bowls during the Joe Gibbs era. As for the last NFC East team, the Philadelphia Eagles… They have gone to two Super Bowls, losing both. They have a few championships before the Super Bowl was set in place, but no one actually cares about those. They had a good number of shining moments during the Andy Reid era but at the end of the day, theydo not have a Super Bowl title next to their name. This relates to making a pot of Easy Mac – it tastes scrumptious when you are starved, but it is not the Fettuccini Alfredo you have been craving all day. Simply stated, it is pretty darn hard being an Eagles fan.
I have been an Eagles fan since the day I was born. I grew up in a family filled with Eagles fanatics and green is the only color I know. Throughout my life I have witnessed the team’s highest highs and downright depressing lows. One of these brutal lows was the 2011 season. I remember exactly where I was when Vince Young announced during his introductory press conference in August 2011 that Philadelphia was “the dream team” for the upcoming season. Jason Babin also added his two cents and said, “We’re the Miami Heat of the NFL.” I was ecstatic and filled with confidence; Michael Vick was going to have a repeat of his 2010 season, newly signed Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominic Rodgers-Cromartie were going to add to an unstoppable defense, and DeSean Jackson was going to rack up the points.
Boy, was I wrong. Going 8-8 due to a pathetic defense, too many turnovers to count, and a head coach that was losing his steam, was any Eagles fan’s worst nightmare. As sports writer Tommy Lawlor said, “We have met the enemy and it is us.”
Another painful element of Philadelphia football is the organization letting go of amazing, season saving, veteran players. First up: Donovan McNabb. A beloved quarterback of the Eagles franchise, no one thought twice about letting him go. Although he suffered with two terrible seasons after he left Philly, he will always be in the hearts of Philadelphia fans. My least favorite release was Brian Dawkins, my favorite player during his time with the Eagles.
After all of the depressing ends of a season one after another, I have to believe that the Eagles will eventually win a Super Bowl and bring home the Lombardi trophy. As the 2013 season starts, Eagles fans, myself included, probably put too much stress on the team to bring home the championship, but who would we be if we easily gave up on them? There is something special about being an Eagles fan – we bleed green for a reason. It is in our DNA, whether we grew up as Eagles fans or we chose to be one.
After the first game of this season against the Washington Redskins, Eagles fans finally have a chance to be optimistic. We have a new head coach, Chip Kelly, who completely changed the way this team looks. 53 plays in the first half? We never would have seen that under Andy Reid. There was a spark in the way this team looked Monday night and I hope that spark continues throughout the season. But even sooner they hope they can continue their success this season as they take on the San Diego Chargers the 15th at 1 p.m. Other notable upcoming games include Denver Broncos, New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, and the Green Bay Packers. And after all of those games are said and done, who knows? Maybe at the end of the season, fans of rival teams will start saying, “So what? Philadelphia only has one Super Bowl ring.”
Courtney Boslough is a fourth-year student majoring in communication studies. She can be reached at CB736699@wcupa.edu
Fri. Jul 26th, 2024
