Loud, reckless, arrogant, prideful, intense, gritty, and unrelentlessly dedicated have all been words used to describe the Philadelphia Eagles’ die-hard fans. Sports-watcher or not, it’s easy for anyone to see that every aspect of the Eagles fandom is an interesting sight. Whether it be the cheers from deafening crowds at Lincoln Stadium or the celebrations in rowdy bars on Broad Street, Eagles fans have earned a reputation for being some of the most loyal NFL team supporters in the nation. You won’t just find them in the city; the birds have fans in every county, borough, and suburb in PA. But what happens when you put them on a bus?
Since 2018, the Curry family has owned and operated an Eagles-themed tailgate bus, taking the term ‘die hard’ to a whole new level. The bus, which takes up half of their driveway, is completely painted green from top to bottom with a “Dallas Sucks” sign on the bumper and a message on the side that reads “The Passion never dies.” On the inside, where typical bus seats used to be, there are now couches, tables, and a flat-screen TV. Old photographs and flags hang on the wall, and ticket stubs are placed on the furniture. Even a few signatures of past Eagles players line the bus above the windows. You can almost feel the rush of joy and nostalgia that this bus is filled with just by stepping inside.
For Megan Curry, the oldest daughter of the Curry family, the bus was always known to her as “the Eagles bus.” However, it wasn’t always that way; Curry explained that a family friend, John, had made all of the changes. What started as a typical school bus was given an Eagles-style transformation by John, who sold the bus to the Curry family when he no longer wanted it.
“He basically didn’t want it anymore on his property. John- big Eagles fan- he took just a normal bus, he gutted it out and then spent time painting it, decorating it. I’ve always known it to be just the Eagles bus,” Curry said.
While many of their neighbors grew to love the vehicle, some expressed criticism early on, most notably in the form of hate mail. The letters they received begged the family to remove it from their property, calling it such names as ‘white trash’ and ‘ugly.’
“Eventually the letters stopped because they realized we weren’t going to get rid of it,” Curry explained jokingly. Still, despite the initial backlash, attention turned around to become positive with many now stopping to photograph the bus, or even come to the door and compliment the family. The bus has grown into a well known symbol of pride, not only for local Eagles fans, but for the Currys themselves.
“It means everything to me, I love this bus. Whenever I meet people and they’re Eagles fans, I’m like, ‘funny story, I have an Eagles bus sitting in my driveway.’ I tell everyone about this bus,” Curry shared.
After many decades of the bus being well-loved through its many games, tailgates, and visitors, it is now immobilized and stays in the Currys’ driveway, used now to watch the Eagles games on the TV and frequented by guests of the family.
Now that the Eagles are Super Bowl bound, the Curry family is filled with anticipation of an Eagles win, feeling proud of how the team “proved the doubters wrong,” Curry shared. “It feels amazing. All of the emotions, all of the highs and lows, paid off.”
“It would be devastating to lose again, especially to the Chiefs,” Curry expressed. “It’s a lot of pressure. I just want to shush the doubters.”
The excitement in the air is high, Curry expressing that the best part of football is “how passionate everybody is, how everyone just loves Eagles football to their core, and everyone’s so loud; you never get a break from cheering.”
As far as the family’s plans for the Super Bowl, Curry hopes to make it to Broad Street among the sea of many other Eagles fans.
“I want to try to go to Philly just to be on Broad Street. If I can’t be at the game, because you know, it’s really expensive, I would love to be in Philly. I think my dad’s actually gonna have people over here in the Eagles bus.”
Despite their love for the vehicle that has become quite the spectacle in the neighborhood, the Curry family is considering getting rid of the bus, as it takes up space in the driveway and is now immobile.
“It’s really heartbreaking,” Curry said. “I love this bus and it’s just been here so long.”
Fortunately, Mr. Curry is thinking about giving it to another family friend, continuing the tradition of passing the bus to someone else and keeping the Eagles spirit alive.
No matter if the Currys’ get rid of the tailgate bus or not, the memories they have made in it will stay forever. The two sisters both reminisced of their favorite stories, such as Madison Curry’s whole cheerleading team being driven around on the bus, and all the people who had stopped their cars in the middle of the road just to get a picture of it. And while there are many huge Eagles fans in Lansdale, most are not as known for it as the Curry family.