#16 of 31: Lincoln Financial Field
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
November 17, 2013
GAMEDAY: PHILADELPHIA EAGLES VS WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Checking out the stadium the day before the game we were pleased to note there were a number of sports bars located on the nearby streets. Sadly, however, when we returned for our traditional cheeseburger and beer that night, we discovered the parking lots were gated and there was no street parking. Cruising in ever widening circles we finally found a Holiday Inn promoting its sports bar on the LED sign out front. OK, this will be a first.
It turned out to be great - there was a large crowd of mostly visiting Redskins fans at the bar. We ordered our beers and, this time, we could not resist something called a Philly Steak cheeseburger - a sliced-American-cheese-topped burger with shredded steak and sautéed onions on a deli bun. It was cooked to black and blue perfection.
Midway through our second beer, a large group of local wedding celebrants tumbled into the bar for one last drink before their own "open bar" commenced. The conversation between the Eagle and Redskin fans grew quite raucous.
We left to sleep overnight in a near-by Walmart. (Well, not inside, but in the parking lot.)
Before dawn, Sunday morning, we were in a line of vans, cars and motorhomes waiting to enter Lot N at Lincoln Financial Field. It promised to be 60° and sunny.
Around 7:00 AM, we pulled into the almost empty parking lot which made us wonder where all the tailgaters had gone. The Eagles had lost ten straight at home. However, by 9:30 the lot had pretty much filled up with a diverse collection of fans and fan vans. The morning sun shone softly through the smokey haze of a hundred grilling fires and the aroma of roasting meat filled the air. Not meat, but one of the best things we saw cooking was Grilled Stripper/Rockfish stuffed with Crab Imperial with a layer of spinach, by Richie’s Crew.
Music from huge speakers saturated the parking area with a mixture of sounds. Mostly older rock, hip hop and country. Of course, a lot of sound systems were blasting all the themes from the various Rocky movies, set famously here in Philadelphia. Think Gonna Fly Now and Eye of the Tiger...
Live bands were performing on some of the sites and girls from the Oasis Gentleman’s Club Party Van were welcoming, friendly, and lovely. (I suppose something exciting may have been going on inside.)
Actually, it was one of the most reserved collection of fans we have partied with. We saw no outrageous Eagle inspired costumes and no paint covering faces or bodies in bizarre designs. The Eagles team is over 70 years old, and many of the "mature" fans were sporting retro jerseys in the old Kelly green team color and jackets with a variety of Eagles logos and designs. The current Eagle Logo is my favorite in the NFL. (There, I said it.) The current team color is "Midnight Green."
One table had a variety of vodkas ready to go, a couple of groups had Jaegermeister on tap and there were a few bars set up. Mostly the folks were carrying cozied cans and green, red and clear solo cups around with something cold inside, but there was little obvious consumption of alcohol. Not an octabong in site - go figure...
Sully decided to join the revelers for a while. He nicely submitted to the adoration of his fans, but he quickly discovered the guys wielding the forks and spatulas - the grill chefs - were the ones to charm with his elegant mooching moves. The cooks gave him bacon and assorted grill meats while the girls gave him love. I’m embarrassed to report he greatly preferred the meat.
Final: Eagles 24, Redskins 16
Note: All photos in the story are available to the fans for free in the galleries. Just click on enlargement and download.
My friends and I are in the first picture with the bus the reason you thought we were so laid back is because at the first sight of fun or nudity the law shuts you down we have been coming for over 15 years we are not aloud in the lot till 5hrs before game time and we have to be out 2 hrs after or the law pays pays you a visit
Steve
What a life, you guys look like you are having a blast. Thank God for Walmarts! Miss u guys and hope to follow more of your adventure but make sure Bernie gets more pics of scantily clad fans - you should have gone into the van at the Eagles stadium with the exotic dancers. We are getting a lot of mileage from your last blog post at the Hatchery. Our corporate folks really eat this stuff up. Thanks again for your wonderful perspectives of our hatchery world.
FT
I luv every bit of this! Thank u so much
T
You may be the only people ever to say Philly fans are laid back, as their most famous moment came when they booed the arrival of Santa Claus @ the football stadium.
SH
