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New Yorkers enraged as Empire State Building lights up in support of rivals Philadelphia Eagles
By
Gwynne Hogan
Published Jan 30, 2023
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Empire State Building / Twitter
By
Gwynne Hogan
Published Jan 30, 2023
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Call it the Keystone State Building.
Many New Yorkers were enraged Sunday night when the Empire State Building lit up in green and white in support of the Philadelphia Eagles' advancing to the Super Bowl.
The Eagles clinched their spot Sunday afternoon, after defeating the San Francisco 49ers, 31 - 7.
One week earlier, the Eagles beat the New York Giants, ending their playoff run.
Many Giants fans expressed dismay that that the city's iconic building was celebrating their rival.
City councilmember Keith Powers called the move “absolutely ridiculous” on Twitter.
The city’s Department of Sanitation, which also uses green and white colors, encouraged New Yorkers to pretend the lights were supporting New York’s Strongest.
“For anyone who finds this as treacherous, traitorous, and unforgivable as we do - just pretend it's green and white for #NewYorksStrongest. We take out the trash every day...and next year, that'll include the Eagles.”
Some fans even reportedly rushed the Empire State building lobby demanding an apology.
According to the Empire State Building's website, they had planned in advance to light the tower in support of whichever two teams won the NFL conference championship games.
Representatives of the Empire State Building seemed unfazed by the criticism, tweeting a snarky retort. A spokesperson for the building didn't return a request for further comment right away.
Later Sunday night, the tower was illuminated in red and gold to honor the Kansas City Chiefs' victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Philadelphia Eagles will face the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl on Sunday Feb. 12 in Glendale, Arizona.
Gwynne Hogan
Gwynne Hogan is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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