For students and staff here at CHS and people around the area, Eagles football is more than just a game. Through the triumphs and heartbreaks of being a member of the Eagles fandom, many have always kept faith in the Birds to come through when it matters most. Two years ago, the Eagles fell short of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LVII (57), in a close defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs, 38-35. Now, two seasons later, the Eagles have reached the Super Bowl once again. Led by Franchise-QB Jalen Hurts and NFL MVP candidate Saquon Barkley, the Eagles routed the Washington Commanders 55-23 in the NFC Championship Game, reaching Super Bowl LIX (59). Jalen Hurts has become the first Eagles quarterback to lead the team to more than one Super Bowl, and in just four years of being the starting quarterback. The road to becoming world champions won’t be easy, as the Eagles are in the way of Super Bowl history. The Chiefs have won two consecutive Super Bowls, and the Eagles are in the way of them making it three, something that has never been done before. On Sunday, February 9th, the Eagles hope to crush the “three-peat” dreams of every Chiefs fan and bring home the second Super Bowl victory to Philadelphia.
Two long-time teachers here at CHS offered their perspective on the Eagles about their latest successes, as well as about them as a whole. Mr. Bret Jenkins, an Algebra and Geometry teacher, and Ms. Michele Forbes, an English and Psychology teacher, have been fans of the Birds since early in their lives. Forbes noted how ever since grade school she has been rooting for the Eagles, and that her family had instilled the fandom within her from then on. Jenkins has been a fan ever since he learned to walk.
“I’ve been an Eagles fan since the jump, you know, I guess two, three years old, because my dad was one. I was always really into sports, even as a little kid. So as early as I could watch TV, I was an Eagles fan,” Jenkins said.
One theme was constant for both teachers surrounding the Eagles, and it was family.
“I am obviously a die-hard sports fan in general, but especially football and the Eagles. I would say, in my opinion, with Eagles fans, it’s such a family atmosphere, especially us with our season tickets of the people we go to the games with people that sit near us that I only see eight times a year at Eagles games,” Jenkins said. “So just that family vibe is kind of like everything I like to live my life by. And being at the Eagles games just kind of instills that even more.”
Jenkins talked about his young daughter, and how the Eagles and their games have become something that his entire family can enjoy and experience together.
Likewise, many CHS students have similar reasons and familial connections to the Eagles. According to junior Isabella Papieka, her family is from Philadelphia and she lived there for a long time before coming to Cinnaminson. Because her family had been Eagles fans for her entire life, she joined in the fandom, adding how her relationships with friends and family strengthened her interest in the team and the game of football itself.
Forbes also discussed how the Eagles have influenced her life and her son’s life.
“I guess raising a son, like football has been a big part of our lives. He started playing football when he was in second grade, and he played up until senior year of high school. And I also work part-time for a company that works in the Linc (Lincoln Financial Field), so I work at the games as well, so that’s an influence on my life as well,” Forbes said.
When asked what the Eagles mean to her, Forbes replied by outlining the importance of what the athletes do outside of playing football.
“I think that this team, this current team, does so much for the city and has so many uplifting messages, like A.J. Brown with reading on the sideline,” Forbes said. “There’s a lot of commenting about that, but that’s what he does to center himself. And he’s had some mental health struggles, which helps to break the stigma of mental health issues.”
Forbes added that she believes athletes are important role models for kids, and how they should give back to the community, like different Eagles players do. While what athletes do off the field is important, some fans believe that what they do on the field is subject to certain superstitions that could either help or hinder their performance as a team or as an individual player. While Jenkins discussed how he used to have many superstitions around football, he doesn’t have many anymore. Forbes is on the opposite end of the superstition spectrum.
“I can’t wear something as they’re winning that I haven’t worn while they were winning. I have lots of Eagles attire. If I’m watching, I can’t full-on watch. I have to side watch. I know that that sounds crazy. I can’t eat anything differently if I haven’t eaten it while they’re winning. I know that’s so bizarre,” Forbes said.
Some fans may believe that their own actions have an effect on the game at hand, the real power is in the player’s hands. Forbes expressed her cautious optimism, and considered how the veterans on the team with Super Bowl experience could be game-changers. Jenkins expressed a quiet confidence in his team in their Super Bowl rematch against the Chiefs, hoping that this time around the Eagles can bring home the hardware.
“Obviously the Chiefs are great and they seem to find ways to win, but I don’t think as a whole, the Chiefs are as good as they were two years ago. So that game went down to the wire,” Jenkins said. “You could argue a ref’s call changed the game at the end there. I think we are better as a whole and I don’t think the Chiefs are better, so I am a little more confident than I have been.”
