There is a crucial segment of Philadelphia sports superfans who have turned their basement into a carefully curated collection on memorabilia in order to showcase their fandom, writes Zoe Rosenberg for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Jay Gleckner, 44, of Millbrook, has converted the lower level of his home into a fan cave. There, you’ll find jerseys on display, original art, and other mementos that honor his favorite teams. He even has the room painted in Eagles midnight green and gray.
Gleckner’s basement features items like city papers announcing major wins, a folding chair he sat on when the Phillies won the World Series in 2008, and an original portrait of Allen Iverson signed by Iverson himself.
Bill Levy, 71, who has lived in the Philly suburbs most of his life, has a strong collection, as well.
His basement features basketballs signed by Iverson and Herb McGee, a baseball signed by Mike Schmidt, and a glove signed by Joe Frazier, who Levy said, “used to live five minutes from me” when Levy was growing up.
Meanwhile, Bill Messick’s basement fan cave in Glen Mills features a framed photo of him and his tailgate group that was used in an ad for recycling in the Eagles Gameday catalogues.
Read more about Philly sports fans turning their basements into fan caves at The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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