Philadelphia Eagles Fans Really So Bad? Displaced Bear Fan Defends His Brethren

A recent report by a company that provides free ratings and profiles for 90 percent of the lawyers and doctors in the United States says that Philadelphia Eagles fans are the most depressed fans in the NFL. Awo says that, after surveying fans in 14 cities who never won the Super Bowl, they found Eagles fans topped a list that included Cincinnati, Atlanta and Houston not far behind.

Who can forget the infamous "Santa Incident?"

Well, to be fair...it happened in 1968 and a lot of those people are not even with us anymore. Maybe the current fan base can be given a bye for something that happened over 40 years ago.

I moved to Bethlehem, Penn. from Chicago. In Chicago, you grow up bleeding Blue and Orange and believe me when I tell you I still do. But I live in Bethlehem and my son is a huge football fan and at nine, is the quarterback for his football team.

For those who are unaware, Bethlehem hosts the Eagles each summer as the players get back in football shape and go through the rigors of training camp. Here's the big thing, the Eagles' training camp is free! My son wants to go everyday...and we pretty much do.

I have also had occasion now to bring my son to three Eagles games at the Linc.

During this time, I would be lying if I told you that it didn't rub off on me. I never got the chance to see a Bears training camp, but the Eagles camps have been awesome. Fans get close to the players and fans get to know other fans.

I am probably the only Bears fan to have been to Eagles training camp over 30 times now on separate occasions. I have also been in the parking lot with the faithful before games.

I think, since my family has held season tickets for the Bears since they played in Wrigley Field, I am uniquely qualified to see the Eagles fans in a different light and therefore, relate how I see them.  I have a facebook page like tons of other folk, and on that page I have a lot of friends whom I have known since we moved to Pennsylvania.

The one thing that gets me about this area is the huge amount of Cowboys fans who literally HATE the Eagles and their fan base. I can understand Giants fans out here. The Lehigh Valley is somewhat a bedroom community for a lot of people who used to live and work in New York and now commute. I can understand Jets fans for the same reason. Heck, I'll even go as far as to understand Baltimore, Pittsburgh and even Redskins fans. We live in the East and these cities are all less than a few hours away.

In Chicago...there are the Bears. Period. But hey, geography helps.

So, I don't get it. Cowboys fans? Here? In Northern Pa in one of the best football areas in the country?

I'll say this, geography helps the Bears fan base but I really think it hurts the Eagles fan base. Eagles fans are constantly hit with a barrage from fans of tons of other teams because of the geography. It is very easy to live in the Lehigh Valley of Pa for instance, and commute to New York. It is also very easy to move to a job here in the East. Moving from Baltimore to Philly is very little difference than moving from Joliet, Ill. to Chicago.  The difference? In the prior example, a probable Raven fan moves into Eagle territory while in the latter, it is most likely a Bears fan moving into still more Bears territory.

I have had heated, spirited and oftentimes funny debates with friends who think the Eagles' fan base is awful. Most of the time, it takes me one minute on Google to find a story about fans of the teams my friends root for doing stupid or unlawful or mean things. Let's face it, every team is made up of groups of fans who are overzealous and fans who are decent. Every team in every sport.

Let me make a point, the former Mayor of Gary, Ind., Scott King once said something like Gary (which at the time was No. 1 in the country for murder rate per capita)  was being held hostage by a couple hundred idiots. What he meant was, Gary was a good place and in a city of hundreds of thousands, a few hundred made the entire city look bad. I believe that is the case with anything really. The bad stands out and the good gets overlooked.

So this Bears fan is here to clear the air regarding his adopted home team and the fans that root for the Eagles. Maybe, after seeing these examples of loyalty, compassion and kindness, those who read this might think twice before labeling Eagles fans so poorly.

Donovan McNabb Returns to Philly and Gets Standing Ovation From Fans

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

PHILADELPHIA - OCTOBER 03: Donovan McNabb #5 of the Washington Redskins greets DeSean Jackson #10 of the Philadelphia Eagles prior to their game on October 3, 2010 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Ima

In what now seems to be a genius move, the Philadelphia eagles traded Donovan McNabb after 11 seasons to the Washington Redskins before the 2010 season. Kevin Kolb was to be the starter...yadda yadda yadda, Michael Vick...rest is history.

But McNabb gave the Eagles and the Eagles' fans 11 seasons.  He played his heart out and Eagles fans pretty much either hated him or loved him. There was no in between.  And, as a fair and impartial observer, I can see arguments for both and I have to agree that I am not too sad to see McNabb traded, even though I personally am fond of the quarterback from Chicago. It was time.

That said, the news media descended on Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field when McNabb and the Redskins came to town for McNabb's first game against his old team this past season.The media wondered what type of awful new stories they would get about Eagles fans.

