Kansas City Chiefs sports bar nestled in South Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The City of Brotherly Love is known for having diehard Eagles fans, but there are also some Kansas City Chiefs fans living among us.
The group of Chiefs fans meet at Big Charlie's Saloon in South Philadelphia.
But how did a South Philadelphia bar turn into a haven for Chiefs supporters.
BEHIND ENEMY LINES: For 40 years, Big Charlie’s Saloon has been a safe haven for @Chiefs fans in South Philly. At 530 and 630am, Ill take you inside the KC bar to hear how Chiefs fans are feeling about a matchup against the hometown @Eagles in #SBLVII @CBSPhiladelphia pic.twitter.com/AQznD7OxKA
— Ross DiMattei CBS-3 (@RossDiMattei) February 2, 2023
The story starts more than 50 years ago when the bar owner's father placed a bet on the Chiefs to win the 1970 Super Bowl. He told his son that if the Chiefs won, he'd buy him a new bike.
That's exactly what happened and Paul, the owner, never forgot what his father got him. So when he took over the bar in 1983, he decided to turn it into a Chiefs sanctuary in the heart of Eagles country.
"This is a city of Eagles, but this is a corner of the Kansas City Chiefs," Chiefs fan Michael Puggi said.
On the corner of 11th and McKean Streets sits Big Charlie's Saloon, a South Philly sports bar with an unabashed Kansas City bias.
"We just go by the Chiefs. We're not worried about any other team. We're Chiefs, and that's it," Puggi said.
For 40 years, Big Charlie's has been a safe haven for Chiefs fans in South Philly.
What started with 10 Chiefs diehards has grown to about 150 regular fans. Not to mention the thousands who have visited from out of town over the years.
"We have people from Baltimore, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, and they just come because they want to be Chiefs. They want to watch the game with us," Puggi said.
It's hard to blame them. Reaction inside the sports bar showed out excited they were on the game-winning Kansas City kick to send their squad back to the Super Bowl for the third time in four years.
"It's unbelievable. It's electrifying. They're really crazy. They're insane. They're screaming, no matter what's going on," manager Laura Sessa said.
But, for these fans, this year's Super Bowl will undoubtedly be different because in order to capture the Lombardi trophy, they'll have to defeat the team they've been indirectly avoiding for decades.
"They have the better team, but I think we got the best player. You know, we're gonna see what Andy Reid can do with a week off and take it from there," Puggi added.
The past two times the Chiefs have made it to the Super Bowl, Big Charlie's has thrown a big block party with TVs outside, a DJ and fireworks.
This year, they've decided to dial back the party out of respect for the city and all the Eagles fans in the neighborhood.
They're planning on hosting a private party with about 60 to 80 regulars all inside.
Win or lose, they'll be here cheering on their Chiefs inside enemy territory.