Being candid is not always wise. But, some days, like today, it feels like a requirement.
Yesterday my adopted team, the Minnesota Vikings, brought “Minnesota Nice” — everyone’s supposed to be “nice” in Minnesota — into the stadium of Philadelphia Mean. Philadelphia fans are as known for their meanness as Minnesotans are for Minnesota Nice.
Philadelphia Eagles fan throwing beer bottle
Philadelphia fans weren’t nice! They threw beer bottles at Vikings fans. They ridiculed their Minnesota guests by chanting “Skol!” when the Vikings did belly-flops. And that was just up in the stands! Down on the field, it was worse. The Eagles were mean. The Vikings didn’t play football. They played nice, and they got whooped!
In case you’re wondering why Views from the Edge is spending time on a football game, let me explain.
I’m a relative newcomer to Minnesota Nice, a 1994 transplant from Philadelphia Mean. But I was never an Eagles fan. Phillies? Yes. Eagles? No. But my brothers and high school friends are. They love the Eagles. So a part of me is happy for my brothers Bob and Don and my old Philadelphia classmates. I’m trying to be nice, but it doesn’t come naturally.
It gets more complicated. The New England Patriots will bring New England Haughty to U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis for the Super Bowl that was supposed to include the Minnesota Vikings. My family roots are in Boston (my father) and Maine (my mother). All my relatives — ALL of them — except for brothers Bob and Don, will be cheering for the New England Haughties on Feb. 4.
U.S. Bank Stadium, host of the 2018 Super Bowl
When the Eagles take the field against the Patriots in the Vikings’ home stadium, I’ll be a bit conflicted. But, here’s the thing, to be quite candid. I’ll be in Florida with my less conflicted brothers Bob and Don. I’ll shout “Skol!” for the Eagles and privately give thanks that being patriotic isn’t Patriot-ic, and that life is not a football game.
– Gordon C. Stewart, Chaska, MN, January 22, 2018.
Views from the Edge 
Garry and I started out life in Brooklyn and both of us remember all the years of waiting for “dem bums” to break through the Yankees wall and win. We did … and then the Bums left town, never to return. It’s a big deal having a team this good. A privilege. It will be over soon. Because Tom Terrific can’t play forever. But he IS kind of terrific.
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Marilyn, my son Doug lives in Brooklyn and works in the Village. I, too, cheered the Brooklyn Bums against the Yankees before they moved to the high rent district of LA. As a Phillies fan, I was National League. Roy Campanella was my hero.
I understand how you and Garry feel privileged to follow a Terrific team. But, hey! You were Bums fans way back when. You cheered for the perennial underdogs. Memory alone should leave you conflicted watching the Super Bowl.
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Garry seems to feel we DESERVE a winning team. All those years of waiting for the Bums … then waiting for the Red Sox and all those years when the Patriots were bums, too. Now for almost two decades … a winning team! ONE year, the Sox, the Celtics AND the Patriots ALL took top prizes. It was one of our worst years otherwise, so sports was our one place to hide from our woes. I think that’s the point of sports, by the way. A place to hide from all the other serious stuff.
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Ah! Yes. There’s nothing quite like fiction! This year in MN were seeing new life in the Timberwolves, the perennial losers, and the Twins’s and Vikings futures also bring hope.
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Honestly, if it can happen here — with the Sox??? and the Patriots previously known as “the patsies? — it can happen anywhere. We got new owners for the Sox and a great coach and one amazing QB for the Pats and suddenly, magically, everything changed. It will change again, too. This is the now and it is getting to its end, so we might as well enjoy it while it lasts. Then, we will go back to being just another team fighting to survive.
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What can I say!! But I never threw a beer bottle at anyone while I was at the game. I was only drunk, not all those other things you said!! :-))
Cynthia
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I know, Cynthia. You would NEVER have thrown . . . or thrown AWAY . . . a beer bottle back in the day. -:)
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Not all Eagles fans are nasty and despicable people. I’m an Eagles fan and proud to be one. I am NOT proud of the behavior of some Philadelphia fans, but that doesn’t disqualify me from being a fan of the team. I will be rooting hard for the Eagles on February with my brothers Don and Gordon. I would have rooted for anyone other than the Patriots (except Dallas).
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Bob, the Eagles’ fan committee notified me after your comment arrived here at Views from the Edge. Check your car. Don’t start it. And don’t rent a car from a rental car company with any Philadelphia connection. Leave town. Fly to Pittsburgh for the rental. Or fly to Orlando for a vacation. I’ll meet you there and bring the beer and fish.
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This is so distressing! Not even good sportsmanship. “Unto our own selves be true” no matter how enraged we may be — about any of it!
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Philadelphia fans are notoriously nasty, stupid, drunk, and uncivil. Yeah, Minnesota Nice!
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This is a gross generalization and not truly accurate. There are those of us who are as civil as you claim Minnesota fans to be. I don’t consider myself nasty, stupid, uncivil nor a drunkard and there are those, other than myself, who would agree with me.
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Well said, Bob. Name two! 😜
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Appalling behavior exhibited by some people at these events…most unsportsmanlike. Makes me glad that I have “no dog in any fight,” so to speak. On SuperBowl Sunday, will retreat to my chair by the fire…with a book. 🙂
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Pretty disgusting all the way around, Lori. Chair, fire, book all sound good. Here in Minnesota, grump old men don’t consider ourselves losers. We get to go ice fishing!😂🥃
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