Itâs the Friday before the Super Bowl, so that means itâs time for Wing Bowl 26.
Wing Bowl originally began as a way to pre-occupy Eagles fans whose team was not in the Super Bowl. But this year, SportsRadio 94.1 WIPâs annual celebration of wings and wingettes at the Wells Fargo Center is acting as the unofficial pep rally for Super Bowl LII, and host Angelo Cataldi said to expect a few Eagles-related surprises.
>> Meet chef Rich Friedrich, the man responsible for cooking Wing Bowlâs wings
Wing Bowl 26 will have a first responders division, featuring 10 contestants comprised of police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians or paramedics.
The winner of this yearâs Wing Bowl will win a 2018 Hyundai Sonata and $5,000. The First Responders Champion Prize is a Harley Davidson XL 883N Iron Sportster, and the Wingette of the Year will walk away with $5,000.
My colleague, Nick Vadala, is on site to cover all the action live. Here are the latest updates:
7:35 a.m. â Ric Flair: âThe Eagles are the team!â
Wrestling legend Ric Flair made his second-straight Wing Bowl appearance, surprising the crowd by popping out of a Lombardi Trophy float.
Rick Flair just popped out of an Eagles float at #WingBowl pic.twitter.com/rhG0O3l6W9
â Nick Vadala (@njvadala) February 2, 2018
Fresh off a live-saving surgery where part of his bowel was removed, Flair told the cheering crowd heâs been coming to Philadelphia since 1979, and has a lot of love this year for the Eagles.
âTo be the team, you gottaâ beat the team. And right now, Iâll say it â the Eagles are the team!â Flair said. âAnd the Patriots? Not going to happen, baby.â
Flair quickly shifted from his role as an Eagles cheerleader to hit on a nearby wingette, asking on air, âWhatâs your name? Penelope? You look great.â
"The Eagles are the team. The Patriots? Not going to happen, baby," Rick Flair says #WingBowl pic.twitter.com/Ravd2zRiLJ
â Nick Vadala (@njvadala) February 2, 2018
â Rob Tornoe
7:20 a.m. â âEagles fan hits poleâ makes an appearance
Jigar Desai, better known as the Eagles fan who was knocked into next Sunday by a pillar while chasing a SEPTA subway train ahead of the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 21, made an appearance at Wing Bowl to let all the fans know heâs OK.
âPhilly style, we get knocked down, but we get right back up! Wooooo!â an excited Desai exclaimed. âBoom! Boom!â
The subway pole guy is here as well. âOnly in Philly.â ð #FlyEaglesFly #WingBowl #SBLII pic.twitter.com/CaAPPs8VWo
â SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) February 2, 2018
7:12 a.m. â So many contestants
Winginitis enters with a tribute to Rick Flair #WingBowl pic.twitter.com/MYynMgSjWL
â Nick Vadala (@njvadala) February 2, 2018
Obi Wing's entrance was basically an ass-beating with plastic light sabers #WingBowl 1000 to 1 odds pic.twitter.com/DXBfD8DwgL
â Nick Vadala (@njvadala) February 2, 2018
The Iceman, who looks just like Doug Pederson, enters on a float with the Eagles logo in ice #WingBowl pic.twitter.com/SMo5Mr6xse
â Nick Vadala (@njvadala) February 2, 2018
Tart Tent murders Tom Brady in effigy as Rocky for his float #WingBowl pic.twitter.com/E2LcrhrDS3
â Nick Vadala (@njvadala) February 2, 2018
7:10 a.m. â This guy
This guy. #WingBowl pic.twitter.com/IsZCtbVlzX
â Wing Bowl (@WIPWingBowl) February 2, 2018
6:58 a.m. â Loud cheers as the âBlack Eagleâ enters Wing Bowl
Nyseem Porter, a senior at Prep Charter High School better known to Eagles fans as the âBlack Eagle,â garnered the loudest cheer of the morning as he entered Wing Bowl.
It ainât a party âtil the black ð¦ shows up. #WingBowl #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/2iwvM4TXeK
â SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) February 2, 2018
Following the Eagleâs 38-7 win over the Vikings in the NFC Championship Game, Porter went viral thanks to a three-second appearance in a video of post-game celebrations on South Broad Street.
