Win or lose against the 49ers, the Philadelphia police are prepping for a huge reaction from Eagles fans. So there will be no climbing of poles.
Yes, the police are greasing light poles around downtown and in other parts of the city in an effort to keep rowdy fans from climbing them. If anything, the Fly Eagles Fly bunch is known for being rambunctious in their backing of their favorite NFL team.
Mayor Jim Kenney issued a statement, Friday, asking Eagles fans to remember to celebrate “safely and responsibly” after their game against the 49ers.
“As the Mayor of this great city it is always a joy to see all Philadelphians united behind our beloved sports teams,” Kenney said. “We encourage fans to cheer on safely and responsibly and wish the Eagles good luck in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game.”
Translation, don’t do anything stupid. And the police will make sure to negate certain ways to be stupid, like covering light poles in grease.
Fans Make ‘the Linc’ an Intimidating Place to Play
The Eagles and 49ers will compete for the NFC championship at Lincoln Financial Field, known to Eagles fans as “the Linc.” It can be an intimidating place to play.
A researcher for NFL Network quote tweeted someone trying to downplay the atmosphere. It all started with a post telling 49er fans not to bother to show up.
“You must have never been to the linc or philly lol. Eagles fans fight Eagles fans in the bathrooms. It’s chaos. This is great advice. Show up in a grey hoodie for safety.”
A self-described 49er “ranter” discovered an Eagles fan account. The account posted that the goal was to be as “ruthless, classless, disrepectful, loud, obnoxious, savage and annoying to the 49ers fans as possible. … They already think we’re classless, show them they have no idea how crazy we are. Go birds.”
All the 49er can could say was “This is crazy. lol. Shiver me timbers!!!!”
So imagine these people after they’ve knocked back a few adult beverages and start looking for light poles.
Oddsmakers established the Eagles as a 2.5-point favorite over the 49ers. That spread basically is a nod to their home-field advantage. San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan showed his team the 2003 NFC championship game, back when Tampa upset the Eagles to close down Veterans Stadium. John Lynch, the team GM and former 49er star, played for the Bucs in that game.
The Eagles last won the Super Bowl in February, 2018. And three fans fell off light poles as they celebrated the victory. So the cops aren’t over thinking the grease job. A dozen people climbed an awning at the Ritz Carlton. The awning then collapsed. Plus, one Eagles fan ate horse manure off the street as others cheered him on.
