With my team of the last 24 years playing the team of my 1st 11 today I consider it fitting to explain that fateful day that forever changed the course of my fandom and gets me asked a specific question quite often. Plus I now have follower that's a guy so it is time to talk sports. But back to that question. It's why or how did you get to be an Eagles fan in the middle of Iowa where all we get on TV are the Bears, Vikings, Chiefs or Packers....well I added the last bit but as illustration as to just how odd it is to be a fan of any team but those here in the Midwest.
Unlike my kids who were born into the Eagles family I didn't grow up in a sports of any sorts following family. So I chose one of those afore mentioned teams based on a few things. 1. They had my 2 favorite coaches of all time Ditka and Buddy Ryan. These two guys absolutely hated each other and to this day they are the only 2 coaches to be carried off the field by their team at the same time after winning the Super Bowl. Even if you don't know football you know the Saturday Night Live skit....Da Bears with all the guys wearing the orange & blue sweaters. And Buddy Ryan was the innovator of the 46 defense which was perfected by the 85 Bears. This was the team I loved. They had everything. On offense they had the cool quarterback that always wore shades (though he's more odd than cool these days) that threw the ball to an Olympic sprinter, had a line as good as they get, a fullback whose name sounded like you were calling a pig that blocked for "Sweetness" the best running back to ever lace up his cleats on a Sunday...and an occasional Monday, Thursday and Saturday. But it was their Defense..those Monsters of the Midway that people still talk about today as being the best ever. Their linebackers were scary good with Singletary in the middle, some not so household names in the defensive backfield (1 is now a head coach that spent time on the staff of the Eagles) and the meanest bunch of D-lineman with names like Danimal, Mongo and the Fridge. And who could forget about the Super Bowl shuffle...which many people saw the reprise this past February during a Super Bowl commercial.
So you see I was emotionally invested in the Bears which is why to this day after Super Bowl XX I vowed to never cheer for them again. You see Walter Payton aka Sweetness was my favorite player. What kid didn't want to wear the wrist and head bands and be #34. He had a style like no one else....he ran smooth but punished people who tried tackling him. He also refused to celebrate touchdowns which is why Barry Sanders also would just hand the ball to the refs which I still have a ton of respect for any player that does that today. And it was because of my adoration for #34 and what the Bears did to him during that 85 season's playoffs but mainly what didn't happen that fateful day in February during the Super Bowl. The Bears had rode Payton's back the entire season and then in the playoffs it all became the Jimmy Mac show. But what sealed it was the Super Bowl. Jim McMahon had 2 rushing touchdowns and then on the Bears final scoring opportunity they gave it to the rookie....the 400 pound rookie. William Perry aka The Fridge was given the glory and the future Hall of Fame running back who for the past 10 years was the Bears was pushed aside.
It was at that moment I unknowingly made myself a free agent swearing off the Bears. And I decided to follow my coach Buddy Ryan to the Eagles who had just drafted my now 2nd favorite player of all time...Randall Cunningham. I actually wore #12 because of him. He was the ultimate weapon...Michael Vick before there was Michael Vick and even has a 91 yard punt in his stats. Most people forgot he was an all conference punter in college. Buddy had some amazingly talented teams with future Hall of Famers but he was a little unorthodox (cutting Chris Carter and putting bounties on players) and could never get those Gang Green Defensive teams led by Reggie White, Jerome Brown, Clyde Simmons and Eric Allen very far in the playoffs. Then all good things came to an end.....no I didn't go back to being a Bears fan. Randall's Eagles career was ended by a local from Scranton Iowa during the 1st game in 91 and I decided to stick it out being an Eagles fan through the Rick Kotite and Ray Rhodes years before Andy Reid. Now people assume I'm a bandwagon jumper after the 4 straight NFC Championship games and Super Bowl appearance the Eagles made being led by Donovan McNabb...my 3rd favorite player. So while I still have fond memories of those 85 Bears now you know why I like kelly green and know the words to "Fly Eagles Fly" and risk my life going to Arrowhead or the Metrodome when the Eagles are in town even though I should either be wearing a cheese head or vikings helmet or possibly the stylish blue & orange sweater vest. Sorry Chiefs fans you really don't have anything (you stole the tomahawk chop from Florida St) and the only thing I could think of for you was the Snickers commercial from a few years ago....great googly moogly.
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