Big win means big game, celebration
By: Tim Dougherty
Issue date: 1/28/05 Section: News
Originally published: 1/28/05 at 9:35 AM EST
Last update: 1/28/05 at 9:38 AM EST
Originally published: 1/28/05 at 9:35 AM EST
Last update: 1/28/05 at 9:38 AM EST
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As darkness fell on the snow covered City of Philadelphia Jan. 23, the Philadelphia Eagles were on the verge of defeating the Atlanta Falcons to advance to the Super Bowl Championship for the first time in 24 years.
Over the past four years, the Eagles reached the NFC Championship game every time, but this year was their first win. Even with seconds on the clock, the City began its celebration.
"It was pandemonium! Times Square on New Year's Eve had nothing on this," Scott Pinchak, a business administration major, told The Triangle. "I was hugging complete strangers and there were grown men crying tears of joy."
Pinchak, along with 68,531 other Eagles fans lucky enough to get tickets to this game, enjoyed the celebration long after they left the stadium. Back on the University campus, the celebrations were just the same.
Students, who watched the games from their dorm, apartment or local watering hole, filled the streets screaming and celebrating the victory. Most undergraduates have never seen the Eagles play in the Super Bowl. The last time the team reached this point was Super Bowl XV when they fell to the Oakland Raiders in 1981. The often criticized Philadelphia fans have stayed faithful throughout their many years of coming up short.
"[Philadelphia fans] cheer their hearts out when the team is doing good and let the players and coaches hear it when the team is doing bad." Eric Kassab, a student in the College of Engineering, said. "On Mondays, the attitude of the entire city reflects on what happened in the Eagles game the previous day.
Super Bowl is set for Feb. 6 in Jacksonville, Fla. where the Eagles will take on the New England Patriots at 6:18 p.m.
Some University students will watch the game from the University campus while others are planning road trips to Jacksonville. The University has not yet planned festivities to celebrate the home team going to the Super Bowl, but some students don't think the University at large cares much about the Eagles or the Super Bowl.
"I'd say more than 60 percent of the University did not grow up an Eagles fan," Pinchak said. "In my mind, you're not a true Eagles fan unless you came out of the womb wearing green and white."
Although the Patriots have won two of the last three Super Bowls, one extremely optimistic Eagles fan isn't worried.
"The question is not whether the Eagles will win," Kassab said, "It's by how many points will they win."
Over the past four years, the Eagles reached the NFC Championship game every time, but this year was their first win. Even with seconds on the clock, the City began its celebration.
"It was pandemonium! Times Square on New Year's Eve had nothing on this," Scott Pinchak, a business administration major, told The Triangle. "I was hugging complete strangers and there were grown men crying tears of joy."
Pinchak, along with 68,531 other Eagles fans lucky enough to get tickets to this game, enjoyed the celebration long after they left the stadium. Back on the University campus, the celebrations were just the same.
Students, who watched the games from their dorm, apartment or local watering hole, filled the streets screaming and celebrating the victory. Most undergraduates have never seen the Eagles play in the Super Bowl. The last time the team reached this point was Super Bowl XV when they fell to the Oakland Raiders in 1981. The often criticized Philadelphia fans have stayed faithful throughout their many years of coming up short.
"[Philadelphia fans] cheer their hearts out when the team is doing good and let the players and coaches hear it when the team is doing bad." Eric Kassab, a student in the College of Engineering, said. "On Mondays, the attitude of the entire city reflects on what happened in the Eagles game the previous day.
Super Bowl is set for Feb. 6 in Jacksonville, Fla. where the Eagles will take on the New England Patriots at 6:18 p.m.
Some University students will watch the game from the University campus while others are planning road trips to Jacksonville. The University has not yet planned festivities to celebrate the home team going to the Super Bowl, but some students don't think the University at large cares much about the Eagles or the Super Bowl.
"I'd say more than 60 percent of the University did not grow up an Eagles fan," Pinchak said. "In my mind, you're not a true Eagles fan unless you came out of the womb wearing green and white."
Although the Patriots have won two of the last three Super Bowls, one extremely optimistic Eagles fan isn't worried.
"The question is not whether the Eagles will win," Kassab said, "It's by how many points will they win."
