Overview
- The Empire State Building lit up in green and white to celebrate the Philadelphia Eagles' NFC Championship victory over the Washington Commanders on Sunday night.
- The display angered New Yorkers, particularly fans of the New York Giants, as the Eagles are a divisional rival and former Giants player Saquon Barkley starred in the game for Philadelphia.
- The building's social media account issued a preemptive apology and acknowledged the likely backlash, stating, 'I’m sorry I have to do this.'
- This is not the first time the Empire State Building has faced criticism for honoring the Eagles, with similar incidents occurring in 2018 and 2023.
- The tradition of lighting up for NFC and AFC Championship winners has been in place since at least 2016, but it continues to spark strong reactions from local sports fans.