PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — If the Eagles found themselves in Vegas this weekend playing in Super Bowl LVIII, there's a decent chance 28-year-old Matt Rappa of South Jersey would be there without any hesitation.
While on a snowmobiling trip at the New Hampshire-Maine border, Matt and his dad David heard some relatives were headed to Arizona for Super Bowl LVII – between the Eagles and the Chiefs.
Matt made a decision based on instinct. It was impulsive. It was emotional. It was simple fandom. Opportunities like this don’t just happen. He spent a remarkable amount of money to get a cross-country flight to Arizona and tickets to the big game for himself and his father.
And when the game ended, it was time to high-tail it out of State Farm Stadium and fly home.
Yup … it was a cross-country day trip for the biggest sporting and entertainment event on the planet and it was all to return the favor to his father and those before him, like his grandmother MaryLee, for introducing him to this wild world of Philly sports.
The memory lives on
The Rappas have a photo of them watching Super Bowl XXXIX between the Eagles and Patriots together, with MaryLee wearing a Donovan McNabb jersey. Unfortunately, MaryLee had passed by the time the Eagles made it back to the big game in Super Bowl LII — their rematch with New England — but her spirit was there.
In Arizona at Super Bowl LVII, the Rappas brought MaryLee’s jersey with them and took another photo to document the moment.
If that doesn’t emphasize family, nothing does.
Take a listen to Matt’s story in the player below:
CORRECTION: Matt Rappa and his father were snowmobiling, not snowboarding, in New Hampshire. The article has been edited to reflect the correction.