Packers brace themselves for Eagles, fans

Are there two more different fan bases in the NFL than those of the Packers and the Eagles?

When the Giants were stranded in Wisconsin a few weeks ago after their visit to Green Bay, the citizens of Appleton did everything they could to make them feel welcome, short of bringing casseroles to the team hotel.

Philadelphia?

"Was that the game where we were on our bus and they threw eggs?" Packers linebacker Desmond Bishop asked, trying to recall the details of his team's Week 1 visit to Lincoln Financial Field. Of course it was.

The Packers are bracing themselves not only for the Eagles' explosive offense and blitz-happy defense but for the Philadelphia fans. In fact, the Packers aren't the only ones who expect the fans to play a role in Sunday's wild-card game.

"I know our fans will be out of their minds, and that's a good thing," said Eagles coach Andy Reid, who is 7-1 in playoff openers (the loss came to the Cowboys last year). "They always welcome opposing teams in with open arms."

This will be the first home playoff game for the Eagles in three years. To get an idea of how long that's been in Philadelphia time, the Phillies have won a World Series title and played for another since the Eagles last hosted a postseason game.

It also will be the first time that many Eagles fans get to see their team - in its entirety - play at home in more than a month. Their Week 16 game against the Vikings was postponed to a Tuesday, undoubtedly causing many tickets to change hands. The Eagles (4-4 at home this season) played the Cowboys in Philadelphia last week but rested many starters. The last time the Eagles were at home, as scheduled, and playing at full strength was Dec. 2 against the Texans.

The Packers should be familiar with their surroundings. They have played the Eagles seven times since the 2003 season, and five of those games have been in Philadelphia. That includes a 20-17 overtime playoff loss in January 2004 and a 27-20 win in Week 1 this season.

Still, Philadelphia and the Linc will be very foreign for the Packers, who are more used to Midwestern hospitality and have played the last two win-or-else games of the regular season in front of their own genteel fans.

"From what I know, and from what I hear, the legendary stories, they're pretty hostile out there," Packers receiver Greg Jennings said. "The old-school stories about fans having a little too much to drink and that they had to put a jail in the stadium."

They did build holding cells in the stadium, but they haven't been used in years. Eagles fans these days may be as vocal as their predecessors, but they are nowhere near as unruly as those who used to torment opposing teams (and fans of opposing teams) at the Vet.

The fans still maintain a reputation. But not all of the Packers are concerned about it.

"To me, that's fun," Bishop said. "I love going in there and kind of being the villain. Fans hate you."

If that's what he wants, he's coming to the right place.