Video of family watching Eagles game at super fan grandfather's funeral goes viral
CINNAMINSON, N.J. (CBS) -- On Sunday, Philadelphia Eagles fans packed living rooms, bars and Lincoln Financial Field to watch the Birds battle the Buffalo Bills in the pouring rain.
But friends and family of Louis Pell, a Philly born-and-raised manufacturing engineer, watched the nail-biter of a game from an unlikely location: Givnish Funeral Home in Cinnaminson.
Pell passed away at the age of 89 on Nov. 16. His granddaughter Becca Brubaker explained to CBS Philadelphia his funeral service was originally set for Monday, Nov. 27, but had to be moved to Sunday so the family could make it to work at their Philadelphia small business, Dave's Meat Market.
Of course, that meant it would interfere with the Eagles game.
"We had to have the game on," Brubaker said. So Givnish made it happen.
And now Brubaker's video of the family watching Jalen Hurts lead Philly to victory in overtime is going viral on TikTok.
In the clip posted on Monday, Pell's seen sitting on the couch, wearing a bright Kelly Green wig. Brubaker said at the time, he was watching the Eagles play in Super Bowl LVII. "My grandfather was a huge Eagles fan his whole life..." the text on the screen said.
@beccas_version There’s nothing quite like being raised in a @Philadelphia Eagles family. Straight out of Silver Linings Playbook 🥲🫶🏻 #birdgang #nfl
♬ you left me on suicide sunday - thenian
The next clip is Pell's family doing the Eagles chant from outside his funeral on Sunday, where the service ended just in time for everyone to run out and watch final minutes of the game. "So it was divine intervention when they won in overtime after his funeral service ended."
"Straight out of Silver Linings Playbook," the video caption said.
"It felt like my grandfather very much had something to do with it," Brubaker said. "It ended up being such a wonderful memory."
The Eagles took down the Bills 37-34 to improve to 10-1 for the season.
The original clip has more than 900k views on TikTok and was reposted by ESPN and Overtime SZN on Instagram, where it's racked up another combined 350k views.
The Philadelphia Eagles TikTok account even gave Pell his props. "We're so sorry to have lost such an incredible fan," they commented on Brubaker's video. "Your family is in our thoughts. Thank you for all of the support. We love you guys!"
"The fame would've went straight to my grandfather's head," Brubaker laughed.
Pell, who, as Brubaker puts it, is survived by a "big Italian family," watched his final Eagles game earlier this month by his granddaughter's side. Fitting that for such a super fan, he got to watch the Birds beat Dallas one last time.
"He was a TV yeller," she said. "Was often a critic but it came from a place of love and wanting them to succeed."
The Eagles play next on Sunday, Dec. 3 when they host the San Francisco 49ers.
