Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mayor Cherelle Parker failed to spell “Eagles” during a news conference shortly before her city’s professional football team hosted a playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams. A Democrat, Parker was first elected as mayor in 2024.
“Let me hear you all say, ‘E – L – G – S – E – S’… Eagles!” Parker shouted during the outdoor media event. She concluded with: “Let’s go birds,” a common saying among fans of the Philadelphia Eagles—the city’s professional National Football League (NFL) franchise. While Parker could not spell the team name right, some in the crowd could be heard chanting the correct spelling.
Parker’s flub quickly hit social media, forcing the Philadelphia mayor to address her misspelling on Tuesday during another news conference meant to unveil the Kensington Wellness Court—a program to send drug addicts in the city’s crime-ridden Kensington neighborhood to rehab facilities instead of jail. “We don’t promise perfection, I’m so happy I never have,” the Philadelphia mayor said. “Especially after I couldn’t spell Eagles right.”
Studies indicate that upwards of 52 percent of adult Philadelphians are likely functionally illiterate. Even more troubling, students in the city have routinely fallen far below the national average in terms of state and national reading assessments.
“E-L-G-S-E-S EAGLES. Let’s go birds.”
— Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker
pic.twitter.com/e5UbuflG4k— Barstool Philly (@BarstoolPhilly) January 22, 2025