PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Probably the epitome of being an Eagles devotee is tailgating outside the Linc. Extreme fans do it best: They start at 4 a.m.
The first Eagles home game of the season is scheduled for 8:15 Thursday night against the Vikings, but some fans flocked to the stadium 16 hours ahead of kickoff.
For the last several years, Gregg Matza has always tried to be the first one outside the Linc for the home opener. And on Thursday, he was. He got to South Philly around 4:30 a.m.
“It’s like Christmas to me,” he said. “I can’t sleep, so I drop my girlfriend Maureen off, gassed up, iced up the beer, and I’m here and I’m staying all day. This is it.”
Eventually, more people joined Matza, including one of the most well-known Eagles fans, Shaun Young. He paints his face green and silver and wears shoulder pads under his jersey, a longtime signature look.
“The first game I did it was Sept. 3, 1995, and I’ve been wearing it ever since except the ’21 season,” he said proudly. “Since that point, it’s been game day gear whether it’s on the road or at home.”
Many fans at the Linc and at home are hoping the Birds go 2-0 and play better than they did on Sunday against the Patriots.
If the team’s energy comes remotely close to that of Shirley Dash — better known as Eagle Shirley — then they’ll be in pretty good shape.
“We need to come out with an Eagles win, all day long!” she shouted. “E-A-G-L-E-S!”