It is the battle everyone in the Philadelphia region has been waiting for. Finally, 13 years after their last appearance, the Philadelphia Eagles are in the Super Bowl. The face off is Sunday, February 4, against a team that has proven to be extremely successful in the past few years: the New England Patriots. The Eagles have had a rough run for about 10 years. The last time they were in the Super Bowl was 2005, coincidentally also against the Patriots, who won that contest by a score of 24-21. Now, for Super Bowl 52, the Eagles are itching for a long overdue win. The whole city of Philadelphia is excitedly awaiting the rematch from 13 years ago.  This season, the Eagles have been very successful, especially with the triumphs of star quarterback Carson Wentz. Fans were devastated when about a month ago, Wentz tore his ACL, making him unable to play. But with its constant, powerful spirit, the team managed to make it through playoffs and have a chance in the Super Bowl.

As for the New England Patriots, the circumstances are quite different. They currently have five rings from 2002, 2004, 2005, 2015, and 2017. Tom Brady is once again leading the team to victory after victory. The season started off poorly for the Patriots as they lost their first regular season game against the Kansas City Chiefs. But, as expected, they fought their way to the top, winning 14 of the 17 games of the season. The Eagles also won 14 out of 17 games this season.The Patriots’ last game, the Conference Championship, was a stressful one for fans, as the Jaguars were in the lead for most of the game before the Patriots’ completed theur inevitable fourth quarter comeback. Meanwhile, the Eagles cruised through their last game, destroying the Vikings 38 to 7. The birds have managed to beat the Falcons and the Vikings without their beloved Wentz, but will they be able to pull through to beat one of the best teams in the NFL? Undoubtedly, both teams are extremely capable of taking this win. This is the ultimate battle of the year. Who will bring home the win? Will the Eagles finally acquire their first Super Bowl ring? Or will the Patriots come out on top once again? America waits with bated breath to find  out.

Updated 2/5/2018: The Eagles, to the surprise and delight of many in the area, were able to defeat the Patriots 41-33 off a stellar performance from quarterback Nick Foles. The victory was the likely cause of the spike of over 300 absences among students and faculty on Monday, a trend which is expected to continue throughout the week. The Eagles’ victory parade is expected to be held on Thursday in Philadelphia.