Philly Sports International: Bleeding Green - A Journey Following the Eagles
- Tony Brewerton
- May 1
- 7 min read
Somewhere between heartbreak and glory, between 4th-and-26 and a Philly Special, lies the true spirit of being a Philly Sports fan, or more specifically, following the Eagles.
My journey started back in the late ’80s. I wasn’t born into this life —I chose it. Or maybe it was fate - did it choose me? Growing up in the West of Scotland in the 1970’s and 80’s was about making sure you were always on the right side of the question, “Are you Celtic or Rangers?”. It had to be one of them and no other football team was accepted. A first visit to the US saw me staying with a family in Pennsylvania. Lancaster to be exact. Amish country. God fearing, wholesome, simple. They loved a different type of football – American, Gridiron. Yet, still the same question was asked, “Who do you support?”. Pennsylvania has two NFL teams, the Eagles and the Steelers – I had to choose. With a decision swayed by the beautiful Eagles supporting girl in the family, my choice was made. I found love that summer but not with her.
My Eagles fandom was born……..let the pain begin!
The 1980s – Defense, Identity, and Fire
The late '80s were all about attitude. Buddy Ryan’s Gang Green defense was ferocious. Reggie White was a force of nature, unstoppable and revered. Clyde Simmons, Jerome Brown, Seth Joyner, and Eric Allen laid the foundation for the kind of physical, punishing football that became part of the franchise’s DNA. And then there was Randall Cunningham……..the ultimate weapon. He wasn’t just a quarterback; he was a highlight reel, gliding past defenders, leaping over tackles, and hurling bombs with ease. Still my favourite Eagle of all time.
Those years didn’t yield a Super Bowl, but they solidified what it meant to be an Eagles fan: pride in
defense, flashes of brilliance, and a stubborn refusal to quit.
The 1990s – Stars, Struggles, and New Hope
The ’90s were a mixed bag - some electric moments, but lots of frustration. I was heartbroken when we lost Jerome Brown in 1992. Rich Kotite’s tenure teased promise, but the consistency wasn’t there.
Ray Rhodes brought a tougher edge in the mid-90s, and there were still moments to savor—Ricky Watters, Bobby Taylor, and a young Brian Dawkins who was starting to show flashes of the legend he’d become. The stadium was still The Vet—ugly, loud, and pure Philadelphia. Watching games there was like sitting in the middle of a storm.
Then, in 1999, something shifted. Andy Reid arrived. Donovan McNabb was drafted. And just like that, we could feel a new dawn emerging.
2000s – Dominance, Near Misses, and One Tough City
The early 2000s were thrilling and maddening all at once. Four straight NFC Championship games.
BA Super Bowl appearance in 2004. Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook, T.O., Brian Dawkins, Trotter, Lito Sheppard - the roster was loaded.
The heartbreak of Super Bowl XXXIX still stings. But those years cemented the Eagles as contenders, and the fan base as one of the most passionate and demanding in sports. We expected greatness. We still do.
2010s – Transition, Miracles, and a Dream Realized
There were ups and downs - Chip Kelly’s wild ride, Michael Vick’s redemption arc, and LeSean McCoy’s dazzling runs. Then came Doug Pederson, and everything changed.
2017.
The regular season was nothing short of magical. The team started hot and stayed hot - Carson Wentz looked every bit the season MVP. Every week, the Eagles found new ways to win. Whether it was clutch throws, a punishing defense, or sheer grit, they kept stacking victories.
But the season wasn't without its upset. In Week 14, Wentz tore his ACL diving into the end zone against the Rams trying to clinch the #1 seed. It was devastating. We’d already lost Jason Peters, our stalwart left tackle and team captain, earlier in the season. People wrote us off. Again. The Underdogs were born.
Enter Nick Foles.
With Foles under centre, the unconvincing Birds closed out the regular season, knowing that every playoff game would be at the Linc. First came the Divisional Round against the Atlanta Falcons. A bitterly cold day at Lincoln Financial Field. The game came down to the final seconds. Fourth and goal. Matt Ryan dropped back, looking for Julio Jones in the corner of the end zone. Time froze. The ball floated. Jalen Mills leapt. Incomplete. The stadium erupted, half of Scotland was woken up and the Eagles were going to the NFC Championship.
What came next was a demolition. A 38–7 blowout of the Vikings. Foles was unstoppable. Super Bowl LII and a Minnesota match up against the New England Patriots was just two weeks away.
