If Football's a Religion, Why Don't We Have a Prayer?: Philadelphia, Its Faithful, and the Eternal Quest for Sports Salvation

This book captures the heart and soul of the Philadelphia Eagles football fan as well as the fan of any team that yearns futilely for a winner for many years. As a New Orleans Saints fan, it was easy for me to identify with Philly fans who hope to win but doubt that they will.

This is a must read for any Philadelphia sports fan, especially those who live or have lived in the city or in the suburbs of greater Philly. The author expresses the views of so many die hard Eagles fans in this book. He also gives outsiders a look at the mindset and psyche behind the passion and struggle of Philadelphia both as a city and as a pro sports town. Fantastic, quick read.

All I have to say is OD. This book should be redone for a year in which the players are all "safe" I'm only a few chapters into the book but the fact that every time OD's name is mentioned I have to put it down for a bit. I love the Eagles in an unhealthy way and it surprises me to see there are other nut fans out there that don't drink and act the way we do. But I guess it wouldn't be a true Eagles book without being real good yet making you angry at the same time. I also just wanted to add my own Eagles Dallas story in here as well. At one of my first games at the Vet when I was only 7 years old or so there was an old man two rows up on the end wearing a Dallas jersey just sitting there. I don't even remember him cheering for Dallas or anything, then a group of 4 drunk Eagles fans walking down to their seats saw him and beat the crap out of him. After a good 15 seconds of them beating him while he was down they ran off before security got to them. My dad then told me that Philly was Philly and to be careful if you have the wrong colors. I thought that was going to be my worst/best Dallas fan memory until I saw Irvin go down and felt chills from everyone giving him a Philly goodbye.

There are certain sports teams that come to mind as having a set of fans that transcendeth all understanding. The 'Cubbies' from Chicago come to mind. And Brooklyn, don't forget Brooklyn who agreed with the newspaper that the three most evil men of the 20th century were "Hitler, Stalin, and Walter O'Malley." O'Malley moved the "Boys of Summer" to Los Angeles. Philly, on the other hand stands out as a city that has four professional teams, a tremendous collection of fans, and a football team that hasn't won a title in 45 years. Suddenly they stood a chance. The Eagles stood a chance and Philadelphia went crazy. This is the story of the Philly fans and their magical year that in the end ran out of pixie dust. It's a great read. It also fits in very well with the book 'Next Man Up,' even though that book is on the Ravens.

An absolute must-read for any lifetime Philly fan. Especially, since I'm 2,500 miles away for 16yrs. I can still hear the curses at the Vet, smell the beer on the Spectrum concourse, and feel the anxiety of impending doom. The Bay Area is a wonderful place to live, but is a joke when it comes to true team passion. May a Stanley Cup, World Series victory, and Super Bowl triumph be in the cards for the suffering Phanatics.