Philadelphia sports legends share unforgettable memories at Fanatics Fest in New York

NEW YORK — As fans enjoyed the final day of Fanatics Fest on Sunday — from testing their skills in the NFL’s 40-yard dash to performing their own WWE ring entrances — Philadelphia sports legends took over the theater area on the first floor of the Javits Center.

In “The Champs Are Here” discussion panel at the interactive sports and collectible festival, Dawn Staley joined Cooper DeJean, Brandon Graham, Brian Dawkins, and Nick Foles to discuss some of the unforgettable memories in Philadelphia with some of the most loyal fans in sports.

“What they say about Philly fans is very true,” Staley said. “We’re crazy, we’re hard, we’re knowledgeable. And I know we have our blinders on when we talk about the Eagles, but we speak from a place of being hurt. And then now that we’re good, we speak from a place of being on top of the mountain. And you are not going to dethrone us from the top of the mountain.”

The six-time WNBA All-Star knows a thing or two about being on top of the mountain, winning three Olympic gold medals with the U.S. women’s national basketball team and leading South Carolina to three national championships as a coach. But the Philadelphia native also knows a thing or two about being a Philly sports fan.

» READ MORE: Doc Rivers sees similarities in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Maxey: ‘They wanted more, they wanted to learn.’

The panel’s host, former NFL player Ryan Clark, asked her if she ever booed the Eagles on game day. She responded, “[Expletive] yes.”

“The Falcons game, I did,” said Staley, wearing a pair of kelly green Eagles shorts and a “Championship Jawn,” shirt. “When Saquon [Barkley] missed that pass, that routine, short pass … So, yes. I ebb and flow with how well the Eagles are doing. It’s part of our DNA. And as much as I use my coaching experience and my playing experience to try to [be better], I’m a different person as a fan.”

Philly fans can be brutal. If their teams aren’t doing well, fans aren’t happy, and the players will know about it. Just ask two-time Super Bowl champion Brandon Graham. Since being drafted in the first round in 2010 draft, Graham spent his entire 15-year career in Philadelphia, eventually evolving into a fan favorite.

But it wasn’t always like that. Early in his career, he struggled trying to live up to the pressure that came with being a first-round pick. The label “bust” began to get tossed around.

“At the beginning, it showed me how to have a career through tough times and to be able to persevere,” Graham said. “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish with them.”

Graham certainly ended his career on top, giving the city two Super Bowl rings before announcing his retirement after last season. Although fans won’t be able to hear his trash talking on the field next year, he’s still repping the Eagles off the field.

When asked what his favorite go-to trash talking line is, he responded, “I guess my new thing is, I’m thanking Giants fans right now. Thank you to every Giants fan out there. … Thank you for not being smart. Your team let us get Saquon.”

Someone else Graham should be thanking is Foles, the former Eagles quarterback who led the franchise to its first Super Bowl title. It comes as no surprise that Foles would be included on the panel after becoming the first player to throw and catch a touchdown in the big game.

“[Philadelphia] is always special, my favorite place throughout my career,” Foles said. “I even had dreams of it, running out in the league wearing the midnight green jersey. It’s just such a special place and BG has alluded to it. People don’t realize it, but a rite of passage in the league is being booed. But you can turn that boo into the loudest cheer you have ever heard with one play.”

The cheers are something the players feed off, including former Eagles safety Dawkins. The nine-time Pro Bowler was rather calm during the panel, which was a much different personality than the Eagles fans are used to seeing from Weapon X.

“I absolutely loved it,” Dawkins said. “For anybody who has ever heard me talk about the fans, I always say it like this, it was my job. My thinking was to give them something to cheer about. I didn’t expect them to come cheer for you. It was my job to give them something to cheer about. And they’re such a passionate fan base that I knew they would send that energy right back to me.”

Lincoln Financial Field can be a challenge for opposing teams. Just ask Clark, a former Washington safety. “Going to Philadelphia was the worst trip every single year,” Clark said.

According to Staley, being a Philadelphia sports fan isn’t a movement. It’s something much more.

“Most people don’t understand, it’s a lifestyle,” Staley said. “We live by the success of our sports teams. And you should see Sundays, Mondays, Thursday, I’m going up and down depending on how we’re playing. … We’re fighting just like the players in the field, trying to win the city over to keep the crime down. We win, crime is down. Trust me.”