The Super Bowl 52 Fan Spectrum: Eagles Edition

Every game has limitless possible results and no one can truly predict how it will go. In my super bowl preview posts I’ll explore four different expected results from the four main types of fans of each team. Each team’s fan base has The Cynic aka the Jynx, this fan knows that everything that could go wrong will and then some bad stuff will happen after that too; then there’s The Realist aka Mr./Mrs. Relative, to this fan it all evens out in the long run, we’ll get some calls, they’ll have some stuff go their way and hopefully we’re the last one standing; every fan base also has The Optimist aka the Die Hard, this fan could watch his team down 35 points going into the fourth quarter and still be holding out hope that they will pull out the miracle no one else expects; and finally every team has the wildcard fan, the one who can swing through the three previous fan types six to fifty times a game. The Wildcard fan is the first to decorate the interior of their new SUV with orange Bengal stripes and also the first to set it on fire following a home loss in week 5, they’ll consume enough gas station hot dogs to win the free limited edition plastic team cup for free rather than paying the $5.75 cost because they know true fandom, like food poisoning, is rare and earned by those deserving of it. In this edition I’ll explore the four Eagles fan plot theories for their super bowl showdown with New England.

FLY EAGLES FLY, on the road to victory! What better way to start of a post about the Optimistic Eagles fan than with the best known (likely only known) NFL fight song. The Optimistic Eagles fan expects to be singing this quite frequently this Sunday. Owning a 53-17 point difference in their two playoff games against last year's NFC Champion and a stoutly talented second seeded Vikings team what fan wouldn't feel confident? Well we'll get to late a little later. Philadelphia has been the underdog of late ever since a late game injury to Carson "Gimme the Keys to the Cadillac, Doug" Wentz in a win over the Rams in Week 14. Not surprisingly everyone assumed the Philly Offensive attack that seemed mostly unstoppable this season save for two weeks (one in KC and another in Seattle) would come back to earth when substituting Nick Foles for Wentz. Also not surprisingly everyone who predicted that then patted themselves on the back when Philly finished the season barely squeaking out wins against the Giants and Raiders before losing a 6-0 game to Dallas that was the football equivalent of a taking a Lunesta and should have included similar warnings for the viewers.

The problem with that theory was that Foles or anyone sitting on the bench for 14 weeks would need a few weeks and couple games if not more to get into rhythm with his teammates. This showed in the Giants and Oakland games and Foles only played the first quarter of that Dallas game along with many other starters resting for large portions of it. Also going into the Dallas game the Eagles had already clinched home field advantage so truly had nothing to play for and it showed. Needing a few weeks to get in rhythm is the same theory that has allowed us all to ignore how awful the Patriots looks in September because come January we're always talking about them anyway.

Just as the Patriots keep their rhythm most of the season once found the Optimistic Eagles fan believes Nick Foles and company's playoff success and rhythm will continue and lead to the first Lombardi trophy in Southeast PA by a score of 33 - 18.

The Eagles enter their third game in a row as an Underdog and their fans have embraced it for sure and no fan loves being in the underdog role more than the Realistic Philly fan. It gives him an edge and against the G.O.A.T. you need every advantage you can get, real or imagined.

The Realistic Philly fan stopped being realistic around week 11 when the birds in green had all but wrapped up the division and were two games ahead of every other NFC team for playoff seating. A week 13 loss to Seattle shook a little of the confidence of the realistic fan but spending a week hearing how these tough tests against Seattle and LA Rams in back to back weeks was the kind of playoff preparation their team needed helped rebuild that confidence especially after they beat the Rams. But Carson Wentz injury announcement Monday following that win brought the realist back to earth with a meteoric crash. "We'll we're headed for a Saints or Rams beating at home in the playoffs" said every realistic philly fan after the Foles outings against the Giants and Raiders. Then the Falcons went all melty, whimpy, wilty in that division round game and bam the magic was back!

Realistic Philly fan has been hoping against hope to avoid injuries all year thinking it would derail their super bowl hopes but the worst injury happened and the Eagles are still in the Super Bowl and now only one obstacle stands in the way and that obstacle eats Kale flakes and super bowl pressure for breakfast. I honestly think you can buy that as a TB12 supplement from Alex Guerrero's Online Emporium of Snake Oil and Golden Alligator Teeth.

Realistic Philly fan expects a close game with some bullshit penalties against his team at likely the worst times. He knows Brady will be Brady and is hopefully Tommy Boy doesn't have the ball down one score or less with 2 minutes left so he can do his typical Tom Brady thing. If the Eagles dominant front line can get home early and often Brady will not get into rhythm, Foles exploits a Patriots defense that has been riddled with holes and it becomes very realistic to expect an Eagles win 28-21.

FLY EAGLES FLY, ON THE ROAD TO VICTORY!

Remember wondering what fan wouldn't feel confident? One obvious answer is the Cynical Eagles fan. The same fan who was expecting the Jason Peters injury to end the season, who was just waiting for the Wentz injury to do the same, who was expecting Doug Pederson's magic as a play caller to go the way of Andy Reid's, they have constantly been waiting for the impending doom that they're so used to be hit with, after all they've seen this movie a dozen times before, at least. However, after the Vikings out tough lucked the Eagles in the NFC championship game even the Cynical Eagles fan could help but think "Man whatever we do to lose this game in the Super Bowl is going to redefine failure as a franchise as we know it!"

The Cynical Eagles fan expects their defense to be picked apart by Brady the same way an eight year old eats a sandwich, taking only what he wants and tossing out the junk he doesn't. If Foles plays even half as good as he recently has the cynic will be surprised because he expects Foles to toss three picks and get smothered by a defense that despite being pitiful for a majority of the year suddenly channel the dominance of the '85 bears. The Cynical Philly fan expects another literal gut retching (see below) from their QB in a 23-16 loss.

The Wildcard Philly fan has the most fun of any fan in either base this super bowl. They bring the kid of imagination that makes a 2-0 win on a last drive safety just as possible as a 63-60 win in the longest overtime Super Bowl game every played. They likely envision a lot of Philadelphia defensive scores and the Patriots finding even more creative ways to score like an onside kickoff return or scoring a two point conversion by picking up a blocked extra point attempt and running it to the end zone.

I'm also considering myself a wildcard Eagles fan this Sunday and my prediction is a back and forth game with one team dominating a half each. Good news for Philly though their defense finds a way to adapt to Belichick's halftime adjustments and win the game 26-23. Go Birds!

After all, reading this proves that pretty much every Eagles fan is a wildcard after all.

Posts may contain affiliate links; IanBetween may receive a small payment for your use of affiliate links but that does not impact the price of your purchase.