An elementary school in New Jersey is making headlines for having students remove posters related to the upcoming game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. Footage aired by FOX 29 Philadelphia features students at Cooper’s Point Family School engaging with punching bags adorned with images of Cowboys players, which has since gone viral on social media.
The reactions to this event have been varied, as you might expect. The Dallas Cowboys head into the game with a record of 4-5-1, while the Eagles are leading the NFC at 8-2 and are aiming for their second consecutive Super Bowl title, their third since 2017. The last match between these teams took place in Philadelphia at the season’s start, and the next clash will happen in Dallas.
Eagles fans, it’s worth noting, have developed a reputation for rowdy behavior over the years. After the Eagles’ Super Bowl win in February, a video captured by Freedom News TV allegedly shows a crowd involved in looting a laundry truck and tossing towels into the air. There was also a fire involving a pile of laundry, with police present.
In another incident, two individuals were filmed toppling a utility pole, which then attracted a crowd that started to kick it. They ended up carrying the pole through downtown.
In January, Eagles fans made headlines again for a troubling incident involving a viral video showing a man assaulting a female Green Bay Packers fan during a wild-card playoff game.
Former Dallas Cowboys player DeMarcus Ware shared his own story of experiencing hostile behavior from Eagles fans. During a game in 2005, he recalls warning his mother not to wear her jersey in the stands, but she did anyway. It was a rough evening when someone threw a projectile that hit her. Ware, understandably upset, almost confronted the offender in the stands.
There have been other incidents as well, such as in 2018 when an Eagles fan was arrested for hitting a Philadelphia police officer’s horse during a playoff game against the Falcons. The individual was ejected for being intoxicated and without a ticket but then attacked the horse when he walked past it.
After the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory that same year, riots erupted across the city, with reports of looting and violent behavior directed at both property and people.
One notorious moment in Eagles fan history occurred back in 1968, when a man dressed as Santa Claus was booed relentlessly, even being pelted with snowballs by fans frustrated with the team’s performance.
In another incident in 1997, an Eagles fan set off a smoke bomb in a crowded stand, which sparked multiple fights, primarily targeting fans of the opposing 49ers.
The Philadelphia Inquirer noted that the chaos included numerous threats directed toward 49ers supporters. Following the game, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie acknowledged that the situation was a step backward in terms of fan behavior, despite previous improvements.
