Philadelphia eagles santa claus incident

Olivo, known as the Santa who was booed and dodged snowballs during halftime at a Eagles game, believes the infamous snowball episode launched the Philadelphia Eagles reputation for boorish fans, philadelphia eagles santa claus incident. The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP. Yes, the NFC East title is still in sight for the Eagles when they host the New York Giants — but the date alone is enough to make fans at the Linc cringe at reminders of a bad rap and a bad Santa.

It is December and Eagles fans are angry. The team is losing, a disappointing season is winding down and the fans are calling for the coach to be fired. The name lent itself so well to chanting. Joe Must Go rolled easily off the tongue. Three words, nice and short, just right for the angry staccato chorus. That season culminated with one of the most storied events in the citys sports history: the fans throwing snow balls at Santa Claus.

Philadelphia eagles santa claus incident

Yes, the NFC East title is still in sight for the Eagles when they host the New York Giants — but the date alone is enough to make fans at the Linc cringe at reminders of a bad rap and a bad Santa. It's Christmas in Philadelphia and you know what that means: Santa and snowballs and a time of month that cursed Philly fans for almost six decades with a reputation that they are the most belligerent, boorish ones in all of sports. You've surely heard the tale before: how fans near the end of one of the worst seasons in Eagles history dipped their fingers into snow at Franklin Field on a frigid December afternoon, cupped their hands and pelted poor ol' Santa Claus with snowballs — long before anyone was beaten at Dodgers Stadium, or a Kansas City Royals coach was assaulted on the infield, or the "Malice at the Palace" occurred, or any of the other countless incidents of abominable behavior that surely would stain any other team's fanbase — except they weren't from Philly. The Eagles, only six years removed from an NFL championship, started in under coach Joe Kuharich and seem poised to finish with the worst record in the league and earn the No. That meant a chance at selecting USC running back O. Only once the Eagles won two straight games — hadn't anyone heard of Tankadelphia? And when the Eagles needed a pinch-hit Santa to fill in for the real-deal halftime act either stranded elsewhere in a snowstorm or simply no-showing because of one, they plucked a fan out of the stands who happened to dress as Saint Nick to toss candy canes into the crowd. As instructed, year-old Frank Olivo ran downfield past a row of elf-costumed "Eaglettes" and the team's person brass band playing "Here Comes Santa Claus. Only a funny thing has happened over the decades since fans had the best arms in Philly and a jail cell was needed at Veterans Stadium, and diehards packed DieHards with each ticket purchased, Philly crowds have become — nice. The secret has long been out, with the Eagles' home at Lincoln Financial Field and the Phillies' home across the street at Citizens Bank Park now each at two decades of providing a raucous, intimidating — yet fan-friendly — atmosphere that cheered on a Super Bowl and a World Series title this century, that put a dent in the rep of the city's Santa-hating notoriety.

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The Philadelphia Citizen series Your City Defined breaks down the language, institutions, rules of thumb, traditions, quirks, and rituals that are unique to Philly. BY Larry Platt. It is the stuff of legend. You hear it during Philadelphia Eagles , on sports talk radio, in the national media : The Philly boo-bird is so heartless, so hard to please, we once even booed Santa. Possibly pelted him with snowballs.

Philadelphia has a reputation across professional sports for having the roughest fans. Nobody knows that better than Frank Olivo. The Eagles were bad that season. They went into the game with a record, but they were coming off two wins in a row, which hurt their odds at the No. So fans went into the stadium annoyed — if they were going to be bad, the least they could do was get the top pick. In that draft, it would have been O. Fans arrived to the stadium that afternoon with snow in their seats to watch a poor team in unfavorable weather. Philadelphia fans throwing snowballs at Santa Claus is a topic that can come up during any Eagles broadcast, and maybe even other professional Philly sports games, too. Cinderella Stories View team list. Soccer Fantasy Soccer View team list.

Philadelphia eagles santa claus incident

From Philly and the Pa. Let us know! The year was — a disastrous season for the Philadelphia Eagles.

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Franklin Field, the site of the game. NBC Sports Philadelphia. Not only that, the history has lived on and grown over the course of almost 52 years. The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP. Featured Local Savings. Now remember, the place is covered in snow because it had snowed the day before, and there was snow all over the stands. Advertisements and sponsorships have different tax-deductible eligibility. Despite various offers to sell his famous cufflinks over the years, Olivo opted to hold on to his historic pair of accessories. Frank Olivo passed away in at the age of 66 after dealing with heart problems for his entire life. WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information.

The incident occurred on December 15, , in Week 14, at the time the final week of the NFL season, with the struggling Eagles sitting at 2—11 on the season. Tied 7—7 at halftime, the team brought out Santa Claus as part of the halftime Christmas parade; but Eagles fans upset by the poor season pelted him with snowballs.

From there, the story spread like wildfire across the national media, with references made to it in all kinds of newspaper and TV settings. Olivo, known as the Santa who was booed and dodged snowballs during halftime at a Eagles game, believes the infamous snowball episode launched the Philadelphia Eagles reputation for boorish fans. Recruiter's Row Recruiter's Row is a biweekly recruitment newsletter that keeps you up-to-date on all things employment related. Israel-Hamas war. More From AP News. Related Content. When it came to the Eagles feet of film, we did a double-take. John Pierron, a former Channel 3 newsman, covered the story and detailed it in a letter to Comcast SportsNet. Quaker Nation Quaker Nation is a weekly sports newsletter covering all things Penn sports. This was film of yesteryear -- black and white, not colorbut the scene was unmistakable. Share Share. It was more than the fans could stand. The Eagles were not popular in our newsroom that year. Get it in your inbox every other Wednesday. Fans were especially frustrated with the job done by head coach Joe Kuharich, with many at the game, and the games prior to it, calling for his firing.