What makes a sports team? Depending on where you are, you can say the stadium, mascot, players or history. But in Philadelphia, many argue that it’s the fans.
In February, when the NFL announced the Eagles and Green Bay Packers would be making history by playing in Brazil, the outpour was electric. Doug Hager, the owner of German beer hall Brauhaus Schmitz on South Street, knew the power of the Eagles fanbase.
“I know how much people were really excited about the Eagles season this year and South Street’s such a unique place where we can have these block parties,” Hager said. “I just thought, with this upcoming season, ‘What the heck, let’s give it a try’ and the crowd showed up today.”
He wasn’t the only one. Vendors set up shop outside the restaurant to watch the game and make sales, decked out in their own Eagles gear. Tom Briola, the owner and operator of Mr. Nice Cream, chose to set up shop for the first time at the watch party.
Briola, a Philly local, was raised by his New York native and Giants fan father but knew the Eagles were for him from the start. They mean more to him than just a football team, he said.
“Gathering with friends is all that football has always been about,” Briola said. “Just going and hanging out. Just like that song, ‘pave paradise to put [up] a parking lot.’ In Philadelphia, paradise is a parking lot.”
Despite his misinterpretation of the Joni Mitchell classic, Briola’s statement rang true all night long. The street was filled with benches and tables, packed with fans of all ages. Each table was covered in cups of authentic German beer, ice cream and food from Brauhaus Schmitz.
At one of these tables, Sasha Malofiy, a Fox School of Business alumnus, sat with his family and friends to watch the game. As a Philly native and lifelong fan, Malofiy has been able to see how the culture has evolved over the years.
“It brings [the] community together, it brings the whole city together,” Malofiy said. “So many people are so passionate and it’s a good positive feeling for the entire city.”
This positive feeling was nothing short of exhilarating for Saquon Barkley’s hat trick of touchdowns, and when the Eagles won 34-29, the energy exploded. As hundreds of jerseys and Eagles logos flooded the street, fans made connections with residents of the city they had never met before. In the city of brotherly love, football is more than just a game, it’s the prime example of human connection.
Be the first to comment