Connect with us

Sports

Philadelphia Rocky statue dressed in Redskins gear ahead of NFC title game between Eagles and Commanders

Published

on

Philadelphia Rocky statue dressed in Redskins gear ahead of NFC title game between Eagles and Commanders

A rivalry has been renewed. 

Philadelphia will host the NFC championship game between the Eagles and the visiting Washington Commanders Sunday. 

Ahead of the game, the famous Rocky statue in downtown Philadelphia was dressed in gear representing the Commanders’ former identity, the Redskins. 

SIGN UP FOR TUBI AND STREAM SUPER BOWL LIX FOR FREE

The culprit is unknown. 

Advertisement

Dressing the statue in opposing teams’ gear has become a tradition in recent years ahead of big Eagles playoff games. Each time its happened, the Eagles have come away with wins. 

In 2022, the statue was dressed in New York Giants gear ahead of their matchup against the Eagles in the divisional round. The Eagles won that game 38-7. The following week, the statue was dressed in San Francisco 49ers gear before Niners arrived in Philadelphia for the NFC championship game. The Eagles won that game, 31-7. 

CONNECTICUT LAWMAKER INTRODUCES BILL THAT WOULD LEGALIZE SPORTS BETTING ON FLIGHTS TO, FROM STATE

When the Eagles won their first Super Bowl in the 2017 season, the statue was also dressed in opposing teams’ gear. 

Ahead of that season’s NFC championship game between the Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings, the statue was draped in a Vikings jersey, and the Eagles won 38-7. Before the Super Bowl, someone placed a New England Patriots jersey on the statue, and the Eagles beat the Patriots 41-33 to claim their first Super Bowl title. 

Advertisement

The vandalism became so frequent that Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce pleaded with his own fan base not to do dress the statue in any Chiefs gear ahead of the 2023 Super Bowl. The Chiefs won that game 38-35.

“Chiefs, do not touch the f—ing Rocky memorial!” Kelce said during a February 2023 episode of his podcast, “New Heights.”  

“Do not do that and definitely don’t put an No. 87 on it!”

Former Eagles center Jason Kelce, who played against Travis and the Chiefs in that game, theorized the culprit was an Eagles fan. 

Advertisement

“I’m gonna be honest. I think somebody from Philadelphia is doing this now,” Jason Kelce said. 

“I don’t think this is an opposing team thing at this point. There’s no way opposing teams continue to do this. I’m convinced there is a Philadelphia fan who is putting these shirts on the Rocky statue just to get everyone fired up, and it’s working tremendously. 

“So, keep doing it. I guarantee it. There’s no way. Because it’s happened every single game. The Giants did it. The 49ers did it. There will probably be a Chiefs jersey on it this week.”

Now, Washington is up, and will look to break the trend. 

It will be the first time the rivals have met in a conference championship game and marks a high point for a rivalry that has been dormant in recent decades due to Washington’s inability to win in the playoffs since the 1990s. 

Advertisement

The 2024 season was the first since 2005 that Washington won a playoff game, and the first since 1991 that the franchise reached the conference championship. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Advertisement

Sports

Ex-NBC host Chuck Todd rips College Football Playoff officials over Alabama getting into field

Published

on

Ex-NBC host Chuck Todd rips College Football Playoff officials over Alabama getting into field

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Former NBC host Chuck Todd ripped the College Football Playoff Committee on Sunday as the Alabama Crimson Tide made the postseason despite having three losses on the year.

Alabama lost to the Georgia Bulldogs 28-7 in the SEC Championship and had two other losses to the Florida State Seminoles and the Oklahoma Sooners. Alabama defeated Georgia by three points early in the season.

Alabama head coach Kalen Deboer speaks to an official during the first half of a Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game between Georgia and Alabama, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Advertisement

As the Crimson Tide were given the No. 9 seed in the College Football Playoff, Todd expressed his frustration with officials over the decision.

“Wow. Bama doesn’t move? What a corrupt joke of a cmte,” he wrote in a post on X. “Regardless of who gets the 10 slot.”

Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer believed in his team’s resume to make the College Football Playoff regardless of what the pundits were saying.

Former NBC broadcaster Chuck Todd made his opinion known on the CFP on Dec. 7, 2025. (Jack Gruber/USA TODAY Staff)

2025 CFP TITLE ODDS: OHIO STATE FAVORED AFTER BRACKET REVEAL

Advertisement

“When it’s not in your control, there’s always anxious times,” he said Sunday, via AL.com. “Really still felt good about what we accomplished all season long. You just trust that resume, if you want to call it that, is what’s going to provide the information to help make this type of decision.”

Alabama will take on Oklahoma in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

The Crimson Tide were ranked higher than the Miami Hurricanes, who were narrowly put into the field over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Todd, a Miami native, was excited that the Hurricanes were able to get into the field.

Alabama running back Dre Washington (20) runs against Georgia during the first half of a Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Advertisement

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“Well, hallelujah. College Station here we come,” he wrote on X.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Continue Reading

Sports

Prep talk: Are you ready for former Rolling Hills Prep star Benny Gealer on a matzah box?

Published

on

Prep talk: Are you ready for former Rolling Hills Prep star Benny Gealer on a matzah box?

Jewish mothers are proud when their son or daughter become successful in sports, but then there’s the greatest honor of all: their child appearing on a matzah box.

Former Rolling Hills Prep guard Benny Gealer, a senior at Stanford averaging 10.6 points this season, is a candidate for the L’Cheisman trophy, sponsored by Manischewitz looking to honor the top Jewish college sports athletes.

Forget the $10,000 prize money. The most important reward in the mind of his mother is that the winner gets to appear on a limited-edition cover of its matzah box.

So the Gealer family is all in.

Advertisement

Gealer was an All-CIF guard at Rolling Hills Prep who went to Stanford as a walk-on and is now starting.

Here’s the link to vote for your favorite Jewish college sports athlete.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds miss out on latest chance to enter Baseball Hall of Fame

Published

on

Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds miss out on latest chance to enter Baseball Hall of Fame

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Jeff Kent has been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee.

Kent, the 2000 NL MVP winner who played the majority of his career at second base, received 14 of the possible 16 votes from the committee to earn his place in Cooperstown as a part of the Class of 2026.

Kent was the only candidate to receive the necessary 75% of votes from the 16-person committee. The next closest was Carlos Delgado, who received nine of the 16 votes.

Meanwhile, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Gary Sheffield — all players linked to using performance-enhancing drugs in their careers — each received less than five votes. Fernando Valenzuela also did not receive the votes necessary.

Advertisement

Clemens received support from President Donald Trump ahead of the committee’s vote.

“Roger Clemens, who won 354 games, went through his own Witch Hunt. HE WAS ACQUITTED OF ALL CHARGES!!! If he doesn’t get into the Hall of Fame, he should sue the hell out of Major League Baseball!” Trump wrote on Truth Social earlier Sunday.

“It was the Obama DOJ (of course!) that viciously went after the great Roger Clemens. ROGER WAS FULLY ACQUITTED OF ALL CHARGES!!!”

This is a developing story. More to come.

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending