May 16, 2024
Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today Sports
Eagles fans took over Los Angeles in 2023. Will they do that again in 2024?
The NFL schedule is out and in between penciling in the Eagles for a 17-0 campaign, some Birds fans may have begun planning road trips to see their team play outside of Philly.
The Eagles have eight official road games this season, plus a “home” game that is taking place in Brazil. Let’s rank all nine potential destinations based on the locale, the time of the year, opponent quality and importance, and whatever intangible elements I throw in the mix…
FedEx Field is, without a doubt, the biggest dump in professional sports. When I sat in the press box there during the 2022 season, I watched sewage water pour from the top level of the stadium down below. Brutality.
Besides being held together with bubblegum and tape, the sight lines are horrendous and you may end up getting a “deal” on a ticket that just has you staring at a gigantic pillar for three hours.
Not good!
Getting in and out of the stadium is a gigantic pain as well.
Making this trip in the December cold just days before Christmas, too? That’s a no-go.
Perhaps this game will have major playoff implications for the Birds and Eagles fans go down and take over the stadium, but I wouldn’t plan my whole fall and winter around it.
There’s less novelty to seeing divisional rivals since they happen annually, as you’ll see on this list.
Going down to Texas and watching the Eagles kick the Cowboys’ teeth in sounds heavenly in theory, but can quickly take a nightmare turn.
I know a guy who went to an Eagles-Cowboys game for his bachelor party. Again, in theory, it sounds like the trip of a lifetime. Unfortunately for him, it was the Cowboys who did the teeth-kicking that night. If you go down there and wake up the morning after a loss with a killer hangover, it might be the worst day of your life.
Do you, but if you’re going to shell out thousands of dollars on the trip, don’t do it for the one that is so, so heavily dependent on the game outcome itself that it can ruin the whole experience.
The swaps of Jersey!
This is an easy day trip, but it’s nothing special. I’ve taken a bus up during my days as a fan and have driven back and forth as a media member. These are always winnable games and you can do the road game experience for way cheaper than any of these other locales, but you’re not missing anything too wild up there.
I will say that a 1:00 PM game in late October should be fantastic football weather though!
Cincinnati is more than a nine-hour drive from Philadelphia city limits, so, if you go, you’re more than likely going to fly. Are you really going to fly into Cincinnati? I don’t know. That feels anticlimactic.
Still, this should be a fantastic game with the two best quarterbacks from the 2020 draft class going at it. Maybe even it’s a dark horse for a Super Bowl preview?
Late October weather is always phenomenal for football, of course.
Too low?
The whole ordeal is just a lot. It’s a 9:15 PM local time kickoff. That’s terrible. Longest possible flight. International travel is more of a hassle than domestic. From my understanding, the area immediately surrounding Corinthians Arena isn’t the most touristy spot. What exactly are you going down there to do besides being able to say that you saw the Birds down there?
If you have the funds and want to do it, go wild, but I imagine you could do two different Eagles road trips for the price of this single one.
If this game were in September or October, it would be my clear-cut choice for the No. 2 road trip destination. I love Baltimore. It’s a top-three U.S. city for me. Taking Amtrak there is a breeze, too.
Day trip? That works. Make a weekend of it? Also good.
I’m just worried that the weather will be less than ideal.
Based on the game itself, you’re likely getting a great one. Lamar Jackson vs. Jalen Hurts? Expect some offensive fireworks.
Sure, the Buccaneers crushed the Birds in the playoffs back in January, but you’ll likely be able to get your last taste of summer in September in Florida. Isn’t that enough? Spend Saturday watching college football and hanging by the pool before trying to overthrow the Raymond James Stadium pirate ship on Sunday.
Now that’s a weekend!
I once went to an Eagles-Rams game in Los Angeles. It was in December 2017. As everyone knows, the Eagles franchise changed forever that day with an injury, but that's a whole separate story. That game was at the old Los Angeles Coliseum, not SoFi Stadium, but I spent a week staying in Santa Monica and saw the Birds play along the way. It was glorious (Eagles injuries aside...).
Getting out of Philly in late November for the sunshine of Southern California would be a welcomed development. This could be a playoff preview as well.
The Superdome has historically been a house of horrors for the Birds, but, come on, it's New Orleans. As long as you're standing upright by Sunday morning, it's a win regardless of what happens on the field.
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