The nightmare in Philly

"Worry not good people from Philadelphia, should you venture to Minneapolis a week from Sunday to see your precious Eagles play the hated Patriots, you will NOT be treated the same way."

Okay. I am now ready to address this issue. I could not address it the past two days for a multitude of reasons, one of which I was still pretty raw. I have followed the Eagles most of the season. I really liked this new upstart quarterback of theirs. Mostly because he came out of a no-name football school in North Dakota - and yet played the game like he was from a powerhouse like Alabama. I liked how the Eagles cut through the east coast teams like a hot knife through butter. And it surprised me not, that the number 1 and 2 seeds in the NFC would end up in the title game.

My former boss is from Philly. He took an assignment to work at a division in Minneapolis years ago, and that is where we met. We have maintained a friendship over social media, and I enjoy him as a friend. Of course, there was a bit of trash talk between us prior to the game. I think both of us thought the game would be a slug fest, not a massacre. However, my friend from Philly is NOTHING like we saw on display with the Eagle fan base.

I spent some time on the east coast during my working days. Okay - I spent a LOT of time on the east coast. I know people on the east coast are different than the folks in Minnesota. If you ever think "Minnesota Nice" is a fable, spend some time on the east coast. Whereas the folks on the east coast can be somewhat edgy, to out and out rude, most native born Minnesotans are just plain nice.

That being said, what I along with many witnessed from the Eagle fans before, during, and after Sunday night's game was beyond shocking. In fact, it was disgusting. If I was a native of Philadelphia (oddly referred to as "The City of Brotherly Love"), I would renounce my city citizenship. In other words, I would move. 

First off, the game Sunday night was a football game. Did I use the word "game". Yes - it was a GAME. Not war, a game. Next, watching sports is called sports entertainment. Did I say "entertainment"? YES! Prior to what I witnessed Sunday night, the worse example of Americanism I have seen in this country was from the Antifa protests and riots. This vulgar, crude, in your face behavior was beyond belief. How bad was it in the stands? After shelling out a tone of money to come to the game, one family from Minnesota left at halftime as they feared for their safety. Safety! At a game! At an entertainment venue!

Worry not good people from Philadelphia, should you venture to Minneapolis a week from Sunday to see your precious Eagles play the hated Patriots, you will NOT be treated the same way. Even though the folks in this town feel your behavior was boorish at best, we will show you nothing but the finest in hospitality. You will be treated as welcomed guests. You might want to bring something to write on so you can take notes on how this is done.