Super Bowl LII wasn’t just a game. It was a moment in time. Nick Foles went from backup to all time Eagles legend. The Philly Special became the greatest ever Super Bowl play – the balls of Pederson to call it, a 4th and goal on the 1 yard line in a Superbowl? Brandon Graham’s strip sack of Tom Brady and a nail biting final Patriots drive ending in a failed Hail Mary and the Eagles were World Champions (It’s funny being a UK based NFL fan and how much it irks non NFL friends and family that it’s a World Champions title!).
Jason Kelce, dressed like a Mummer, gave the greatest championship parade speech the NFL has ever seen. That Lombardi Trophy wasn’t just a win - it was an exorcism of every missed opportunity, every “maybe next year,” every tear shed in midnight green.
The 2010’s closed out with the excitement of the “double doink” in Chicago, the disappointment of an Alshon Jeffrey dropped pass in the divisional match up against the Saints and in the season that followed, the end of Carson Wentz – courtesy of Jadeveon Clowney. I hate that guy.
2020s – A New Leader, A New Legacy
When Jalen Hurts took over from a benched Wentz, the doubters were loud. But Hurts? He just worked. He carried himself with poise, toughness, and that “it” factor you can’t teach.
With A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and a dominant O-line that included Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson, the offense soared. The defense hit hard and fast, led by Haason Reddick, Brandon Graham, and Darius Slay.
We made it back to the big stage in Super Bowl LVII, and Hurts played out of his mind—accounting for four touchdowns and nearly willing us to victory. But a field that was only fit for growing potatoes, a controversial holding call and Mahomes’ brilliance stole it away.
That was the biggest low for me being an Eagles fan. Sitting in State Farm Stadium, from being 10 points up at the half, to watching the yellow and red confetti falling all around will never leave me.
Still, that felt like the beginning, not the end.
The present day…………2025 – Redemption in the Bayou
Super Bowl LIX. Caesars Superdome. A rematch with the Chiefs.
This time, we flipped the script. Hurts was surgical - 17 of 22 for 221 yards, two passing TDs, one rushing, and a Super Bowl-record 72 yards on the ground for a QB. The defense was ruthless—six sacks on Mahomes, no blitzes needed. Cooper DeJean’s pick 6 will live with me forever. The Eagles hoisted that second Lombardi after a 40–22 statement win.
That wasn’t just redemption. It was validation. It was the eradication of the memories of 2022. This time I was standing in New Orleans, watching the green, black, white and silver confetti falling.
When the Eagles finally hoisted that second Lombardi Trophy in 2025, it felt like the culmination of decades of heartbreak, hope, and holding on. We weren’t just watching history—we were part of it.
The Fan Experience – Passion, Grit, and Brotherhood
Being a Philly Sports fan, especially of the Eagles, isn’t a hobby - it’s a lifestyle. It’s waking up on the morning of a game with a knot in your stomach. It’s planning your whole autumn around the schedule release. It’s your family being aware that anything after 5pm on a Sunday is off limits.
Philly fans are loud. We’re opinionated. And we’re fiercely loyal.
The Linc is our house. Whether it’s a scorching September opener or a frigid December clash, the energy in the stadium is electric. The 4th and Jawn tailgate - music blaring, grills fired up, beers cracked, and debates about defensive schemes already in full swing.
Philly fans are known for being tough, sure - we’ll pelt Santa Claus with snowballs (though we’ll tell you the real story why if you ask). But that toughness comes from deep love. We expect effort, heart, and grit. If you wear that midnight green, we’ve got your back—if you earn it. It’s about a Dawkins hit on Alge Crumpler, a touchdown in the snow by Saquon, an interception by Cooper DeJean.
There’s nothing quite like the E-A-G-L-E-S! EAGLES! chant echoing through the stadium, the city, at a British & Irish Eagles or even your living room. It’s a rallying cry, a release, and a reminder that no matter how the game ends, we’re all in this together.
But it’s also about so much more.
It’s the joy of seeing old friends, making new connections, sharing a beer in a parking lot, a visit to Chickie & Pete’s, a cheesesteak at Woodrow’s, a coffee at Reading Terminal. It’s about knowing how the Phillies are doing, whether the 76ers are winning, where the Flyers are at and even keeping tabs on the Union.
It’s a collective agreement that Dallas SUCKS!
It’s watching your daughter’s face when she walks into the Linc for the first time.
It’s about belonging - being part of something bigger than you.
Like Glasgow, Philly is gritty. It’s honest and hard working. It’s a home from home.
Fly Eagles Fly!
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