Eagles Super Bowl appearance expected to boost Philadelphia's image

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- It's expected that more than 100 million people will watch the Philadelphia Eagles battle the New England Patriots in two weeks.

Visit Philadelphia CEO Meryl Levitz said she can't put a price tag on what the Eagles appearance in the Super Bowl will mean for the city.

"People see it and they say I've got to go to Philadelphia. I've been meaning to go to Philadelphia," said Levitz. "By the time they get here we don't know what the motivators were but it's a big thing."

But it's not just about tourism.

The Eagles' meteoric rise helps tell Philadelphia's own story from a scrappy city to recognized as one of the best places in America.

"I think we have a history of being overlooked and sandwiched between two cities," said Kate Shields of Vault Communications. "Quite frankly we're shedding that."

But images of Eagles fans cursing and assaulting Vikings fans on Sunday hurts Philly's image. An expert on organizational reputation, Shields says we can overcome that.

"It's repetition, reputation, reputation. We have so much more good than bad. And I think our city officials are doing a good job," said Shields. "We've never been better and we have to keep telling our story as many ways as possible."

------

Send a breaking news alert to Action News
Report a correction or typo
Learn more about the 6abc family of apps