
Forty-eight-year Philadelphia Eagles fan Michael Connell (junior Maggie Connell’s dad) said he was elated when the Eagles made it to the Super Bowl. Mr. Connell was born in Philadelphia, Penn. and had no choice but to be an Eagles fan due to his family’s passion for the team. He said he was raised in a house that loved watching Eagles football so it was a way for his siblings to bond. Unlike his siblings, he said his kids initially started to like the Eagles to make him happy and now they enjoy watching them due to the team’s recent success. Mr. Connell said Eagles fans are very passionate about their team and their traditions. “My favorite [tradition] is the use of the saying ‘Go Birds,’” he said. “The saying is used to support the team, as a way to say ‘hello,’ ‘goodbye,’ or just any way to acknowledge a fellow Eagles fan,” Mr. Connell said. “I use this saying often during the football season.” When the Eagles won the 2025 Super Bowl on February 9, Mr. Connell said he celebrated by banging pots and pans in the streets with family, friends, and neighbors, which is also another Eagles tradition. Mr. Connell also said that Eagles winning was unreal satisfaction due to all the time he had put into supporting the team. Mr. Connell learned to love football when he played on the defensive line in grade school in Philadelphia. He is an alumni of Penn State so he also enjoys watching the Penn State Nittany Lions. Mr. Connell said, “I have now also adopted the Arkansas Razorbacks as my Southern college football team.”