At an early age, I started dedicating my falls and winters to Philadelphia Eagles football. We all know that moment for a young kid, deciding on whose jersey we will be wearing on Sundays and who we would be emotional invested in. Yes, it's a pretty big deal since we will be part of this "family" for the rest of our lives. For me, I've always identify strongly with friends, family, and other things I belong to and even played multi-sports as a kid, cheering on my favorite sports teams gave me a very strong sense of connection and belonging. This decision is usually influenced by your dad (which would have been the San Francisco 49ers... BARF! ) or in my case, falling in love with the play of Randall Cunningham on Monday Night Football. The things he did on the field was pure magic. To me, he was what Michael Jordan is to the NBA.
Personally, I am not from Philadelphia, I'm far from the East Coast (California). I started watching football in the 90s. And over that time, I've been witness to 3 NFC Championship defeats, been on the losing side of Super Bowl XXXIX when a then Donovan McNabb led team lost to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots (ironically we would have a rematch with Mr. Brady 13 years later) and an endless rollercoaster ride season after season.
There are many things that come to mind when you hear Philadelphia: The City of Brotherly Love, Independence Hall, The Liberty Bell, Ben Franklin, Philly cheese steaks, Will Smith but most of all - ROCKY! The 1976 film, tell the rags to riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but kind hearted working class boxer working as a debt collector for a loan shark in the slums of Philadelphia. Rocky gave the city a loveable underdog figure who exemplified perseverance, personality and the fulfillment of the American Dream. In the eyes of many, that figure, Rocky Balboa is Philadelphia. And the city of Philadelphia prides itself of its blue-collar roots and the toughness of its people. If you work hard, the city will never forget you, but they will et you know if they are displeased. Remember, this is a city that booed and pelted Santa Claus.
The 2017 Philadelphia Eagles may have very well replaced ROCKY 42 years later. A blue collar team that overcame the odds. Just like Rocky, this Eagles team: gritty, hardworking, tough, imperfect, creative, fearless and most importantly - resilient. They wrote probably one of the best stories in NFL history. From the get go, just like Rocky the team was overlooked. Nobody expected them to do much. Let's see:
They said the Eagles would finish last in the division.
They said Carson Wentz would have a sophomore slump.
They said that the Eagles were underdogs even with the #1 seed.
They said Nick Foles wasn't good enough to take over.
Our defense would not stop the Falcons.
The Vikings defense would destroy Foles.
And the Patriots would too much to overcome.
Enter Nick Foles, who was contemplating retirement, comes back and take his former team who drafted him to the Super Bowl and WON. He is our first Super Bowl in Philadelphia Eagles history. He is our Rocky Balboa.
The above image is pretty accurate. We all love the underdog! The day after winning the Lombardi trophy many fans tattoo pictures of Nick and "The Philly Special" (the play in which Nick called on 4th and Goal) to their bodies. Many Eagles players appeared on late night talk shows. And The City of Brotherly Love would be forever changed. Regardless of what happens to Nick this off season, he is now legendary - the man will never have to pay for a meal again in Philly. As the unlikeliest of Super Bowl heroes (who also won Super Bowl MVP), St. Nick gave his thoughts on how failure has helped him succeed:
"I think the big thing is don't be afraid to fail. I think in our society today, Instagram, Twitter, it's a highlight reel. It's all the good things. And then when you look at it, when you think like, wow, when you have a rough day, 'My life's not as good as that,' (you think) you're failing.
"Failure is a part of life. It's a part of building character and growing. Without failure, who would you be? I wouldn't be up here if I hadn't fallen thousands of times. Made mistakes.
"We all are human, we all have weaknesses, and I think throughout this, (it's been important) to be able to share that and be transparent. I know when I listen to people speak and they share their weaknesses, I'm listening. Because (it) resonates.
"So I'm not perfect. I'm not Superman. I might be in the NFL, I might have just won a Super Bowl, but, hey, we still have daily struggles, I still have daily struggles. And that's where my faith comes in, that's where my family comes in.
"I think when you look at a struggle in your life, just know that's just an opportunity for your character to grow. And that's just been the message. Simple. If something's going on in your life and you're struggling? Embrace it. Because you're growing."
Its been over a week now, and I'm still in disbelief. I also have had my fair share of happy tears and is still emotional watching the thousands of hours of YouTube videos. Funny, I'm usually the fan that when something goes wrong I'm doubting the team saying "it's over" but for some reason when Wentz went down I didn't do that. I kept my composure and kept saying "relax we will be alright!" I felt something special about this team - from their selfless work ethics to their team celebrations. Regardless who was starting, I had never gave up - and in return, this team never gave up for their fans. This was truly a team of destiny. All and all, whoever your favorite was, it was one hell of a Super Bowl. A true slug fest and definitely reminded me of a boxing match - ROCKY. It was no surprise that the Eagles parade ended up at the steps of the art museum from the movie. It was only fitting.
Thank you Philly! The was well worth the wait. I love this team, the city and its fan base. They over came every single obstacle and came out champions. Regardless of all the hate they received from every other sports analyst they really defied all the odds.
A new dynasty has started and its taking place in PHILADELPHIA.
"FLY EAGLES FLY!"
Who is your team and how did that moment of choosing a "forever team" happen? Please comment below and please SUBSCRIBE if you haven't already.