As the Eagles prepare for their third Super Bowl appearance in seven seasons, it puts a spotlight on how much success different generations of fans have seen from their hometown team, write Zoe Greenberg and Abraham Gutman for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Ben Asztalos, 47, became an Eagles fans in 1988 when he was 10 years old.
At the time, the Eagles were in the midst of a 24-year Super Bowl drought, while each of the team’s divisional rivals won at least one Super Bowl.
“Being an Eagles fan was like getting punched in the face, every Sunday,” Asztalos said.
Asztalos is now a father of four, who has seen far more success for the team in their short lives than he did in his four decades.
Philadelphia sports fans born in the late 1970s and early 1980s have seen so few championship wins that it is almost mind-boggling that the youngest generations have so far been able to root for winning teams.
That doesn’t sit too well for all older Eagles fans.
For James Adams, 72, he’s concerned about the many bandwagon fans that have joined the fray.
All in all, the hope is that the relative success isn’t taken for granted, as it’s no guarantee.
Read more about the Eagles’ success over the years in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on PHILADELPHIA Today in January 2025.