âItâs funny, I saw that guy on top of the car coming toward us and then this guy turned a camera toward me, so I just said, âYeah,'â Nyseem told Philly Voiceâs Brian Hickey. âThen, the texts started blowing up⦠âI think youâre going viral on Twitter.'â
Is there anything more Philly??? #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/teXHGbW4CE
â Samuel Natalini (@BlueWaffleIron) January 22, 2018
6:54 a.m. â Even more floats
Gino Bambino gets sauce and spaghetti dumped on him for his entrance. 50 to 1 odds at winning, but that entrance is the best #WingBowl pic.twitter.com/kWeI1lue69
â Nick Vadala (@njvadala) February 2, 2018
Killer Kennedy enters, for some reason, on an American Psycho-themed float. I like the chainsaw #WingBowl 10-1 odds pic.twitter.com/0x9tznXmXY
â Nick Vadala (@njvadala) February 2, 2018
Oink Oink on a Cottman and Frankford float, complete with Crisco Cop #WingBowl 20 to 1 odds pic.twitter.com/aCQ0WjFnxA
â Nick Vadala (@njvadala) February 2, 2018
6:48 a.m. â Security is no joke at Wing Bowl
Security is not playing at the #Wingbowl they just kicked out some guy who was licking the plexiglass as a Delilah stripper was twerking 10 feet away on the stage
â PhillyChitChat (@HughE_Dillon) February 2, 2018
6:38 a.m. â Wing Bowl honors longtime Flyers announcer Lou Nolan
Lou Nolan, the longtime public address announcer for the Flyers who has been the voice of games since 1972, was inducted into the Wing Bowl Hall of Fame by WIP Morning Show co-host Al Morganti, who joked his banner is now in the rafters next to Flyers legends Bobby Clarke and Bernie Parent.
âAs a true legendary announcer, you can decline if you choose to,â Cataldi noted.
âAre you kidding? I love Wing Bowl!â Nolan responded.
Hereâs a photo of Nolan, taken during a signing for his new book, âIf these walls could talk.â
Thanks to all the folks from the #Flyers Fan Club who came out to hear Lou Nolan and I talk tonight about the team and our book, If These Walls Could Talk. Great group of people! #WallsFlyers pic.twitter.com/9EbVE2vEpm
â Sam Carchidi (@BroadStBull) January 25, 2018
â Rob Tornoe
6:36 a.m. â More floats enter the arena
This year's first Trump theme comes from Kenzo Kevin, 40 to 1 odds. His signage also called New England a "shithole" #WingBowl pic.twitter.com/AjeRYF5f9a
â Nick Vadala (@njvadala) February 2, 2018
A Manayunk/Flinstones entrance from Butch from Manayunk. Odds? Infinity to one ð #WingBowl pic.twitter.com/PWraaSPN7v
â Nick Vadala (@njvadala) February 2, 2018
Love Handles on a solid Eagles float. 18 to 1 odds #WingBowl pic.twitter.com/aDUxEO7l2q
â Nick Vadala (@njvadala) February 2, 2018
6:22 a.m. â The Eagles are going to âcreamâ the Patriots
Nadia White on a giant Philadelphia cream cheese float. 16-1 odds pic.twitter.com/deDeUBiD1Z
â Nick Vadala (@njvadala) February 2, 2018
6:21 a.m. â A mild Wing Bowl?
There are a lot of empty seats here in the Wells Fargo Center. This is my third year covering Wing Bowl and it is easily the most tame so far.
â Nick Vadala
6:14 a.m. â The Wing Bowl precession begins
Big Z with a Hannibal Lecter theme for #WingBowl26 #WingBowl pic.twitter.com/Dh75DmmFfb
â Nick Vadala (@njvadala) February 2, 2018
Ginger Wings comes out with a Carson Wentz/Prince Harry float. Overall odds: 12-1 pic.twitter.com/uE2fGeaUNm
â Nick Vadala (@njvadala) February 2, 2018
6:05 a.m. â Cataldi begins his broadcast from Wing Bowl
Ang welcomes everyone to Wing Bowl 26! #WingBowl pic.twitter.com/HylsTpnHWu
â WIP Morning Show (@WIPMorningShow) February 2, 2018
6:00 a.m. â Hereâs the scene before the action starts
.@AngeloCataldi presses the flesh with some Eagles fans at #WingBowl26. Yea, there was an Eagles chant #WingBowl pic.twitter.com/kzL9JyMVCr
â Nick Vadala (@njvadala) February 2, 2018
Also ya gotta have balloons #WingBowl pic.twitter.com/KQj00t7JY3
â Nick Vadala (@njvadala) February 2, 2018
Pre-sauce and vomit #WingBowl is kinda nice pic.twitter.com/8E3ymSl25Q
â Nick Vadala (@njvadala) February 2, 2018
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