2023 Super Bowl: Meet Swoop, the Philadelphia Eagles mascot
What is the story behind one of the most loved NFL mascots?
Swoop, one of the most beloved and iconic mascots in the NFL, is known for his fun-loving personality, being the centre of attention, and entertaining fans of all ages.
This is how the Philadelphia Eagles webpage describes Swoop, their famous bird mascot. He will be on show tonight up against KC Wolf as the Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl LVII.
During a game in 1996 against the Steelers, fans were shocked to look up and see an eagle parachuting down from a cloud of smoke. As you would be. Because this was not the cuddly, fun-loving Swoop of today. Oh no.
A competition winner
The idea for Swoop came in 1995, a year after Jeffrey Lurie purchased the Eagles for $185 million. Lurie changed the team’s color scheme and logo before Alexander, then an intern, found the suit and presented the idea to the owner. They opened a competition and Swoop was chosen out of over 10,000 entries.
Jeff Alexander, the original Swoop, said “I was doing 300 appearances a year and meeting with kids in schools and malls, and there were definitely a few times where that look was not received well.” He told The Philadelphia Inquirer that Swoop was “a little too aggressive-looking and probably needed to be softened.
After Alexander left the role in 1998, the Eagles gave the character a makeover, a huge smile being the most notable change instead of his garish beak.
A bald eagle with a big heart
Swoop is a bald eagle that wears the number 00 on his Philadelphia Eagles jersey. The website says Swoop’s diet consists of “smaller birds such as Cardinals, Falcons, Ravens, and Seahawks; and of course cheesesteaks and soft pretzels.” No arguing from me.
It goes on to say that he was born in “Eagles forest”, and now resides in South Philly, “in the Eagles Nest high atop Lincoln Financial Field”, from where he regularly rides a zip-line down to the fans.
As well as supporting his football team, Swoop has a great money-making scheme. He can be requested for social events for $400 and non-profit events for $200, in which “during the hour, SWOOP is required to take a 15 minute break/can only appear in costume for 25 minutes prior to taking a break”, although it is recommended that “SWOOP appear for a shorter period of time than an hour to make the appearance most impactful for guests, i.e. a 20 minute appearance.”
Swoop also has an inflatable version, that is used regularly, called Air Swoop. The relationship between the two is unknown. Throughout the NFL season, Swoop appears as an animated character in the Eagles Kids Club television show. Since the show’s firs episode back in 2005, the entrepreneurial animated version of the character has been serving as a host.