Philly Mayor Kenney: William Penn will not be bleeding green for the Super Bowl

The statue atop Philadelphia’s City Hall will not dress the part of an Eagles fan, said Mayor Jim Kenney. History shows adorning the city icon may do more harm than good.

Peter Crimmins

January 23, 2018

City Hall and the Center City skyline looking west from the roof of 1234 Market Street. (Emma Lee/WHYY)

William Penn will not be bleeding green for the Super Bowl.

The statue atop Philadelphia’s City Hall will not dress the part of an Eagles fan, said Mayor Jim Kenney. History shows adorning the city icon may do more harm than good.

Bill wore a Phillies hat in 1993 during the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays. We lost.

The statue was graced with a Flyers jersey in 1997, when the team was in the Stanley Cup against the Detroit Red Wings. Again, we lost.

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Kenney does not want to jinx this one. “I want to win the Super Bowl,” he said.

The mayor said on Tuesday that he has not yet decided where he will root for the Eagles during the Super Bowl — live in Minneapolis or via television in Philadelphia. Right now, he’s leaning toward staying in his hometown, with the rest of us.

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