The Problem with Philadelphians: An outsider’s perspective on Eagles fans

By: Joshua Cruz

Philadelphia Eagles fans are arrogant, reckless and immature. From climbing street signs and clashing with cops to making fans of rival teams feel uneasy while approaching Lincoln Financial Field. Yes, every fan base has a group of individuals who represent them in a negative light, but Philadelphia Eagles fans are renowned for engaging in certain stunts that absolutely tarnish their reputation as a fan base. 

The Eagles fans are so predictable that prior to the NFC championship game versus the San Francisco 49ers, the city of Philadelphia covered poles in Crisco to prevent fans from climbing them. I understand your thrill when your favorite sports team is poised to win the title. I am a Patriots fan, and I have been there many times. But it’s awful when your own city needs to take necessary precautions ahead of a game because their fan base can’t celebrate without damaging property. 

I’m not suggesting a fan base has to be ideal and praise-worthy after every game, but they should be courteous. Philadelphia sports fans are recognized as the worst fanbase in America, and it’s not because of their devotion to their team; rather, it’s because of their numerous antics and lack of respect for others, even their own players. When the Patriots were defeated by the Eagles in the Super Bowl, I gave credit where credit was due.

I congratulated my buddies and told them that it was a fair game. Instead of embracing my thoughtful gesture, they saw it as permission to start criticizing the Patriots and acting as if their team was the best of all time. That is just my own experience, but there are plenty well documented and more serious examples throughout Eagle’s history. 

Whether it’s causing problems throughout the city or at Lincoln Financial Field, the one thing that Eagles fans have in common is their ability to make other fan bases feel unwelcome and never want to return to the city. When the Philadelphia Eagles faced the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game, each team’s fans filled Lincoln Financial Field hoping to see their team advance to the Super Bowl. The game was lopsided, and the Eagles advanced, but it was only one of the big stories following the game; the other was a series of events that transpired throughout the game.

Fred Warner, the San Francisco 49ers’ great middle linebacker, warned his wife Sydney not to wear anything red to the game while she was in the stands. She brought her red purse and had to hide it right away because people were yelling and shoving her for wearing red to support her husband. She remarked after the game that she will most likely never return to Philadelphia because she did not feel comfortable there. 

Not all Eagles fans are awful; there is a handful I’ve met over the years who can maintain their cool. But, being in the Philadelphia area, I was certain to come across those that were tolerable. Even while I can cope with these people, they continue to do things that all Philadelphia fans have done. It’s almost as if it’s in their DNA to belittle and criticize one of their team’s best players when they begin to struggle due to a major injury.

When Carson Wentz went down during their championship season, every fan was crushed until Nick Foles stepped in and led them on a playoff run and eventually to a super bowl victory. Although Wentz was an MVP candidate, many fans were ready to “run it back” with Foles as their quarterback. That ruined the confidence of Wentz and eventually, he was traded out of Philly. With all that being said, if the toxicity continues, the “City of Brotherly Love” could require a name change.