A rivalry has been renewed.
Philadelphia will host the NFC championship sport between the Eagles and the visiting Washington Commanders Sunday.
Forward of the sport, the well-known Rocky statue in downtown Philadelphia was wearing gear representing the Commanders’ former identification, the Redskins.
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The offender is unknown.
Dressing the statue in opposing groups’ gear has turn into a practice lately forward of massive Eagles playoff video games. Every time its occurred, the Eagles have come away with wins.
In 2022, the statue was wearing New York Giants gear forward of their matchup in opposition to the Eagles within the divisional spherical. The Eagles received that sport 38-7. The next week, the statue was wearing San Francisco 49ers gear earlier than Niners arrived in Philadelphia for the NFC championship sport. The Eagles received that sport, 31-7.
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When the Eagles received their first Tremendous Bowl within the 2017 season, the statue was additionally wearing opposing groups’ gear.
Forward of that season’s NFC championship sport between the Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings, the statue was draped in a Vikings jersey, and the Eagles received 38-7. Earlier than the Tremendous Bowl, somebody positioned a New England Patriots jersey on the statue, and the Eagles beat the Patriots 41-33 to assert their first Tremendous Bowl title.
The vandalism grew to become so frequent that Kansas Metropolis Chiefs tight finish Travis Kelce pleaded together with his personal fan base to not do costume the statue in any Chiefs gear forward of the 2023 Tremendous Bowl. The Chiefs received that sport 38-35.
“Chiefs, don’t contact the f—ing Rocky memorial!” Kelce mentioned throughout a February 2023 episode of his podcast, “New Heights.”
“Don’t do this and undoubtedly do not put an No. 87 on it!”
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Former Eagles middle Jason Kelce, who performed in opposition to Travis and the Chiefs in that sport, theorized the offender was an Eagles fan.
“I am gonna be sincere. I believe someone from Philadelphia is doing this now,” Jason Kelce mentioned.
“I do not suppose that is an opposing group factor at this level. There is no manner opposing groups proceed to do that. I am satisfied there’s a Philadelphia fan who’s placing these shirts on the Rocky statue simply to get everybody fired up, and it is working tremendously.
“So, maintain doing it. I assure it. There is no manner. As a result of it is occurred each single sport. The Giants did it. The 49ers did it. There’ll in all probability be a Chiefs jersey on it this week.”
Now, Washington is up, and can look to interrupt the pattern.
It will likely be the primary time the rivals have met in a convention championship sport and marks a excessive level for a rivalry that has been dormant in latest many years because of Washington’s lack of ability to win within the playoffs because the Nineties.
The 2024 season was the primary since 2005 that Washington received a playoff sport, and the primary since 1991 that the franchise reached the convention championship.
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