Josh Shapiro loves all Pennsylvanians — except for this Sunday, during the Eagles-Steelers game

When it comes to the Eagles-Steelers rivalry ahead of this Sunday’s game in Philadelphia, no Pennsylvanian is spared, not even Gov. Josh Shapiro.

Shapiro — Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor, an Abington resident, and self-described sports “fanatic” — has fully accepted he will turn his back on half of the state to root for the Philadelphia Eagles over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Sunday’s matchup.

While the rivalry is less about the Steelers (10-3) and Eagles (11-2) teams and more of a Philadelphia-Pittsburgh one, Shapiro said he hopes Pittsburghers understand.

“You cannot bullsh-t your way through sports,” Shapiro told reporters in Harrisburg after the annual Christmas tree lighting on Tuesday. “You have to be loyal to the teams that you like.

“Frankly, Yinzers might not be happy with me on Sunday, but I think they respect the fact you stay true to yourself and honest about your allegiances,” Shapiro added.

» READ MORE: Where is the Eagles-Steelers divide in Pennsylvania?

Shapiro joined 97.5 WIP’s Mike Missanelli on Wednesday, using his disguised sports talk radio name of “Josh from Juniata” to talk about what he hopes to see on the field from the Eagles on Sunday, as well as the Pennsylvania rivalry between the two teams from different conferences that rarely play one another.

“I think this is going to be an unbelievable game,” Shapiro said. “I can cheer for the Steelers when they’re not playing the Birds, but I think you got to be true to your sports teams and be honest with folks about that.” (You hear that, Elon Musk, who once said he was both a Steelers and Eagles fan?)

Shapiro also had some advice for his home team. For Jalen Hurts, Shapiro wants to see the quarterback act “less gun-shy” and to throw to wide receiver AJ Brown down the middle more. Meanwhile, the governor said he wants Brown to communicate his frustrations with Hurts privately, instead of in the media. And finally, Shapiro said he wants Philly fans to vote for defensive end Brandon Graham for NFL Man of the Year.

Shapiro’s No. 2, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, also joined the call, identifying himself on-air as “Austin from Pittsburgh.” Davis, the youngest lieutenant governor in the country, is a Western Pennsylvania native who lives in Pittsburgh. His wife also happens to work for the Steelers.

On WIP, the two politicians made a wager that if the Eagles win, Davis will provide Shapiro’s office with the best food from Pittsburgh. If the Steelers win, Davis wants Shapiro’s office to send him cheesesteaks, he said.

However, the trash talk between the two was so weak that Missanelli intervened:

“There’s gotta be better trash talk than this,” he said.

Shapiro followed up and said he had been in talks with the Philadelphia Police Department to get Davis to park 12 blocks away from Lincoln Financial Field so the lieutenant governor gets a “warm Philly welcome” in his Steelers getup. By subjecting Davis to Philadelphia’s notorious fan base, Missanelli said Shapiro was encouraging “lawlessness.”

”You do not want that,” the radio personality joked.

But, come Sunday, Davis said he was confident Western Pennsylvania would represent at the Linc.

“You know Steelers fans travel well, probably the best out of any NFL team,” Davis responded. “So I think there’s going to be a huge contingent of Steelers fans out there with me, so I’m not concerned.”

Shapiro’s love for Philly sports has also gotten him into hot water before. He came under fire for accepting tickets to the 2023 Super Bowl in Arizona, a Penn State football game, and a Phillies playoff game, Spotlight PA reported. The tickets were paid for by a public-private partnership called Team PA that past governors have accepted gifts from, but its funders remain unclear. He also received tickets from an unknown source to sit with a Philadelphia attorney courtside at a Philadelphia 76ers game last year, and claimed that he did not have to report the tickets as a gift because they were a “political meeting,” Spotlight PA reported at the time.

During the brief radio spot, Shapiro also dodged Missanelli’s question about whether he plans to run for president in 2028, but said he was intrigued by the idea of appointing Missanelli as “Secretary of Sports” if he does.

» READ MORE: Welcome to the 2028 presidential election cycle, where Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro is a front-runner

”I would be interested in seeing if we could create a secretary of sports option, but then I’m gonna leave it up to your listeners to decide if you’re qualified,” Shapiro joked.