Super Bowl LVII: Is Philly pivoting away from an underdog city?
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Who could ever forget Eagles center Jason Kelce's passionate speech during the Eagles Super Bowl parade in 2018?
Kelce went onto say that Philadelphia was the biggest underdog of them all. We took this to heart.
"I think slowly but surely we're developing a self-image of champions," Joel Fish of Philadelphia's Center for Sport Psychology said.
Joel Fish is the director of Philadelphia's Center for Sport Psychology. He says it might feel like Philly's attitude and self image is slowly changing.
"It's kind of strange," Fish said. "Most professional athletes, 75% of them, prefer to be the underdog."
But the fact of the matter is, Philly sports have been on a winning streak in recent years.
The Phillies have made it to the World Series three times since 2008. The Union scored their way to Major League Soccer's championship game last year. And the Eagles are now a dominant team.
Fish says self image isn't like a lightbulb, "It takes a while for it to go from the head to the heart. So we're still learning how to embrace being the favorites."
Fish's advice: To embrace this new attitude and revel in our success. Some Philadelphia locals we spoke with remind us that now is our time.
"We've been doing great! The 76ers have been good. We got to the World Series. And we have the Eagles in the Super Bowl, now. It's all wins! We're the top dogs now, we're the big guys," Audrey Davidson, of North Philadelphia, said.
Fish believes the City of Brotherly Love began to slowly pivot from underdogs to the ones to beat in 2008 when the Phillies won the World Series.
Don Smith of North Philly has also noticed a big shift in Philly's attitude.
"It's nothing like being from the biggest small town there is, that's what Philadelphia is anyway," Smith said.
He's so happy he could sing about it. So he did.
Smith is also looking forward to a new Jason Kelce speech if the Eagles win Super Bowl LVII. And so are we.
