MINNEAPOLIS — The Vikings recently clobbered the Eagles. It was the fourth straight year the two teams played. If you erased it from your memory, the Eagles beat the Vikings in Philly in 2018, then came here, and won the Super Bowl. Some people had really bad experiences with Philly fans. Off the field last weekend, a group of super fans got together to talk about how all fans should act.
“You want to do a Skol chant? No, we don’t do Skol chants,E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles” Jamie Pagliei, alongside a Vikings fan, chanted into his camera.
There is a negative stereotype of Philly fans.
“The whole 2018 debacle certainly comes to mind right away,” said Skolt Scott of the Viking World Order, a fan group.
“Hats taken off and thrown in the urinals, and urinated on,” one fan told KARE11 in 2018 after returning from Philly.
“Neanderthals,” said another.
“I will never go back to Philly,” said yet another.
“I know that, as of right now, Minnesota doesn’t look to fondly at Philadelphia. I came specifically to try to change that image 100%,” said Pagliei.
On the internet he goes by the Philly Sports Guy. He travels to talk to opposing fans, and posts the interviews online.
“What’s your name? Diggz,” a VWO member told Pagliei, during one such interview.
They got together to teach us something: Fanhood should be fun.
“You my friends are here in enemy territory, wearing your colors proudly. We just want you to know we do respect that,” a VWO member told Pagliei and a few other Eagles fans.
Fans should not incite fear.
“When you guys come into town, you’re helping out our economy and everything like that. That’s a big deal to me,” Pagliei told them.
“I can give them a hard time verbally, but that’s where it ends. It’s gotta be about sportsmanship. We should be able to be friends,” said Scott.
Pagliei can’t speak for a whole city, but he can try to change one mind at a time.
“There shouldn’t be any bullying when it comes to those types of things. It’s one of those things that I feel really strongly about,” he said.
“Thank you very much,” Paglie and Skolt shook hands on-camera, wished each other’s team to lose, and hope they’ve made a difference.