PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Eagles fans fortunate enough to score Super Bowl tickets are winging their way to New Orleans to cheer on the Birds.
There was an air of nervous excitement among the crowd of Eagles diehards at Gate E16 at Philadelphia International Airport Friday morning, as fans prepared to board a Southwest Airlines flight to the Big Easy.
“It’s going to be crazy. I’m just looking around — this looks like 98% Eagles fans and probably two businessmen,” said Eagles fan John Klusaritz of Newtown Square, who was heading to Super Bowl LIX with his wife Susan.
There are 28 flights to New Orleans departing PHL in the three days leading up to the big game. Fans throughout the airport Friday were sporting their Midnight Green and Kelly Green Eagles colors.
"We went to all three playoff games and we’re looking forward to bringing home a W in New Orleans,” Jay Gardner of Williamstown said.
Fans planned a variety of activities in the days before Sunday night's kickoff. Eagles fan Justin, who declined to give his last name, plans to sample the local cuisine: “Hang out on the French Quarter, get some eats, some beignets, some po’boys, some étouffee, hang out and just eat and have fun,” he said.
Even before the Birds' 55-23 drubbing of Washington in the NFC championship was over, Ken Schreffler of Newark, Delaware knew he was going to the Super Bowl. “I ordered the tickets in the middle of the fourth quarter after I felt confident that they were going to win,” he said.
Schreffler was traveling with Joe Julian of Brookhaven. "We’ll go to some of the Eagles parties in the bars, and then we’ve got the Eagles tailgate before the game on Sunday,” Julian said.
Everyone at the airport seemed to be primed for an Eagles victory, Schreffler noted before boarding his flight.
“How many ‘Go Birds’ did we hear on the way here? Half a dozen of them already. So I’m sure there’ll be plenty more. That flight should be pretty fun!”