Eagles Fans Flock To South Philly For Home Opener

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The birds are back. It's the first home game of the season Sunday for the Philadelphia Eagles. For fans outside Lincoln Financial Field, the party started early.

The Green RVs started to enter the parking lots when gates opened at 6 a.m. The drinks were on ice, and the grills were fired up. Lisa from Springfield helped put together quite the spread for about 25 people.

"For breakfast we're having scrapple, egg and cheese sandwiches and then for lunch we're having stromboli, hot dogs, hamburgers, tomato pie, cheesesteak tomato pie," she said. "Just about anything and everything you can imagine for a tailgate."

And with summer temps on a fall day, they're prepared to stay cool.

"We have portable fans and we have a mister," Lisa said.

Jeremy Lopez from South Jersey is one of those diehard fans who goes all out.

"I could barely sleep. It's better than Christmas," he said. "We actually do a big tailgate every year for the home opener. I'm expecting a little over 200 people."

And how does one feed all those fans? Easy, Jeremy says, you team up with a food truck with a lot on the menu.

"Sausage and peppers, chicken cutlet sandwiches," he said. "We have mac and cheese egg rolls, buffalo chicken. Everything. Everything you can think of."

And a common thread among these fans; the love for their team and a sense of community.

"You're doing a tailgate but you also have friends down here doing a tailgates too," said David from South Philly. "So it's a great time to catch up."

"It's great man. Everyone's having a good time," said George. "It's about family."

And when the game starts, it's all about beating the New York Giants.

In:
• Lincoln Financial Field
• Philadelphia Eagles
• KYW Newsradio
• Philadelphia