Eagles' Super Bowl LVII berth uniting Philadelphia region
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Eagles' Super Bowl frenzy is gripping the Philadelphia region with football now being a powerful uniting force. Doctors say sports have a unique capacity to be an equalizer and an uniter.
On the road to victory, Eagles fans are elated with the NFC championship.
"Look around, you look at the city environment, you see how great the city of Philadelphia truly is," an Eagles fan said. "We are the City of Brotherly Love."
And sisterly affection -- and the admiration for the team is infectious.
"It doesn't get much better than this," Dr. Joel Fish said.
Fish, the head of the Philadelphia Center for Sports Psychology, says you don't have to look far to see how the Eagles have united the region.
"Young, old, rich, poor, city, suburban in a way that nothing else really does," Fish said, "so there's a joy to the unity. We need unity at this time."
For a city gripped by violence and economic struggles, the Super Bowl contenders are providing a much-needed distraction.
"It brings people from all backgrounds, all different races, genders beliefs, there's a way that was can say go Birds," George James of George Talks said.
And it's generational, Philadelphia families have been rooting for the Eagles for decades.
"It gives three, four generations of Philadelphians a chance to really bond together," Fish said. "It gives a common language to us, it gives intergenerational connections between us and it is something we can all sort of rally around."
And boy do we rally -- from the stadium to the streets to even the street poles, Eagles Nation is intense.
"There's no doubt that this is the most passionate fan base in football," Fish said.
And that's what feeds the players. They feel the enthusiasm and give it right back.
There are now two weeks of eager anticipation and planning for the Super Bowl, all sharing together in a united team spirit of fun and a chance to escape for a moment or two from the everyday worries as fans cheer on the team.