Getty Saquon Barkley gives Eagles fans a salute during a game at Lincoln Financial Field.
Eagles fans have a reputation for being very loyal to the cause. Scratch that, insanely protective of the nest. They are among the most passionate fans in the NFL and back it up when enemies invade Lincoln Financial Field.
They also hate the New York Giants. So if anyone wants to come into Philadelphia wearing a blue jersey, then all bets are off. Even if that person happens to be Saquon Barkley’s dad. In a recent interview with a panel from NFL Network, the Giants running back relayed a hilarious story about an Eagles fan instructing his dad to remove his Barkley jersey.
“My dad actually went to the Giants-Eagles game and had my jersey on,” Barkley told NFL Network. “Some guy started talking to my dad and telling him how he shouldn’t have had that jersey on. He was a Philly fan. My dad really wasn’t having that too much. Thank God my mom was there and was able to stop anything from happening.”
The story came in response to a question about the craziest fans in football and Barkley didn’t even hesitate in saying “Philly fans.”
“I would have to go with Philly,” said Barkley, via CBS Sports. “I think Eli (Manning) came out and said something about it earlier in the year — when you go out there, you don’t just see grown men yelling at you, you see little kids yelling at you. When he said that quote, I remember just, like, flashing back to my first time running out there.
“And I remember just looking up, and I’m seeing this one little kid — one day, I hope I find out his name — but he was saying some things that, probably, an 11- or 12-year-old shouldn’t be really saying … Philly fans are crazy.”
Follow the Heavy Philadelphia Eagles page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Eli Manning Called Philly Least Favorite Town
When Saquon Barkley talked about Philly fans being the toughest in football, he evoked comments from Eli Manning. The Giants quarterback referred to Lincoln Financial Field as his least favorite road venue to play in. But he didn’t mention the team bus being pelted with rocks or the infamous 1968 booing of Santa Claus. No, he referenced a 9-year old Eagles fan giving him the “double finger.”
“You go there, and that 9-year-old kid is giving you the double finger,” Manning told Newsday‘s Neil Best. “Not a thumbs-up. Not, ‘We’re No. 1.’ And he said something about my mom; I had to Google what it was. It’s just different. It’s a different culture.”
Philadelphia was also the site of the hardest hit Manning ever incurred in a football game. The quarterback was absolutely crushed by Eagles defensive end Jerome McDougle during his rookie debut in 2004. He called it the “biggest hit I’ve ever taken in my life.” And the referees agreed as they called for a 10-second runoff on the clock and ended the game.
“I got destroyed … right in the neck,” Manning told NFL Network. “It’s the biggest hit I’ve ever taken in my life. All I remember is Ron Dayne picked the ball up, he runs out of bounds and they just called the game. They said game over. Sounds good to me. Let’s go to the locker room.”