When the Empire State Building lit up in Philadelphia Eagles green on Sunday night, the response was swift and angry.
Members of the New York Giants were stunned by the sight, while New Yorkers voiced their displeasure on social media. Everyone — from NYC Sanitation to City Council members to Times Square street performers — was miffed.
We’ll see you at the Big Game pic.twitter.com/JlZOLLBjMZ
— Empire State Building (@EmpireStateBldg) January 30, 2023
Even New York City Mayor Eric Adams was upset with the decision — and the outcome of the Giants’ divisional-round game against the Eagles.
“Listen, that got away from us,” Adams said during a CNN appearance. “The way the Eagles game got away from us with the Giants, we should have lit up in real symbolism the colors of the giant. That blue should have been there.
“Unfortunately, someone did not get the memo at the Empire State Building, but we want to see good sportsmanship. The Giants will be back next year, and the Jets will be back. We’ll be excited when they rebuild their teams.”
Although the lighting change was planned long before the games were even decided, those in charge clearly didn’t give much thought to the potential fallout. And while the color green may seem insignificant to most, this is New York and New Yorkers take their sports very, very seriously.
You had better believe the Empire State Building will not make this mistake a second time.
