College Corner: Interview with a Sharples Eagle fan

Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.

When he’s not busy making his signature cheese steaks, Donny talks football with the best of them — and his allegiances are clear from the Eagles paraphernalia surrounding the grill. The Daily Gazette sat down with this Sharples superstar griller to find out more about how the tension is playing out at Swarthmore just days before the Super Bowl.

Daily Gazette: Who do you think is going to win; what do you think is going to happen in the game?

Donny: We’re going to win. Defense is going to keep the team up. And the Eagles are more hungry ’cause we’ve never won.

DG: How long have you been an Eagles fan?

D: Wow, I’ve been an Eagles fan for years. I’m a football fanatic. I watch everything from high school to college to professional.

DG: Did you play football when you were younger?

D: Yes, I did little league…man, that was in the 70s. That was a long time ago!

DG: So when did you put that Eagles sign up?

D: Oh, I just put that up after the second game. I defend that flag. Some students tried taking it down, and I said, “Give me that flag back!”

DG: Where will you watch the game on Sunday?

D: I’ll be at my brother’s house. It will be a great, big celebration. A big party like Christmas or something. Lots of beer, wine, all of that.

DG: Any funny stories about students and your Eagles flag?

D: A guy named Ben from New England took the flag down and just ran, and this other student chased him through Sharples to get it back for me.

DG: Ooh…

D: Some other students even let the air out of the balloons some days ago. Yeah, I’ll put up some more balloons on Saturday. I haven’t put up any yet because I was afraid students would pull that trick again.

DG: How about positive reactions to Eagles paraphernalia?

D: Well, there’s a huge Eagles fan base here at Swarthmore. Almost the whole student body is backing me up with how bad the Eagles are going to be.

DG: Do you give Eagles fans special treatment nowadays? Extra grilled onions or twice the meat?

D: [laughs] No, but I tease them. I tell [New England] fans that they’ll get bread and water from me this weekend, and the other students will get steak.

DG: OK, just a random question… If you were a Sharples food, what would you be?

D: A cheese steak. Because that’s one of my most popular sandwiches. They have this joke that the mayor of Philly would bet cheese steaks over clams (’cause that’s what they have up there, all that seafood).

DG: Is that what you’re going to bet, cheese steaks?

D: No, ’cause I know we’re going to the win. We’re going to knock the Patriots off their crown.