Friday, February 9, 2018

Failure and fire and no one likes us and we don't care

image via 6abc Action News, the only news in town
Philly's been in the news a lot this week. If you haven't heard, our football team won the Super Bowl. 

The majority of the after stories focused on destructive assholes who celebrated by destroying shit. 

Who does that? Well, assholes in every city, unfortunately. Not according to the Internet, though. The Internet would like to pin assholes squarely on Philly. We’re used to it.

So even for non-fans like me, it's been an awesome but oddly defensive feeling week.

On failure making us who we are and being a common denominator for all of us regardless of life status, here is the speech of Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles. True, humble, relatable. 

Failure comes for all of us, big and small fails, fails only we know about and fails that are visible to many. When failure comes, you’ve got to get up and grow from it. Be you, do you, work hard, have your own back, and don't look outside for validation because when you look outside for validation, you will let doubt and shame from the outside creep in too. You don't need that shit. Just keep going.

Then there’s Jason Kelce's speech, delivered in an Avalon Stringband Mummer suit and fired up with the F bomb - mummers, Eagles, F bomb is like a Philly trifecta - that will live in infamy in this city. True, fire, relatable. Up there on the Art Museum steps, Jason Kelce is Rocky after he’s been told he can’t win. Jason Kelce is all of us. 



It’s hard to explain Philly to people. That speech and this little ditty, sung by Kelce and Celek and fans along the parade route but certainly not new to this city, both do a good job of giving you the feel of our culture. 

No one likes us, no one likes us, no one likes us,
We don’t care
WE'RE FROM PHILLY FUCKING PHILLY 
NO ONE LIKES US, WE DON'T CARE

There's a lot to be said for not caring what people think. You can be out there living like Jesus and Mother Teresa combined and people will still think what they want of you, and say what they will. They’ll find shit to talk about because some people just like to talk shit. It’s fine. It’s the way of the world. If you're a good person, you’re a good person. 

I still don't give two shits about the NFL and would take a knee with Colin Kaepernick any day of the week and twice on Sundays, but I love the hell out of people with fire and heart and I love the underdog. This Eagles team has fire and heart, they’re all up there on the stage as Super Bowl champions barking like dogs in front of God and the world while giving zero shits, and quite a few of them have a social conscious to boot. 

This city has fire and heart. We identify as underdogs - we think Rocky is a real person from this town and screw you if you say it’s just a movie. We are working class people; a city of neighborhoods; people with a cultural tendency for bluntness that is often mistaken for rudeness; people who care more about what’s in your heart and what's real than how polished you are; people who are more apt to roar like lions behind those who speak from the heart even if it's a little messy and not conventionally classy; people who might curse more than you like but would give you the shirt off their back in a second. We work hard, play hard, and love hard. 

If the world wants to lump us all in with the few who destroy shit and rocket bottles at people, it’s fine. We know what we are, and it’s not that. 

And if you don’t like us, we don’t care. You can already buy a shirt for this occasion. If you recall, I bought another version at the Cheesesteak Festival in 2015. 

Yo. Happy Friday from Philly.

17 comments:

  1. Boom. Love this. Been living in the Philly area for 8 years now and there is nothing like the fiery passion of a Philly Fan. I loved the song this of course coming from a girl who was named "Most Nonconformist" in high school which I am pretty sure they made it up just for me.

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  2. Amen. Meanwhile, mass shootings by crazed white men and our “leaders “ and Fox News almost defend them. God help and heal all.
    Nick Foles and Jason Kelce are awesome. Beautiful and perfect words again !
    Love. Your. Proudest. Momma.

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  3. Nick Foles is certainly a class act, and I'd be proud to have him on my NFL team. :) Loved seeing you guys getting to celebrate the win with the parade on TV. And cheesesteak festival? Yes, please.

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  4. Nick Foles is one if the best stories to come out of the NFL in a while. I loved that the Eagles won.

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  5. we think Rocky is a real person from this town and screw you if you say it’s just a movie - best sentence I've read in the longest!
    Dont worry - when UK wins, Lexington is known for burning mattresses. Like its a legit problem. WHY???? because people are passionate in different ways everywhere. :)

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  6. He was wearing a mummer suit, that makes so much more sense now! I was not rooting for Philly in the Super Bowl simply because I'm a cowboys fan and I hate rooting for my competition. But, congrats, y'all won and cheers to getting the BIG SHIP. Foles is a class act and I'm so glad he talked about failure. Too many people hide it and it is sad. I've failed a TON the past two years and now I'm learning.

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  7. I don't know squat about football or Philly's reputation when it comes to sports but I love what Foles said and the fire from Kelce. I was just happy they beat Brady and made him sad because I'm petty AF. But now I love them championing the underdogs ... and finally get all those weird dog masks that were creeping me out.

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  8. Love it all. I watched Kelce's speech seven times in a row last night.

    On another note, I was a little concerned about his costume, simply because aren't those really, really expensive? I was so worried when I saw that he crowdsurfed in it -- all I could think of was the damage to the costume!! Haha!!

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  9. Oh how I hate the overhyped media. Still so happy for the Eagles, and the class act that is Nick Foles :)

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  10. Love all of this, but especially Nick Foles for that dose of reality. I can think of far more shithole places in this country to be from... Philly has heart. And Pole Patriots (really prefer that to Pole Patrol in these circumstances).

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  11. So happy they won even though I missed the whole game. I feel asleep early thanks flu and woke up around 1ish. I was afraid to check my phone to find out the score but was super psyched to find out the Eagles won!
    Love the speeches.

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  12. John wants to road trip with his brother and dad and see a bunch of NFL games on the east coast in 1 weekend, like something thursday, then tailgate sunday then another city sunday night, monday game if it works out. And someone told them not to do Philly because everyone is Philly is an asshole. I told him to shove it up his ass, my friend Steph is in Philly so therefore, Philly people rock.

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  13. I loved seeing Philly win on Sunday. And I hate how the media only focuses on the assholes in any area of the country. A lot of people want to say a lot of crap about people who live in the south. Especially Alabama. But 98% of the people I come in contact with on a daily basis are decent humans who aren't stuck in the past and can have an intelligent conversation. I love the dont care song and tees! It is nice to see a classy guy come out of the NFL like that.

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  14. Philly = heart. This post is perfect! If you don't mind, I will share it.

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  15. You gotta represent your city! All the hate directed towards Philly is shameful! Emily @ Martinis & Bikinis

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  16. I am so glad y'all won. Nick Foles is such a great guy. And the words about failure are so true, some of the best things in my life have come out the failures. Have a great weekend enjoying your awesome city.

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  17. I feel like we have an overlooked and underappreciated connect with Philadelphia since my town is named and structured after yours, lol. But also, congrats on winning the Super Bowl and all the badass speeches that came from it!

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