Philadelphia Eagles fans are known for their passionate, and sometimes volatile, support of their team.
We have all been there. Sunday afternoon comes after a tough week at work and the butterflies in the pit of our stomachs begin to flutter with nerves and anticipation.
Several hours later, our mood has plummeted and our need for human interaction is now non-existent as our favourite teams have been blown out by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – not that I am talking from personal experience.
The reaction on social media can become toxic and sometimes even step on the abusive side of the line.
Lately, it has come to my attention that even when your team goes on a scintillating run of form, things can still turn sour if an individuals performance is not deemed satisfactory.
The argument always arises that supporters spend their free time and hard earned money to be entertained. But is our rational judgement clouded as we expect perfection every week?
Let us start with Jalen Hurts, the quarterback out of Alabama. He has led the Eagles to a 12-2 record with an immaculate run partnership created with Saquon Barkley.
However, after last week’s victory, fans were furious that he had only targeted star wide receiver A.J. Brown on four occasions.
The uproar on social media was outrageous as supporters claimed Hurts was not good enough to lead this Philadelphia side to a Super Bowl – at this point the Eagles sat with a record of 11-2.
Another week, another debate
This week, Jalen Carter decided to randomly strike Connor Heyward on the head. It could have easily resulted in the officials handing back possession to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a vital moment that could have changed the whole game.
It was a rare mistake from Carter. But now fans are calling for Philadelphia to isolate him from the squad as he is not mature enough. This is despite the fact that Carter has been a standout defensive tackle and still only 23-years-old.
As fans, do we let our emotions take the front seat when demanding drastic changes in our teams? Or is that our right?
