Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout owns season tickets for the Philadelphia Eagles, a superfan who flashes allegiance for his hometown football team any chance he gets. His most recent act of loyalty included sending a stern warning to one of the best players on the Eagles’ most hated rival.
Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Rangers-Angels game on May 17 in Arlington, Texas. In a twist of fate, Trout and Parsons met each other and posed for pictures while flashing smiles for the cameras. Trout – nine-time All-Star, three-time American League MVP – even gifted Parsons a hand-signed bat, the same one he used to club a seventh-inning homer that evening.
Nice gesture, right? It gets better. Trout wrote “Micah, take it easy on the birds!” on the bat, a reference to Parsons not destroying Jalen Hurts when the Eagles and Cowboys meet. The NFC East rivals play in Week 6 (October 16, 8:20 p.m.) and in Week 16 (December 24, 4:25 p.m.).
Again, no surprises here. Trout has been unabashedly candid about his love for all things Philly sports over the years. The Millville, New Jersey native discussed his all-time favorite athletes in a 2017 interview with Philly Voice.
“Favorite Philadelphia athlete of all time? Man. That’s a tough one. All-time favorite Philadelphia athlete … I was a big (Allen) Iverson fan. A big (Brian) Dawkins fan. I like Dawkins.”
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Troy Aikman Shares Feelings on Carson Wentz
Speaking of NFC East rivals, the Eagles will see one-time franchise quarterback Carson Wentz twice this season after he landed with the Washington Commanders.
The first one comes on the road in Week 3 (September 25, 1 p.m.) at FedEx Field; and Wentz’s Philly homecoming occurs in Week 10 (November 14, 8:15 p.m.) at Lincoln Financial Field. The latter is on the “Monday Night Football” schedule, with Troy Aikman set to call the broadcast. The former Cowboys legend offered a few thoughts on Wentz during a recent ESPN conference call.
“I think that right now, Carson had an opportunity; it didn’t end well in Philadelphia, of course,” Aikman said. “He then got traded to Indianapolis. Didn’t go great for him there. They decided to make another change at that position, and now he’s landed in Washington.
“This is probably his last opportunity, just being blunt about it, to prove that he can be a franchise quarterback in the NFL. I’m hopeful that he’s able to take advantage of that. Looking forward to that match-up between those two teams. But this is kind of a defining season, I think, for Carson Wentz and what his future is going to look like.”
Indianapolis Colts Working on Deal for Nick Foles
According to The Athletic’s Zak Keefer, the Indianapolis Colts are negotiating a deal to sign free agent quarterback Nick Foles. The one-time Super Bowl MVP – and forever Philly hero – was released by the Chicago Bears on May 1 after they failed to find a willing trade partner.
If the Colts complete the deal, Foles would serve as the backup quarterback to Matt Ryan in Indianapolis and reunite with former Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich. Foles, of course, won a Super Bowl under Reich’s tutelage after stepping in for an injured Carson Wentz. Full circle.
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Eagles All-Star Fan Mike Trout Sends Strong Message to Cowboys Star