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Fans aflutter this morning over Eagles win

Commuters lope purposefully, as they do around 7:30 every morning in the concourse under 15th Street - until two Eagles cheerleaders and Swoop start greeting fans and handing out "Believe in Green" posters.

Hector Herrington of North Philadelphia takes a self-portrait with his cell phone with Eagle's mascot Swoop during a team rally in the Penn Center concourse this morning.
Hector Herrington of North Philadelphia takes a self-portrait with his cell phone with Eagle's mascot Swoop during a team rally in the Penn Center concourse this morning.Read more

Commuters lope purposefully, as they do around 7:30 every morning in the concourse under 15th Street - until two Eagles cheerleaders and Swoop start greeting fans and handing out "Believe in Green" posters.

Suddenly it's a party today, with Swoop giving high-fives and cell phones snapping the mascot's picture.

Then a big fan begins singing loudly as a mechanical eagle frantically flaps on the bill of his cap.

"It ain't nothing but a Super Bowl, baby! No ifs, ands, or buts, or maybe!" crows Monty Gee, 39, an entertainer from South Philadelphia, who showed up after hearing media reports announcing the mini-rally. It's one of four events across the city today sponsored by the team.

As he chants, Gee holds a homemade sign that says, "The Big Payback! Turning Giants into midgets!"

Eagles insanity reigns the morning after the Birds defeated the Super Bowl champion New York Giants for the right to take on on the Arizona Cardinals in the conference championship next Sunday.

One more win and the Eagles are in the Super Bowl, set for Feb. 1 in Tampa, Fla.

"I fly high with the Eagles! I fry with the Eagles! I bleed green!" says Cassandra Lee, 45, a SEPTA traffic checker from South Philadelphia.

Yesterday, she says, "my son called all the way from France spelling out Eagles."

E-A-G-L-E-S!

The oddest sight was definitely the fake beards that cheerleaders Katheryn Mueller and Janelle Stangl brought along - on orders from "up top," Mueller said before the mini-rally started.

The blondes posed with the shaggy brown clumps beneath their noses, a humorous salute to players, coaches and male fans refraining from shaving during the playoff run.

"I'll do anything for the Eagles," said Mueller.

"Gotta get in the playoff spirit," said Stangl.

"It looks like a possum died on their face," some smart guy remarked.

"It's in the stars! It's in the cards!" says Dave Scott, 56, a security guard from West Philadelphia.

"It might be a Pennsylvania Super Bowl," he says, noting that the Birds might face the Pittsburgh Steelers, who beat the San Diego Chargers last night.

First, though, the Eagles are going to beat the Cardinals - "pluck their feathers," Scott says.

"I'm very excited," says Jennifer Palladino, 35, an administrative assistant from South Philadelphia. "Hopefully, we're going to bring another championship for the city."

The team's turnaround late in the season was largely because of the defense, led by safely Brian Dawkins, said Tracy Straudmuller, 44, an office worker from Mantua, N.J.

"He's like the powerhouse of that defense," said Straudmuller, wearing her green Eagles jacket.

"I think this is the year," says Victoria Jenkins, 19, a City Year worker from Germantown. "I'm not going out like a sucker this time."

Gee admits that he had lost faith in quarterback Donovan McNabb and coach Andy Reid in November, after tie with the Cincinnati Bengals and the loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

"I wanted McNabb and Andy Reid gone," he says.

After a win or two, he changed his mind: "McNabb could stay, and Reid could go."

Now he's completely back on board.

"I turned my feeling around, and then I said they're going to go all the way!" he says.

"No. 1, baby! Ain't no stopping 'em now!" he exclaims, breaking into song once more.