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At 80 degrees and sunny, the weather couldn’t have been better. Thanks to an under-anticipated Week 1 victory, the vibes were good. And with vaccination rising and many COVID restrictions rolled back, Eagles fans were hype for their first home tailgate since 2019.
The parking lot of Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday was full of grills, games, and partying — and even the team’s loss couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm.
“Not the outcome we wanted, but whatever,” Instagram user @kelsyklong posted next to a pair of portraits with friends. “The Linc was popping and WE ARE BACK!”
“We lost but it felt damn good to be back home,” read a similar post from @christine_lee713.
It was a rough day for coach Nick Sirianni and the players on the field, who dominated in the first half but missed several chances to make points. Despite quarterback Jalen Hurts’ heroic efforts to run the ball downfield himself in the 4th quarter, the Eagles ended up slipping to the San Francisco 49ers, 17-11. Plus, they lost two important team members: Brandon Brooks, whose pectoral injury is still being evaluated; and defensive end Brandon Graham, who’s likely out for the season with a torn Achilles.
But Graham was still full of positivity when he tweeted after the game. “We still about to shock the world! I will just be leading from the sidelines this year,” he said.
That attitude matched the energy outside the stadium, where most people were just happy to be back partying with friends and family.
Tailgating is a tradition for hundreds of Philadelphians, and they showed up this week. Even Ala Stanford, founder of the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, was at the game.
Scroll down for more scenes from South Philly on an almost perfect day.
The Birds’ next home game is Sunday, Oct. 3, vs. Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs.
