The Always Sunny Gang Played the Met During the Eagles’ Home Opener, and Philly Fans Lost Their Minds
Eagles gear was as common in the crowd as Paddy's Pub t-shirts and Green Man bodysuits, but these fans had made their choice.
From left, Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, and Rob McElhenney in the Always Sunny podcast live show at the Met / Photograph courtesy of Live Nation
Back in June, we told you that co-creators of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Glenn Howerton, Charlie Day, and Philly’s own Rob McElhenney were coming to the Met to do a live taping of their wildly popular podcast. And you reacted accordingly: The September 18th date sold out quickly. So the gang graciously added a second date — and unfortunately that date coincided with the Eagles’ home opener. But the result was glorious, as both South and North Broad Street celebrated each Eagles touchdown in their own raucous way.
At the Met, as at the Linc, there were E-A-G-L-E-S chants. There were also dusters, sing-alongs, costumes and lots of Philly love. Eagles gear was as common in the crowd as Paddy’s Pub t-shirts and Green Man bodysuits, but these fans had made their choice.
“I can’t believe they’re playing without me,” McElhenney said, as he “address[ed] the Eagle in the room” right at the top of the show, and explained they booked the Met before the NFL had released their schedule.
But Eagles fans (including the ones on stage) weren’t out of luck. First off, there was a live “Birds of War” performance, with the lyrics changed for the Eagles. And every time the team scored, the show would come to a halt as a giant screen flashed “Touchdown” (complete with animated renderings of the three stars and a score graphic). After a collective Eagles chant, the show would resume.
The Always Sunny podcast live show celebrated each Eagles touchdown / Photograph by Laura Swartz
In a strange parallel, the ABC broadcast of the game featured a Sunny-inspired parody of its own.
Like the podcast, the live show was nominally about an episode (in this case, “Mac and Charlie Die (Part 2)”), but went off on wild tangents that demonstrate the chemistry between the creators that has made the show the longest running live-action sitcom. “We truly love each other and we want to spend as much time as we can together. We’ll do it until the day we die,” said McElhenney of Sunny’s future.
Of course, this being Philly, the show wasn’t going to end without a discussion of McElhenney’s roots — and his love of Chase Utley. When the Phillies were honoring his retirement, Utley called McElhenney to have a catch with him at Citizens Bank Park, fulfilling a wish his character memorably had. McElhenney recalled: “Maybe half the people in the crowd laughed, the other half were confused,” but when the PA announcer at the ballpark said “Philadelphia’s own Rob McElhenney,” none of that mattered. “You still consider me to be one of your own,” he said, in a brief moment of emotion.
The fans did not disappoint, with many coming in costumes that referenced the show. There were several blindingly-yellow Dayman suits, and even more Green Man (Men?), plus more obscure references in the crowd that only true fans could appreciate. In a delirious fan-service finale and encore, Day played piano as everyone sang favorites from the show. Howerton and McElhenney emerged in duster coats with t-shirt guns. It was delightful chaos.
Prior to the show, the City of Philadelphia declared Monday, September 19th “It’s Always Sunny Podcast Day in Philadelphia,” with a presentation backstage.
Moments before recording their podcast at the Met Philadelphia, members of the cast of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia received a proclamation declaring Monday, September 19, 2022 as “It’s Always Sunny Podcast Day in Philadelphia.” At the presentation were (from left) Geoff Gordon, regional president of Live Nation Northeast; It’s Always Sunny Podcast members Meagan Ganz, Glenn Howerton, Charlie Day and Rob McElhenney; and Sheila Hess, Philadelphia City Representative. / Photograph courtesy of Live Nation
The Sunny crew hasn’t actually filmed in Philly since 2016’s 12th season, but they expressed a hope to return. “It’s amazing how many people show up to set,” said Howerton. “We need to do it again.”
Recalling making their sixth-season Christmas special here, they described knocking on the doors of residents to ask if they could film on their street. It was the middle of summer, but not only did they say yes, they personally decorated their rowhomes to fit the holiday setting. “That is, to me, what it is to come back to the city,” said McElhenney.
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