From the NBA to the NFL, Philadelphia has taken me hostage in more ways than I care to admit.
And I have no regrets.
It has been a long and tedious journey following franchises that are based in the City of Brotherly Love.
Fortunately, the Philadelphia Eagles have softened that hardship with a sensational Super Bowl LIX triumph over the dastardly Kansas City Chiefs.
Trust the process
Before discovering my love for the NFL, I endured over 10 years of insufferable rosters, false dawns and frankly embarrassing eras dubbed as ‘The Process’ as a Philadelphia 76ers supporter, while the NBA slowly became a sport that I loved to hate.
During my second or third season as a Sixers fan – I try and forget the true timeframe – I painfully observed my beloved team’s record was just 10 wins out of the 82 they featured in.
Have you ever heard of players such as Ish Smith, Tony Wroten or Sonny Weems? Well, there is probably a very valid reason behind that, and it should remain that way.
However, even with all the heartache and mockery on social media, I continued to stay loyal to the franchise.
The more I became disillusioned by my catastrophic English football team, Sunderland, my focus turned to a new sport.
And there was only one franchise I could follow.
Go Birds!
It is close to impossible to dispel any allegations of ‘glory supporting’ when the Philadelphia Eagles. Led by their quarterback Jalen Hurts, they reached a Super Bowl in my first year as a supporter, even if it did end in heartbreak at the hands of Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Nevertheless, my toxic choice of NBA team has granted me the opportunity to bathe in the brilliance of a side that has enjoyed some supremely memorable moments over the past few seasons.
It has never been the team’s success that has stolen my heart, but my perception of the city’s culture. It is a working person’s society steeped in rich history and a fanbase that lives for their sporting franchises.
A loss can devastate even the happiest of human beings, and a victory can send the city into a delightful frenzy, much like my hometown ‘soccer’ team in the UK.
Despite being on different sides of the globe, both cities treat their respective teams as a religion and an escapism from the politics and anxieties of reality.
This is why I fell in love with Philadelphia and, in turn, the Philadelphia Eagles.
