After 28 seasons, the Philadelphia Eagles are letting their pep band go, writes Matt Breen for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“It’s been glorious … We walk away with a smile on our face,” said Bobby Mansure, the Upper Darby native who cofounded the Eagles Pep Band.
The musicians play at the stadium on Sundays and were the force behind making “Fly, Eagles Fly” a Philadelphia anthem.
They also play around at weddings, parades and other functions, including tailgates before kickoff.
The Pep Band started in 1996 when the Eagles hired them to play in the Veterans Stadium parking lot.
It plays one more time Thursday morning in Montgomery County before being disbanded in early April.
Band members were stunned to find out they were being dismissed, but not bitter, as they recounted the years of being on the field and meeting players and fans.
The Eagles are taking their stadium entertainment in a different direction, according to a news report from CBS 3.
There’s a DJ now at every home game.
The Eagles fight song will still be played after Eagles touchdowns next season, but the band that made it popular won’t be there.
Read more about the Pep Band and the origins of the Eagles fight song in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
