You may have heard that the Philadelphia Eagles are going to their second Super Bowl in three years and fifth overall. Never mind that they’ve won only one of them.
You know what’s so wonderful about winning professional sports franchises?
They serve as society’s connective tissue, generating a propulsive journey of shared emotion that travels like a lit fuse.
Thank God we have sports to serve as a narcotic to numb the pain of real life.
Just look at the spontaneous joy erupting in Philadelphia, its surrounding counties including Berks and south Jersey after the Birds dismantled the Washington Commanders 55-23 Sunday, Jan. 26, to book their trip to Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, Feb. 9, against the Kansas City Chiefs at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
The Eagles were amazing in the NFC championship game. They rode the awesome wave of running back Saquon Barkley, who is having a supernova of a season, and a suffocating defense to ignite a galactic explosion of white light that simply consumed the Commanders.
The post-game celebrations of enthralled fans decked out in their Eagles gear dancing in the stands, in the streets and in the sports bars while chanting E-A-G-L-E-S in a mesmerizing, repetitive chorus was riveting and highly contagious.
Yes, our society is fissured and fractured. But not on game day. And not on the days leading up to this year’s Super Bowl.
A winning sports franchise becomes a focal point for social interaction and community engagement.
Professional sports teams have the unique ability to bring people together, transcending barriers of age, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Sporting events create a sense of camaraderie and unity among fans, fostering a shared identity and common purpose.
The Eagles undoubtedly are the most entertaining Philadelphians since Ben Franklin and the Founding Fathers were the toast of the town.
Whether you’re going to New Orleans or watching the Super Bowl on TV, have your inhaler with you because the rematch with the Chiefs likely will take your breath away.
In Super Bowl LVII Kansas City came from behind to win a 38-35 thriller that united our entire area in despair.
This season the Eagles have the best defense and running game in the NFL. Barkley is a symphony in motion carrying the football — the perfect blend of power, speed, violent cuts and contact balance.
The Chiefs, going for a record three straight Super Bowl titles, have an offense built on throwing the ball frequently and generating yards after catch and their defense consistently keeps them in games.
Their magician of a quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, can spin a spiral through a window about the size of a McDonald’s drive-through and has the nimble feet of a cat burglar.
But transcending all that, Philadelphia and Kansas City right now are the most connected communities in the world.
Go Birds!
Mike Zielinski, a resident of Berks County, is a columnist, novelist, playwright and screenwriter.
Source: Berkshire mont
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