CNN’s Jake Tapper has never been shy about wearing his Philadelphia Eagles fandom on his sleeve. And he most certainly has always kept receipts on those in the media who have counted out his beloved Birds.
After the Eagles celebrated their Super Bowl LIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs with an expletive-filled parade through the streets of Philadelphia, Tapper took to CNN airwaves to air grievances against just about everyone in the sports media world who spoke ill of quarterback Jalen Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley, head coach Nick Sirianni, and the Eagles’ championship chances.
From ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky and Stephen A. Smith to FS1’s Nick Wright to NBC Sports’ Chris Simms to The Ringer’s Bill Simmons, no one with a hot take about the Eagles over the past few years was safe.
“Here’s the thing,” Tapper said. “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; they’ve been dismissed; they’ve been told to move on and get over it, but their inner drives took all that crap from all those ridiculous voices and said, ‘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 scorched earth retribution on behalf of the Eagles wasn’t necessary, but it was so very Philly. And given how much they had to hear about the Chiefs, Lions, Ravens, and Bills this season as the teams of destiny, Eagles fans get to have the moment in the sun.
