When I came to Philadelphia for the first time, there were a few things that I found quite annoying.
I never understood why I had to have exactly two $1 bills to ride the subway. Couldn't that man in the booth make change?
I also hated how food trucks served cold soft pretzels.
As I spent more and more time in the city, I learned that Philadelphia had much bigger problems than just pretzels.
Businesses are leaving the city, as are young families. The public school and transit systems are inadequate. And that's just scratching the surface.
But since I've lived here, I have been told that the biggest problem plaguing this city concerns the Eagles and their inability to win a Super Bowl.
Local fans tell me that if the Eagles beat the Patriots on Sunday, all of the city's problems will magically disappear.
Eagles fans say that a world championship is just what this city -- famous for its inferiority complex -- needs to get that chip off its shoulder.
The fans might just be right.
Everyone in this city, from your everyday fan to your most powerful politician, rolls out the red carpet for the Eagles. They are willing to do whatever it takes to get the team that elusive Super Bowl win.
At a time when the city and state government are strapped for cash, they were able to shell out most of the $512 million needed to construct the team's new football stadium. Want $5 million to improve West Philadelphia High School? Sorry, when was the last time the Speedboys went to the Super Bowl?
At a time when SEPTA is struggling to get people to use public transportation more frequently, the Eagles brought 17,000 riders to the NFC Championship game on the subway -- 7,000 more than most games. And while SEPTA struggles to get much of anything accomplished, they still seem to make sure that every city bus says "GO EAGLES!" on it.
At a time when local politicians have trouble solving even the smallest of problems, they seem to always be able to come through for the Eagles.
A year ago, the Pennsylvania Legislature went out of its way to allow liquor stores to be open on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Why? So that Eagles fans could buy alcohol on game day.
Last week, Mayor John Street made a special appearance at a City Council hearing. Why? He wanted to personally resolve a dispute between the Eagles and unpaid stadium workers.
Governor Ed Rendell changed the date of his annual budget address. Why? So that it would give Eagles fans more time to get back from the Super Bowl in Jacksonville and so that his address would not conflict with a potential victory parade through the streets of Philadelphia.
And at a time when local retailers are struggling, Eagles Super Bowl merchandise is flying off the shelves. Many stores, like the Forman Mills on Grant Avenue, have been open for 24-hour shifts to accommodate the most fanatic of Eagles faithful.
If Philadelphia wins the Super Bowl, imagine the great sense of accomplishment all of these people will feel. They will discover that all of their hard work and devotion toward the Eagles was worthwhile. Fans will see results.
And since this mass mobilization of Philadelphians will have solved the city's most pressing problem, maybe they can finally turn their attention to another, less important issue -- like, say, fixing the economy or keeping college graduates.
"It kind of raises our collective sense of expectations and aspirations," David Thornburgh of the Pennsylvania Economy League told The Philadelphia Inquirer. "If the Eagles can win the Super Bowl, then all of the other things that weigh us down seem more doable."
So don't laugh at those crazy Eagles fans when they stand up on a table in a restaurant, chanting, "E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles!" Not only are they demonstrating that they can spell a six-letter word with relative ease, but they are also rooting for a better Philadelphia.
I'll be rooting with them, because unless the Eagles win, the city will never be able to tackle its most troubling issues. And if they never get around to fixing these big problems, I'll be stuck with a pocket full of $1 bills and a cold pretzel in my hand.
David Burrick is a junior urban studies major from Short Hills, N.J., and executive editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian. Camp David appears on alternate Thursdays.
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