BroBible
Recent history suggests it’s a bad idea to deface the Rocky statue in Philadelphia by covering it in the gear of the team slated to face off against the Eagles in a big game. However, it would appear a Commanders fan has decided to tempt fate ahead of the NFC Championship—although there’s also a chance it might be an inside job.
There are plenty of movies set in Philadelphia, but none of them (not even Philadelphia) are associated with the city more than Rocky, the underdog story that features the first of the many training montages the film series is known for in which the eponymous boxer caps off a run by sprinting to the top of the stairs leading up to the Museum of Art.
The stone flight that’s commonly referred to as the “Rocky Steps” is adjacent to a bronze statue of the fictional hero that was commissioned in 1982 prior to the release of the third installment in the franchise and has been situated outside the museum since 2006.
In 2015, a Giants jersey appeared on the statue ahead of a regular season matchup between the Eagles and the Giants where Philadelphia cruised to a 27-7 victory.
Vikings fans pulled a similar move when they held a rally on the Rocky Steps ahead of the NFC Championship Game in 2018—a contest Philadelphia won by scoring 38 straight points in a 38-7 rout—and a Tom Brady jersey appeared on the bronze Balboa a couple of weeks later before the Eagles pulled off the victory in Super Bowl LII and brought the Lombardi Trophy back to Philly for the first time in franchise history.
The 49ers also fell victim to the so-called “Rocky Statue Curse” after it was draped in San Francisco apparel before the NFC Championship Game in 2023 (the Eagles earned a 31-7 victory), and while the Chiefs did manage to overcome it in the ensuing Super Bowl, it seems like it would still be foolish to go out of the way to risk reviving it.
With that said, someone decided to take the time to cover the Rocky statue in Washington gear that was presumably produced before the team rebranded to the Commanders along with a cheeky sign placed at the pedestal on Friday ahead of their showdown with the Eagles this weekend.
Commanders fans apparently decorated the Rocky statue.
We all know how this movie ends.pic.twitter.com/43nAnVWtnD
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) January 24, 2025
However, plenty of people are skeptical the stunt was actually orchestrated by a Commanders fan thanks in no small part to the outdated apparel someone who actually roots for Washington would probably have a harder time parting with than, say, an Eagles fan who wanted to get people riled up while possibility attempting to activate the curse themselves (although I like to think the Football Gods are only influenced by authentic acts of vandalism).
The fact that the sign in question reads “HTTC” (a reference to “Hail...
