The Philadelphia Eagles have had a rough start to the season, losing to both the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys. Their fans are praying for a victory this week given they now have to face the 2-0 New York Jets on Sunday. However, due to a lucky bit of timing, their prayers might just get answered. Eagles fans are hoping that the visit by Pope Francis ahead of the big game might infuse their team with a little luck and lead to divine intervention on the field – perhaps a fourth-quarter miracle.
Here’s a few snapshots of Eagles fans caught up in pope-mania ...
Hail Mary play: Eagles fans say Pope Francis is their only hope http://t.co/rNtaaFxUdR #popeinphilly pic.twitter.com/40zqsNjtUy
— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 26, 2015
“I hope he brings some luck to our football team, the Eagles, because we really need that right now,” says Randy Burris.
Randy Burris--out here at Broad and Race for McDonald's--wants the Pope to help the Eagles. #citypoper #PopeInPhilly pic.twitter.com/lKI7sAj8Zh
— Andrew Zaleski (@ajzaleski) September 26, 2015
In the daydreams of Eagles fans, Pope Francis would have made time in his schedule to stop by Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Philadelphia Eagles, to offer a blessing.
Even the pope wants to destroy Dallas. Let's go. [via Jim Britt, VP of Snider Hockey] pic.twitter.com/qKmffa6lDH
— Sons of Penn (@SonsofPenn) September 19, 2015
However, prayers were not answered last week when the Dallas Cowboys beat the Eagles 20-10. Maybe the pontiff’s visit will help.
Even the Pope down with http://t.co/olT181nhCP! #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/UDQzMDp7Zf
— EROCK (@TheMightyEROCK) September 20, 2015
And then there are these guys ...
The Pope said he's praying for the Eagles. pic.twitter.com/f2dHhtG9rU
— VG (@ViolationsGreg) September 20, 2015
If the pope can manage to block traffic across Philadelphia, he should be able to bless the Eagles’ defensive line. It’s a valid point.
Hey if Pope Francis can block traffic maybe he can block the Jets defense.... #Eagles #flyeaglesfly @975Mornings pic.twitter.com/5h3TWa5hgM
— EROCK (@TheMightyEROCK) September 24, 2015
In all seriousness, the pontiff did receive an Eagle’s jersey as a gift, in the event he did want to hit the field with the team.
Gifts for @Pontifex! @StCharlesSem #PopeInPhilly pic.twitter.com/hQnAjJS61a
— Steven John Arena (@DeaconArena) September 26, 2015
If you think pope-mania is confined to just a few fans, think again. The Philadelphia Daily News dedicated its cover to the plea for pontiff prayers on Monday.
With the current state of the Philadelphia Eagles, fans in the City of Brotherly Love are hoping he can work his magic and fix the team ... If you recall, Eagles fans had some fun earlier this year by starting a petition to get Pope Francis to bless Philadelphia quarterback Sam Bradford’s knees during his visit. Now, fans are really hoping the pope can find a way to get the team headed in the right direction.
Philly Paper Asks Pope to Fix Eagles http://t.co/FCWMU30kJj pic.twitter.com/JE626Bg0Sl
— Eagles Daily (@EaglesDaily) September 21, 2015
The Philadelphia Eagles face off against the New York Jets at 1pm ET. Given that Pope Francis blessed both New York and Philadelphia in the same week, the Hail Mary is up for grabs.
