Bradley Cooper gets honest on choosing between Eagles Super Bowl win and winning multiple Oscars
Actor Bradley Cooper loves the Philadelphia Eagles very much - and it is not just about his team caps.
Born near the city, he has been present in many of the team's games (including their Super Bowl LII win), even singing the team's fight song at one point. He has also done the opening narration for two Sunday Night Football games featuring them.
On Howard Stern's eponymous SiriusXM radio show, Cooper said that he would trade winning multiple Oscars for Maestro for seeing the Eagles win another Super Bowl:
Bradley Cooper's fandom of the Philadelphia Eagles explained
How did Bradley Cooper's love for the Philadelphia Eagles begin anyway? Ahead of Super Bowl LII, The Philadelphia Inquirer's Nick Vadala published a feature that detailed the actor's love affair with the team.
It began with him and his late father Charles, who, in his own words, were "drawn together" into fandom, with their meals often devolving into discussion how the Eagles fared. One discussion in particular was about the Eagles' defeat of the Dallas Cowboys to reach their first Super Bowl.
He has called himself a big fan of quarterbacks Randall Cunningham and Donovan McNabb and defensive end Reggie White and was "happy when (former coach) Andy Reid came in".
Cooper would later bring those real-life experiences to his performance in the highly acclaimed romcom Silver Linings Playbook, where he plays a bipolar Eagles fan. His father was also the basis for Robert DeNiro's character.
Speaking to the Daily News in 2012, he explained the comparisons between the movie and sports fandom in real life:
"Such a big part of this movie is the sports aspect, and the Eagles, specifically. There's such a great sports angle to this movie. And we tried to be as authentic as we could to the reality of what it's like to be in a sports town."
The same year, he also discussed the Eagles fandom with ESPN The Magazine:
"I don’t believe we’re any crazier than Boston, Detroit, Pittsburgh, New York or football fans from yore, for God's sake. I think it’s a badge of honor that we wear. ... It’s all about community, really. That’s a beautiful thing."
The Eagles are sitting at a conference-best 10-1, so Bradley Cooper may stand a good chance of seeing his wish fulfilled.