Philadelphia Eagles: Family throws surprise birthday party at tailgate for Vietnam veteran

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Eagles fans woke up early Sunday morning to prepare for the game, some of them celebrating more than just the best team in football.

“The first time I cried was in the 1980 Super Bowl when the Raiders beat us,” said Dan McAlee, an Eagles fan since he was six years old.

This game became one of his all-time favorites before the team even took the field. The Vietnam veteran’s entire family surprised him for his 70th birthday.

“I went to help the bus driver get his truck off the highway and they were all on board. I got up there and they were all there,” he said.

In a sea of ​​thousands of Eagles fans, Dan wasn’t the only one celebrating his big day with a tailgate.

“I turned 30 today, so it’s a good day. All my friends and family are here to have a good time,” said Rob D’Adrea of ​​Northeast Philadelphia. He boarded a bus to the stadiums with 75 of his closest friends and family, bringing plenty of games and lots of good food.

“We’ve smoked jerk chicken, we’ve smoked pulled pork here, baked mac and cheese,” he said, pointing to their spread, which is, of course, the center of any good Eagles tailgate .

“We had the breakfast sandwiches, the eggs and bacon and cheese, the eggs and pork and cheese. We had the tater tots and the mimosas. The most important part, the mimosas,” Courtney said Bartkowski of Ewing, New Jersey.

She and her friends had a great start to the day. Eagles fans around the world wanted to show Tennessee why Philadelphia is the best football city.

“It’s a city like no other. Everyone has a good time when they come to Philly,” said Shelley Holt of Lawrenceville, New Jersey.

This helps Eagles fans cheer on the number one team in football. It’s the gift we continue to give to longtime fans like Dan.

“I think this is the best team I’ve seen in a long, long time,” he said.

Dan’s real birthday isn’t until January. Now that he’s had his party, he’s hoping for an extra gift; an Eagles trip to the Super Bowl.