A tale of two New Jerseys … again

For the second time in a few months, New Jersey finds itself divided in half. It happened in October when the Phillies were in the World Series.

Once again the lower part of the state is ecstatic with the fact that their football team, the Philadelphia Eagles, is going to the Super Bowl for the second time in five years.

You couldn’t go anywhere on Sunday without seeing a sea of green.

Whether it was at the supermarket with giant cookie cakes, decorated in the Philadelphia Eagles colors and logos or patrons in every store, wearing eagles, jerseys and hats.

It seemed like half the front lawns and houses have Eagles flags in front of their homes. While a little interest may trickle north, most of it is contained solidly south of that line that divides the state in half.

From Trenton to Long Beach Island, and on down, it’s Eagles territory. North of that the Central and North Jersey people are part of the New York media market and either hate Philadelphia teams or just don’t care.

In South Jersey for the next two weeks, local stores will display eagles, symbols and logos and sell Eagles paraphernalia to people. Even little kids in elementary middle schools will have special days and programs devoted to the Eagles and the big game coming up in a couple of weeks.

As with most major sports championships, half of the state is excited and the other half is either pissed off or extraordinarily disinterested. New Jersey only has one major franchise that bears our name.

The New Jersey Devils have been a fairly successful hockey team, but even that team doesn’t garner the excitement or the following of the entire state.

Once again below that line from Trenton to LBI, it’s all Philadelphia sports fans. So if you’re a Giants or Jets fan and live along the border of the two parts of Jersey, you will see the Eagles flags and Eagles merchandise at stores.

But north of the dividing line the rest of the state will be blissfully unaware that the other half of the state is in a wild state of euphoria over the sports team going to the Super Bowl this year. Fly Eagles fly!

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

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