CNN’s Jake Tapper has never hidden his Philadelphia Eagles fandom and has kept receipts on those in the media who doubted his beloved team. After the Eagles celebrated their Super Bowl LIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs with an expletive-filled parade through Philadelphia, Tapper took to CNN’s airwaves to voice his grievances against those in sports media who criticized quarterback Jalen Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley, head coach Nick Sirianni, and the Eagles’ championship prospects. No one with a hot take about the Eagles over the past few years was safe, including ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky, Stephen A. Smith, FS1’s Nick Wright, NBC Sports’ Chris Simms, and The Ringer’s Bill Simmons.
“Here’s the thing,” Tapper asserted. “So many of the guys on this team, so many of the Eagles have been told, ‘You’re not champions,’ ‘You’re not excellent,’ ‘You’re overvalued.’ They’ve been shoved aside and dismissed, but their inner drive turned all that negativity into motivation, saying, ‘You are wrong. I do have value. I am a champion.’ You know what? The Eagles were right. The Eagles were right, and we love them not just for being champions, but for proving the naysayers hugely, embarrassingly wrong. Fly Eagles fly.” Tapper’s passionate defense of the Eagles, while perhaps unnecessary, was very much in line with Philadelphia’s spirit. After hearing so much this season about the Chiefs, Lions, Ravens, and Bills as the teams of destiny, Eagles fans are finally enjoying their moment in the spotlight.
