First lady Jill Biden drew boos as she walked onto Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Sunday night to serve as honorary captain for the undefeated Eagles.
Cancer survivors flanked Biden as she made her way to the middle of the field for the coin toss in the match-up in the Eagles’ game against the Dallas Cowboys.
The first lady attended the event to promote the federal government’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, which is aimed at advancing a cure for cancer.
Of course, politics can never be far separated from such an appearance, especially when it’s this close to the midterm elections. And that put even a group as sympathetic — and inspiring — as cancer survivors in the potential line of fire.
If Biden (or her handlers) was hoping that walking beside cancer survivors would get her a unanimous welcome from the notoriously tough Philly crowd, some video evidence posted to social media suggests the contrary.
“Boos,” along with “Let’s Go Brandon!” could be heard.
VIDEO EVIDENCE: Jill Biden gets LOUDLY boo’ed by MASSIVE crowd at Eagles game: “Let’s Go Brandon!”
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 17, 2022
The U.K. Daily Mail reported that chants of “F*** Joe Biden” also reverberated through the stadium.
Ed Kracz, a writer for Sport Illustrated’s “Eagles Today,” tweeted, “FLOTUS Jill Biden at midfield for coin flip. She gets booed. #Eagles win toss. Defer. Dallas starts with ball.”
FLOTUS Jill Biden at midfield for coin flip. She gets booed. #Eagles win toss. Defer. Dallas starts with ball.
— Ed Kracz (@kracze) October 17, 2022
Steve Maltepes, a sports betting guru who goes by the Twitter handle Philly Godfather, tweeted, “A stadium full of Eagles fans booed Jill Biden tonight, they must all be from the 5 surrounding counties.”
In the 2020 presidential election, the four counties that surround Philadelphia — Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, and Delaware — actually went for Joe Biden, so that theory’s no good.
Former President Donald Trump did carry the majority of counties in the state, including Lancaster and Berks counties, which are not far from Philly.
A stadium full of Eagles fans booed Jill Biden tonight, they must all be from the 5 surrounding counties.
— PhillyGodfather ® Sports Bettor (@phillygodfather) October 17, 2022
However, the video evidence of the incident has been controversial — and somewhat contradictory.
The NFL posted a video of Jill Biden singing the “Fly Eagles Fly” fight song before the game started.
Neither boos nor chants of “Let’s Go Brandon” could be heard, leading some on social media to accuse NBC of doctoring the sound, according to the Daily Mail.
Others suggested that the boos were actually added in by Biden critics.
It didn’t happened. She wasn’t booed. He posted a manipulated video. What really happened is..https://t.co/EuA2yeFWCN
— Kami (@MeidasKami) October 17, 2022
Biden grew up in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, about 40 miles from Philadelphia in neighboring Montgomery County.
She tweeted Sunday, “It’s a special night for this Philly girl — I get to cheer on my @Eagles alongside these brave cancer survivors and their families.”
It’s a special night for this Philly girl — I get to cheer on my @Eagles alongside these brave cancer survivors and their families.
Thank you @NFL for raising awareness through Crucial Catch. We all have a role to play in ending cancer as we know it. #CancerMoonshot pic.twitter.com/VfCdbrl2ce
— Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) October 17, 2022
Assuming there was some booing — always a solid assumption with a Philadelphia sports crowd — the first lady has plenty of company.
Her husband observed in May 2021, “Philadelphia fans are the most informed and most obnoxious fans in the world.”
The New York Post reported, “In 1968, Eagles fans mercilessly booed and threw snowballs at a man dressed as Santa Claus who appeared on the field during halftime of a late-season game.”
The same fans in the same city that threw snowballs at Santa at an Eagles game ! pic.twitter.com/yAB5YR7XRz
— coach dan (@DanKeeling7) April 13, 2022
There might be a dispute over how widespread the booing was on Sunday night at “the Linc” — as the stadium is known locally — but there’s no question that Jill Biden’s husband is widely unpopular nationally.
According to a poll released Monday, commissioned by the notoriously liberal New York Times, President Joe Biden’s approval rating is at only 39 percent, with 58 percent disapproving.
Should Biden have been an honorary team captain so close to the midterms?
It even found him a percentage point behind former President Donald Trump — 45 to 44 — in a prospective 2024 presidential election.
The Eagles won the Dallas game Sunday night, 26-17, leaving them the only undefeated team in the NFL. With a bye week on the schedule for the upcoming weekend, the team will remain undefeated at least until Oct. 30, when the Eagles are scheduled to play the Pittsburgh Steelers at home at the Linc.
The Phillies just defeated last year’s World Series champion Atlanta Braves in four games to win the National League Division Series Saturday and advance to the National League Championship Series.
Philly is on a roll!
FLOTUS Dr. Jill Biden gets booed. Being an “Eagles fan” didn’t save her #DALvsPHI
— John McMullen (@JFMcMullen) October 17, 2022
As for the Bidens, not so much.
