Philadelphia's Glen Macnow on the Eagles and Our President-Elect (NY Times) ...
Glen Macnow is a well known, longtime sports journalist and radio host in Philadelphia. He is the author of three books on Philadelphia sports, including “The Great Philadelphia Fan Book.”
>> Philly Doesn’t Care What Trump Says About the Eagles ...
By Glen Macnow
The Nwe York Times | Opinion
June 06, 2018
nytimes.com
PHILADELPHIA: This is a metropolitan area of diverse political factions, from the South Philadelphia labor union Democrats to the Main Line Republicans. We argue about everything.
What we never disagree on is religion. Because all Philadelphians practice the same faith. We all worship the N.F.L. champion Eagles.
So when President Trump rescinded his Rose Garden invitation this week and the administration took verbal shots at our favorite sons, Eagles fans of all political divisions had the same response. We pulled on our Super Bowl LII ball caps, watched the “Philly Special” highlight video one more time and ran outside for a quick neighborhood “E-A-G-L-E-S” chant.
We know better. Because we know what this group of players is about.
The president labeled the Eagles as unpatriotic because they do not conform to his view of the national anthem. His press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, accused the team of pulling “a political stunt” because many players declined the White House invitation.
“The vast majority of the Eagles team decided to abandon their fans,” Ms. Sanders said.
Hardly. Since the start of the 2017 season, this group of young men has done nothing but embrace its fans, its community and oh, by the way, the Vince Lombardi trophy. Trust me, no one feels abandoned.
I’ve covered sports in Philadelphia for more than three decades. Never during that time have I seen a group of players more dedicated to one another and the city in which they play. Never have I witnessed a more fan-friendly team. For the record:
Safety Malcolm Jenkins, perhaps the most visible leader in the players’ protest against racial injustice, spends his off time riding along with police officers, visiting prisons and meeting with public defenders and lawmakers. He headed the players’ coalition that prodded owners last December to commit up to $89 million to help grass-roots organizations battle injustice.
Defensive end Chris Long, another respected voice in the locker room, donated his entire $1 million 2017 salary to charities funding scholarships and promoting educational equality. This came after he was appalled by the violent white nationalist protests last August in his hometown Charlottesville, Va.
Quarterback Carson Wentz, the 25-year-old future of this franchise, is opening a food truck (“The Kingdom Crumb”) distributing free meals around the Delaware Valley. He also visited Haiti recently and was so struck by the devastation that his faith-based foundation committed to building a sports complex there. Last week, he sponsored a softball game among teammates that drew 25,000 fans and pulled in $260,000 for the Haiti project. At the end of the night, Mr. Wentz announced he will match that sum — making the evening’s take $520,000.
That’s not exactly abandoning your fan base.
There are other examples, from large-scale projects to those small moments when a player makes a fan’s day just by being nice. Trust me, that’s not always the case in pro sports. So yeah, some Eagles raised their fists in protest during the anthem last year — but how can everyone not love these guys?
There’s more. When the president and his representatives tried to drive a wedge between the Eagles and their loyalists Tuesday, all the administration did was play into this city’s us-against-the-world mentality. In this respect, Mr. Trump was the Great Uniter.
Our fan base carries a 50-pound chip on its shoulder, born out of years of falling short and being belittled by outsiders. Occasionally, we even turn our enmity on our own.
This version of Eagles masterfully harnessed the id of its supporters. It was hardly the first time that “nobody believes in us” was used as motivation, but it was the best example I’ve ever seen of players and fans uniting in a quest to stick it up the nose of the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Tom Brady and whoever else stood in the way of breaking a 58-year N.F.L. title drought.
The city celebrated its Super Bowl win over New England on Feb. 4. But the moment we all cherished most came four days later at the title parade when center Jason Kelce, resplendent in Mummer’s garb — colorful costumes worn by Philadelphia Mummers during their annual New Year’s Day parade — commandeered the podium and conducted a chorus of two million off-key singers in:
“We’re from Philly. [Expletive] Philly. No one likes us. We don’t care.”
Yeah, that’s us.
President Trump’s admonishment wasn’t going to cleave the team and its fans. Nor was his narrow definition of patriotism going to create divisions among a group of players from divergent backgrounds, whose greatest strength is the bond of respect among them.
The Eagles may not be “America’s Team,” a title misappropriated to the loathsome Cowboys. But I can’t think of a more deserving franchise.
So add President Trump to the list of those who insult the team and, by extension, its supporters. Fact is, most fans don’t like mixing politics with their sports, so I don’t think many will relish having the Eagles as the latest entry on his enemies list.
But they won’t shy from it either. Everyone around Philadelphia appreciates what this group of young men has accomplished, both on and off the field. We know what they stand for — during the anthem and on their off days.
The president doesn’t like us. Hey, we’re from Philly. We don’t care. <<
- Eric L. - |
