(The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Philadelphia police to businesses before NFC title game: 'Protect your property'
A letter from police to business owners near the stadium offers an assortment of advice, including request for bars in the area to only sell beverages in plastic cups and not sell take-out bottles.
January 18, 2018 at 4:27PM
Eagles fans have a reputation for being a bit, um, rowdy when it comes to their behavior at games. Some of it is probably overblown. Some of it is probably the residue from instances from a long time ago.
You know, like throwing snowballs at Santa Claus, which happened almost 50 years ago.
Nevertheless, you can't be too careful. I've heard some Philadelphia natives now transplanted in Minnesota warning Vikings fans about what they should expect if they make the trek to Lincoln Financial Field for Sundays' NFC Championship Game between the Vikings and Eagles.
The more interesting potential threat, though, might be Philly on Philly crime. If you believe a letter sent from Philadelphia police to businesses in the area, when it comes to danger the call is coming FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE.
Ryan Briggs, who reports on politics and policy for City and State Pennsylvania, tweeted an image of the letter, in which the 15th Police District requests and suggests that in order to "avoid any problems with celebrants" from the game, "if you own a business in the area of Frankford and Cottman Avenues" and it is closed during the game, make sure everything is locked up and secured. The letter also includes a request for bars in the area to only sell beverages in plastic cups and not sell take-out bottles.
"We hope that with your cooperation, this will be a safe and damage-free celebration," the letter reads near the bottom.
A few things spring to mind here:
1) If police are this worried about what might happen after a win, it's hard to imagine what might happen if the Eagles — underdogs in the game, in case you forgot — lose to the Vikings.
2) We might laugh at the idea of a wild celebration, but don't forget jubilant fans got wild in the streets after the Gophers men's hockey team's championships in both 2002 and 2003 — and again in 2014 when the team lost in the title game to Union.
3) If the Vikings make it to the Super Bowl, win or lose it's going to be pretty interesting in the Twin Cities starting around 9 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4.
Mike Conley was in Minneapolis, where he sounded the Gjallarhorn at the Vikings game, on Sunday during the robbery.
