’Philadelphian’ Culture
The culture of Philadelphia can be compared to a Philly Cheesesteak. The real steak and cheese of a Philadelphian are not just food related in the City of Brotherly Love. Cheesesteaks are in fact known all over America as a Philadelphia tradition. However, this succulent sandwich is not the only staple of Philadelphia. The Philadelphia area eats, breathes, and bleeds for it’s sports.
The Philadelphia Sixers, Eagles, and Phillies are major Philadelphia sports teams. Walking through Center City, you will see many fans supporting their teams. The city of Philadelphia turns into an electric atmosphere for nearly any game that is on television.
The Philadelphia Eagles are currently ranked first in the NFC and the fans are absolutely loving it. Years and years of not making the playoffs the fans need something exciting from their very own “Bird Gang”. For home games, fans flood the parking lot as early as 7:00AM for a 1:00PM kickoff. Arriving to Lincoln Financial field on an Eagles game day, you already know to expect total chaos. Opposing teams hate traveling to Philadelphia because of the passionate fans.
Despite not having the greatest success in sports, the fans of Philadelphia are still ride or dies for their teams. Professional sports teams all over America have some great fan bases, but nothing compares to Philadelphia. For example, the beloved Eagles could win no games and still have an electric fan base that makes it seem they are undefeated.
Other sport organizations have deemed Philadelphia fans as the worst. There are many ruthless stories such as fans booing at children wearing another teams jerseys and a fan getting tackled during a baseball game. To other cities, this is terrible for fans to do, but in Philadelphia it is just to culture. Philadelphia fans are very outward about their sports and will take a step further than other fans.
Allen Iverson, a former basketball player for the Sixers once stated,”I love my fans in Philadelphia, but this is the hardest place in the world to play in. And I think it’s the hardest place to play in to be a superstar. Just to be the №1 guy. All eyes on you — because everybody wants you to be perfect, but not themselves.” Philadelphia natives will even go as far as booing their own players if they do not perform well.
The Philadelphia Sixers have not had a good season in years, but they rebuilt and now heading into this 2017–18 season are predicted to be a very dominant team. A big slogan around the city it “TTP” or “Trust the Process.” Sixers fans have had ups and downs but fed their trust into the Sixers system, and now it is all paying off.
The Phillie Phanatic is the one of the most famous mascot in the entertainment business. Fans are constantly calling the office of the Phillies to try to arrange guest appearances. Created in 1977, the Phanatic has been the Phillies go to mascot for the fans in the ballpark. The Phanatic is known for sprucing up Phillies games with his dances and pranks. Entering the ballpark, fans are instantly trying to locate their favorite mascot.
Just as the Cheesesteak is a permanent cultural symbol for Philadelphia, it’s sports are another huge influence. Philadelphia sports have and always will be a center focus of the city itself, as well as surrounding areas. The city has not had a championship since the Phillies in 2008, but every season they have hope. The day a Philadelphia team wins a championship, you could expect nothing but an eruption of the city.
