Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie surprises fans at tailgate
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Before the Philadelphia Eagles' Monday Night Football game against the Washington Commanders, owner Jeffrey Lurie surprised tailgaters outside Lincoln Financial Field.
It was chaos the second Lurie's caravan of golf carts pulled up in the middle of the parking lot.
The Birds' owner swapped his usual suit and tie for a hoodie, and for a few moments, he was just one of the fans.
"We saw an Eagles helmet arrive in the tailgate area of the parking lot," Eagles fan Scott Sigman said.
He's the ultimate Eagles tailgate party-crasher.
A smiling Jeffrey Lurie, owner of the @Eagles, greets tailgaters ahead of tonight’s game at Lincoln Financial Field https://t.co/LjWuEGjcrw @CBSPhiladelphia pic.twitter.com/H8pggHqm1v
— Matt Petrillo (@MattPetrillo) November 15, 2022
"I was like, 'Who is back there?'" Ray Pennacchia said.
Lurie surprised fans ahead of the Birds' primetime matchup against the Commanders.
"The kids were pretty excited to see him," Sigman said.
Marco and Sylvia Sigman were first to get their picture with Lurie, who's celebrating his 29th season as chairman and CEO.
"I met the owner of the Eagles and it's very exciting," Marco Sigman said. "Not many people can do that."
"We see a whole bunch of cameras," Patrick Brennan said.
Brennan was there as Lurie joined in for a queen classic with the crowd
"We see Jeffrey Lurie come by singing 'We are the Champions,'" Brennan said. "That's pretty awesome."
After sampling some pre-game snacks, Lurie greeted a few more Eagles enthusiasts before heading out to surprise another tailgate.
"This is my favorite one because he's smiling right at me," fan Eagles Kate McDermott said.
Fans say for a city that loves its sports teams, this one-on-one connection means everything and they'll be behind the Birds all the way.
This is the first time Lurie has been able to tailgate since COVID-19 and the fans say he's welcome back any time.