Truth be told, the fan base wore thousands of McNabb jerseys that day and they also wore thousands of anti-McNabb gear as well. They are fans. The word fan stems from the word fanatic. I can absolutely understand that.

As McNabb was introduced, the media rubbed their collective hands together in anticipation much like a child on Christmas morning before he or she gets their presents.

But when it mattered, the fans came through and showed unity and class. The fans inside the Linc that day stood up and cheered McNabb, in essence, thanking him for his service to their beloved cause. 

Yeah, sure...they booed him when he and the Redskins offense took the field, but he was the opposing team quarterback. What is important, is that they gave respect together when it counted.

Fans Helping Fans, Stories Of Great Compassion by Eagles Fans

Go to www.fanshelpingfans.org

This is a website devoted to Eagles fans helping other Eagles fans who are down on their luck. I'm sure other teams have fan bases doing things like this, but the Eagles do and that says something about the fan base.

There are a lot of great stories on this website, such as how the Fans Helping Fans team got together and raised $1,800 for a family in Tennesee who were falling behind on bills due to employment issues. There is another story on the site about how FHF helped a young man who suffered a spinal injury to purchase a $2,100 wheel chair so the young man could regain some mobility in his life as he recovers.

In yet another story, FHF got together to help a man who had beaten cancer by getting a heating bill he could not afford paid. They raised over $800 that time.

If you want to feel good about Eagles fans, or if you want to see that there are good Eagles fans out there, then please visit this site.

Are you starting to waiver even a little?

Are Eagles fans so bad?

Read on!

Eagles Fans Actually Don't Bleed Green. They Bleed Red and Even Donate Some

I know.

Most teams, if not all teams, have blood drives.

I have even been to a couple Bears drives.

But I have also been there at training camp when the line outside the blood donation tents are so long that they reach around a football field.

Apparently, compassion and selflessness does exist in Eagle nation. It has just been overlooked and out-played by the idiots who like to vandalize Packer fan cars.

Believe me, there are bad apples in every city.

But hopefully, you are starting to see there are good ones in Philly too.

Breast Cancer Takes a Few Whacks From Eagles Fans

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

PHILADELPHIA - OCTOBER 21: The Philadelphia Eagles cheerleading squad performs with pink pom-poms in support of the fight against breast cancer during the second half of the Eagles 19-16 loss to the Chicago Bears at Lincoln Financial Field October 21, 200

In January of 2011 some Eagles fans in Exeter Twonship, Penn. created a unique way to raise awareness and money for breast cancer.

This group of Eagles fans found a beat-up old Ford Escort. They painted it pink and then they charged residents in town $5 to whack the automobile with a weapon of each fan's choosing. The choices were a bat and a seemingly much more popular sledgehammer.

The event raised more than $600 and the money was donated to the Breast Cancer Supportive Services of Berks County, Penn.

Wow, those Eagles fans are horrible...right?

Eagles Fans Give Away Chances For Autographs To Allow Kids In

On a personal note, I have experienced Eagle fan generosity.

At the Eagles Training Camp, eagles players come to a tent each day at the end of the morning practice. They come to sign autographs. However, they are limited in time due to all of the duties they must attend to at camp. Therefore, the Eagles give everybody a numbered ticket. Each day, about 250 of those tickets are chosen and the numbers are posted.  Those people holding the winning tickets are then allowed to get in line for free and get an autograph.

I coach youth football and there is hardly ever a time when I am at training camp with my son only. In fact, most of the time I have two or three additional boys along with me and my boy.

Imagine how badly these little guys, who play football and idolize the players, want to get in that line.

However, we almost never win. Our tickets have only been picked once, in all our trips to camp.

That's when I start asking...well, begging really. I start walking around asking anyone and everyone if we can have tickets and almost always, I am successful.

So, are Eagles fans so bad?

My son and his friends have dozens of autographs and pictures with Eagles players that say Eagles fans are quite friendly and generous.

In Conclusion...

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 02: A fan of the Philadelphia Eagles supports his team against the Houston Texans at Lincoln Financial Field on December 2, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Have I helped to change your mind even a little?

Probably not. I know how it is. Hey I am a Bears fan and you're not going to get me to like Packer nation anytime soon. I was physically ill when they beat the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. That doesn't mean I think all Packers fans are bad.

I get it. I understand.

But maybe, just maybe, the next time you say all fans of any team are idiots, you might rethink it and try this...

"I met some fans for the Eagles that were idiots, but I also know the entire fan base isn't like that."

I will say this about Eagles fans who complain they haven't won a Super Bowl yet...

There have only been 45 super bowls. Have patience. Try being me...

I'm also a Cubs fan.