Super Bowl LII: Exciting reality is finally settling in for Eagles fans

An exciting atmosphere looms large over the city of Philadelphia this week. After a rough wave of disappointment, the Eagles are finally back in the Super Bowl.

Let’s pretend that we’re back in August of 2017. The Philadelphia Eagles just completed their final preseason game against the New York Jets. Final cuts were soon to come, as the team and fans eagerly awaited the opening day of the 2017 season against the Washington Redskins. Expectations among the city, and nationally were low for the Eagles. Most experts were projecting them to be a mediocre 7-9 or 8-8.

Many analysts and fans were unsure how second-year quarterback Carson Wentz would transition into his sophomore season. Also in his second year, head coach Doug Pederson was being heavily criticized for being so-called “unqualified.” With an array of new faces on the team, and people clamoring about the darling Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants, some stated that the Eagles would be lucky to even make the playoffs.

Now, imagine after all this, your friend walks up to you and predicts that the Eagles and the New England Patriots will be in Super Bowl 52, for a rematch from 2004-2005. What would your reaction be? You probably would not think anything of it, maybe chuckle a little about the impossible scenario. Now fast-forward to January of 2018, and that dream has become a reality.

The Eagles have embraced the underdog role all year long.

There is a lot of credit to go around as to how the Eagles made it up to this point. General Manager Howie Roseman, who deservedly won PFWA Executive of the Year, transformed Chip Kelly’s mess into a Super Bowl squad. Doug Pederson kept the team motivated and ready to play, along with his help in developing Carson Wentz. We obviously cannot forget about Wentz, who transformed from a moderately criticized rookie to an MVP-candidate in just one season.

However, an underrated asset that has taken the Eagles to an elite category, are the doubters. The story of the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles season, will be remembered as the tale of the underdogs.  All throughout the 2017-18 NFL campaign, the team has thrived off of the non-believers and the constant hype of other teams around the league. When Wentz went down with an ACL tear, the general consensus among the media was that the Eagles were basically a waste of a playoff spot.

The team did not let this bother them one bit. Instead, they used it as motivation to help them achieve their ultimate goal. Now, look where they are.

Philly fans deserve this opportunity.

Eagles fans and people in the Philadelphia area in general sometimes get a bad rep. Misinformed people like to group all of the fans together based on the actions of some individuals. Nonetheless, Philly fans are arguably one of the most passionate fan-bases out there. We’ve been through plenty of failure and dismay throughout the years, so when an Eagles team like this one comes around, the entire city gets behind them.

Next: Philadelphia Eagles: Chemistry has led to perseverance

A Super Bowl win could be the final piece to the puzzle to make sports in Philadelphia great again. You only get this opportunity once in a while (unless you’re the Patriots), so hopefully, the Eagles can take advantage of it. Most importantly though, win or lose this game, this has certainly been a season to remember.