Philadelphia Eagles fans are known for passionately — sometimes rudely — backing their team. That reputation was cemented on a cold Sunday in 1968, when disgruntled fans pelted Santa with snowballs.

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Sports fans in the City of Brotherly Love have a tough reputation and history in part because of the images of Eagles fans booing and pelting Santa Claus with snowballs 50 years ago today. NPR’s Philadelphia correspondent Jeff Brady talked with locals about that anniversary.

JEFF BRADY, BYLINE: When it comes to Philadelphia Eagles fans, Gail Wehmeyer is among the dedicated.

GAIL WEHMEYER: I’ve been a season ticket holder since 1961.

BRADY: I caught up with her at her day job at a bowling alley in Northeast Philadelphia.

(SOUNDBITE OF BOWLING PINS FALLING)

BRADY: Somebody is hitting a lot of noisy strikes. So we head into a quiet room to remember December 15, 1968. The Eagles played the Minnesota Vikings on a very snowy day. The game wasn’t memorable, but halftime was.

WEHMEYER: Poor, little, old Santa Claus got bombarded while my dad and I sat in the stands with our hands over our heads.

BRADY: Wehmeyer says fans behind her didn’t have great aim. So she got pelted, too. Here’s the basic story that’s been repeated over the decades. The Eagles were having a bad season. And this game wasn’t going well, either. The fans held on to their anger for the halftime show.

WEHMEYER: The Eagles fans are either all for you, or they’re all against you. And this was the day that they were all against everything. And poor Santa Claus was the target.

BRADY: The man in the suit was 20-year-old Frank Olivo. He’s since died. But here he is seven years ago in an ESPN video.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

FRANK OLIVO: I remember watching a fellow make a snowball and throw it at me. And I just walked up to him, you know, at the bottom of the wall there. And I said, you’re not getting anything for Christmas.

BRADY: That’s an attitude Philadelphians can respect. And over the past five decades, Olivo became a minor hero. Local news outlets ran feature-length obituaries when he died in 2015. On Philadelphia streets now, a few people say they’re a little ashamed that fans gave Santa a hard time 50 years ago. But outside a popular cheese steak restaurant, before last Sunday’s loss to Dallas, fans like Zane Major remained unapologetic.

ZANE MAJOR: It’s part of our reputation of no nonsense. And we don’t even respect Santa Claus. We respect the win – the Eagles to win. That’s what – all we want for Christmas (laughter). If he’s not bringing that, then go away Santa Claus – snowballs coming.

BRADY: And this attitude extends beyond the Eagles fan base.

REBEKAH ADENS: Hi, I’m Rebekah. I’m from Philadelphia.

BRADY: OK. And you’re wearing green. Is that because you’re an Eagles fan or?

ADENS: Nope. It was on sale.

BRADY: Rebekah Adens had never heard of Frank Olivo or that fans pelted Santa with snowballs. But she’s not surprised.

ADENS: That’s Philly. We’re pretty rude. That’s messed up.

MAJOR: Sorry about that.

BRADY: But you say that with a smile.

ADENS: Because we’re proud of it. That’s why. It’s terrible. We want to be better. But we won’t (laughter).

BRADY: After last year’s Super Bowl win, the Eagles are not doing as well this year – six wins and seven losses so far – not as bad as 1968. Still, Sanchanina Ball wonders if Eagles fans might be in the mood to celebrate the 50th anniversary of that day when fans threw snowballs at Santa.

SANCHANINA BALL: So they going to do it again…

MAJOR: (Laughter).

BALL: …At the stadium? (Laughter).

BRADY: I don’t think that’s the plan. Jeff Brady, NPR News, Philadelphia.

But you’re fun.

BALL: Thank you, you too (laughter).

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