Don’t Look At What’s in Front of You
Even Rudyard Kipling Would Be Bedazzeled By These Eagles.
It begins this week like a mass exodus of the very most passionate Philadelphia football fans, who will descend on New Orleans and bring with them a wave of green. All year, while the 2024–2025 Eagles slowly molded themselves into the finest team in the NFL and quite possibly the world, Eagles fans have filled stadiums from Baltimore to Los Angeles with oceans of green, varying in shades of pastel greens from Midnight to Kelly: no NFL fans or Philadelphians travel.
All season long — videos have popped up on YouTube hyping up fans with Eagles highlights timed to an underscore of Rudyard Kipling’s Boots Poem. Written in 1903 — the poem describes hard marches for the British Army during the South African War in South Africa. What Kipling’s words capture perhaps perfectly is the impact of the experience when these Eagles and their faithful attend a game — or take one over—both on and off the field.
The Eagles’ offense — with a running back from Whitehall, PA, having the best season and playoffs of any of his position in NFL history — cannot be contained for an entire NFL game. One of the most talented offenses in the NFL today comes at you with a thunderous multitude of weapons that can get to any part of the field. On special teams — those boots crash on you like a tidal wave of coverage — often forcing turnovers.
And then there is the Eagles’ defense.
PHOTO: William Thomas Cain/For the Bucks County Courier Times/USA TODAY NETWORK/Imagn Images
If your offense is fortunate enough to score early — you’ll quickly be shut down. As the game wears on — the defense wears you down. The defense line pushes you back, their linebackers protecting the second level and taking away underneath options. Playing in the Eagles’ secondary looks like a ton of fun. As the game gets out of control — they hunt for turnovers like the perfectly outlined inscription on their hoodie loungewear.
Eagles fans at home games have long helped to shake the South Philadelphia Sports Complex in a way that would rival the Acropolis. They shook Veterans Stadium when Wilbert Montgomery broke a 42-yard scamper through the Cowboys‘ defense to send the Eagles their first Super Bowl forty-five years ago. Or twenty years ago when Brian Dawkins leveled Falcons Tight End Algie Crumpler as the Eagles advanced past Michael Vick’s Falcons 27–10 to win the NFC Championship.
During that magical run of the 2018 NFC Championship Game — Patrick Robinson’s 30-yard interception return for a touchdown with Nick Foles celebrating in the background. In 2023, Jalen Hurts rushed across the goal line to further pile on the San Francisco 49ers.
Last Sunday — when former Clemson running back and Eagles rookie Will Shipley rocked the house by ripping off a 57-yard run.
Rudyard Kipling died in 1936. After seeing a game, one can only imagine the beauty of the words he would write about this team.
Perhaps — Men go mad with watchin’ them! Yes, they do — especially fans of the opposing teams — the ones playing the Eagles, of course.
PHOTO: William Thomas Cain/For the Bucks County Courier Times/USA TODAY NETWORK/Imagn Images
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