As a Philadelphia sports fan who chose to go to a Pennsylvania state school, I can honestly say that hearing the phrase ‘Go Birds’ while on campus means so much more to me than you might think.
‘Go Birds,’ while just a shortened version of ‘Go Eagles,’ has become a standard greeting in Philly. During the weekend of the Super Bowl, I can’t even count how many times I heard the phrase — even shouted to me from moving cars. It’s a way to share appreciation for your common bond and give you the feeling of being home and close to a Wawa.
Being away from home during such uniting events, like the World Series and the Super Bowl, can make anyone feel homesick. Especially when you get a FaceTime call from your family during the World Series, while they are at the game and you’re stuck in your dorm room watching on your laptop (I’m definitely not still bitter about this).
The devotion Philadelphia sports fans have for their teams is unrivaled, and seeing that enthusiasm brought to State College is such a joy. Before I came to college, I didn’t truly recognize how passionate and seemingly insane Philly sports fans are when it comes to their teams. I mean, there is a reason the city of Philadelphia has decided to grease the poles when their teams start to win.
From what I’ve seen, if you aren’t a Philly sports fan, you have a strong dislike for Philly sports fans. But that’s one of the things that unites us. Being from ‘just outside of Philly,’ I’ve learned that not everyone is going to like you and you need to have thick skin. Remembering this is particularly important when your teams lose back-to-back championships and people love to bring it up, all the time.
Loyalty is key in being a Philly sports fan. As much as you love to support them at their highs, it doesn’t mean much if you don’t still support them at their lowest. I have never rooted for teams who aren’t from Philly, even when the Philadelphia teams, well, sucked, and I don’t plan to.
Even though the Phillies just lost the World Series and the Eagles just lost the Super Bowl, I still have hope for the remaining Philadelphia teams. Losing those championships after being underdogs and making it to the finals was something that really captured the “essence” of Philadelphia. Regardless, I don’t think I’ve fully recovered from those losses quite yet.
Philadelphians and anyone who roots for Philly sports teams have a special connection, and seeing it come to life while away from family at college has been so special. I may miss home, but when I hear the phrase, ‘Go Birds,’ I don’t feel quite as alone. It’s a Philly thing, and to me and Jalen Hurts, that means, “the passion in this city, the support in this city, the love for the Philadelphia Eagles in this city, it’s truly a Philly thing and not many other people, not anybody else, will understand that.”