The 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon to Eagles' "It's a Philly thing" motto
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- "It's a Philly thing." You've heard it in Philadelphia for weeks now, but how did that catchphrase come about for the Eagles? And how can we connect it to an award-winning actor known for six degrees of separation?
In mid-December, Eagles All-Pro quarterback Jalen Hurts was asked about community service and the idea that the Eagles cherish the chance to give back to the city that shows them much love.
Here is the tail-end of his more than four-minute response.
"I think it's an inclusive thing," Hurts said. "So when we're in the Linc and it's turnt up, they're with us, you know what I'm saying. When we're on the field, when we travel, they're with us. It's a Philly thing."
And that is how "It's a Philly thing" became the 2022 Eagles' playoff motto, but last year, way before this playoff run, actor, musician and proud Philadelphia native Kevin Bacon wrote a song titled "Philly Thing," enlisting the help of Rock to the Future.
"A place where you can hone your musical abilities, meet new people," Franko Kika said. "Break out of your shell."
"So for me, Rock to the Future has always been kind of a second home," Nia Collins-Davenport said. "I feel like most of the creative spaces I have been in are like that, but with Rock of the Future, it always felt more so. It felt more genuine for me."
For both Bacon and his brother Michael, music, the arts and Philadelphia have been instrumental in shaping the men they've become.
"If you are exposed to music as a child, you're going to be more successful," Michael Bacon said, "you're going to be happier, whether you go into music or not. Kevin and I were very lucky that our parents really cherished creative arts."
And that is why they chose to work with Rock to the Future, which creates opportunities for kids in Philly to be exposed to and cultivate their musical curiosities and talents.
"I first got involved with Rock to the Future when I had nothing else to do in the house," Naheim Hill said. "So my mom signed me up."
And look at Hill now, rapping alongside the Bacon brothers.
"I get shy sometimes when I'ma round a lot of people," Naheim said, "but I made a lot of friends there. And then I also made friends with Kevin Bacon. He was really, really nice."
Now when you say "It's a Philly thing," it can encompass a whole range of sayings, feelings and emotions; a vibe, a collective understanding that may need no explanation.
"So my response was going to be, it's a Philly thing," Kevin Bacon said.
That sounds about right.
