Pa. politicians’ Eagles fan videos, ranked from best to worst

Politicians: They’re just like us. At least when it comes to being hyped about the Eagles’ Super Bowl appearance. Many of our elected officials took to social media this week to share their excitement about the big game. While many kept it simple — Philly mayoral candidate Maria Quiñones Sánchez posted a photo of herself praying while donning an Eagles jersey — others turned to video to fully capture their feelings.

The results vary wildly.

Some politicians went all out — utilizing scripts, editing, lighting and music. Others put in a little less effort. To save you from scrolling your feeds to find the funniest, cringiest, hypest Eagles fan videos from the people in power, The Inquirer has rounded them up.

Our newly inaugurated governor pulled out all the stops for this three-minute video in which he calls various members of the General Assembly to ask them to watch the Super Bowl. State Sen. Vincent Hughes appears — with a cameo from his wife, Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph — along with Philadelphia State Rep. Joanna McClinton and Montco’s U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean. We also see Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward and Lt. Gov. Austin Davis — admitted Steelers fans — agree to watch the game.

Shapiro wins our MVP of political fan videos for the highest quality production values and for the seriousness with which he and his team approached the task.

Philadelphia City Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson earns our favor for her iconic Eagles green suit and incorporating “Just Wanna Rock,” the team’s hype song by Francisville rapper Lil Uzi Vert. The edits are quick, the smiles are big, and the vibes are immaculate.

Notably stoic Sen. Bob Casey has earned a following for his low-tech maps — a poster of the state of Pennsylvania on an easel — which he brings out on Election Days. In a video posted Sunday afternoon, Casey opens with a map and begins to talk about off-system bridges — and then tosses it away with a flourish and a “Go Birds!” We love an inside joke.

Despite being posted on her account, Philly mayoral candidate Rebecca Rhynhart does not appear in the 40-second fan video filmed in her campaign headquarters. It opens with some real “herding cats” energy with about a dozen people — we presume campaign staffers — being directed to give “more.” There’s singing of the fight song, and waving of arms, but everything about it feels a bit coerced.

Lt. Gov. Austin Davis of McKeesport, Pa., is a Steelers fan. We knew this about him when he was elected, so it’s not a surprise that he’s not as psyched about the big game as his Philly-area boss, Gov. Josh Shapiro. But he gets points for effort here. Davis, newly inaugurated into a role that serves the entire state of Pennsylvania, musters up some enthusiasm for the Super Bowl but reminds us to be grateful for the bus drivers and stadium workers.

“To the workers of Super Bowl LVII, we salute you. And I never thought I’d say this, but fly, Eagles, fly,” he says.

Well, Philly mayoral candidate Allan Domb gets credit for trying. But in the looping video, someone off-camera shouts, “Hey Allan, what are you doing today?” as Domb stands with his arm raised, gesturing toward a sign reading “Go Birds.”

“Go Birds,” Domb says. And then it repeats ad infinitum.

Willow Grove native, Eagles fan, and first lady of the United States, Jill Biden, earns a spot on this list — even though she’s not technically a Pennsylvania politician — because how can we not appreciate a custom jersey and a power walk?