January 24, 2018
Amazon has been mum on how it's leaning when it comes to selecting the location of its second headquarters, releasing a list of 20 final contenders – of all ranges in size and location – last week with no other real clues.
So, it's a surprise, then, that Amazon isn’t quite as mysterious about who it’s rooting for when the Philadelphia Eagles face off against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII next month.
According to Alexa, the disembodied voice of Amazon Echo and many of the online retailer’s other home-assistant devices, the Eagles are headed for a win.
“I’m flying with the Eagles on this one because of their relentless defense and the momentum they’ve been riding off their underdog status,” Alexa says if you ask her which team will win. She then does a very polite iteration of the Eagles chant – “E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles.”
If you ask Alexa who she wants to win, she says, “I’m rooting for the Eagles. They’ve never won the Super Bowl, and I like a good underdog story. Fly Eagles fly!” The video from MassLive below shows the interaction.
According to various reports, Alexa will adamantly root for the Eagles regardless of proximity to Philadelphia.
Apple’s Siri – the voice you’ve probably asked existential questions to on your iPhone – doesn't share Alexa's penchant for the underdogs, however.
“Those in the know say that the Patriots will defeat the Eagles by five points,” Siri says when asked which team will win the big game.
What’s unclear is if Alexa (and Siri, for that matter) are among those who would rather see Philadelphia get a Super Bowl win in 2018 more than Amazon HQ2.
