Fly, Trout, Fly: Angels star/Eagles fan talks SB

January 23rd, 2018

It's been quite the offseason for Angels superstar .
In December, Trout married his high school sweetheart, Jessica Cox, and watched the Angels emerge as the surprise winners of the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes -- all over the same weekend.
On Sunday, Trout added yet another highlight to his winter after seeing his beloved Philadelphia Eagles defeat the Minnesota Vikings to earn a berth in Super Bowl LII, where they will face the New England Patriots on Feb. 4.

"A lot of people doubted them, a lot of players from the Angels doubted them, giving me a lot of grief all the time that they're not going to go anywhere," Trout said Tuesday during a conference call with the media. "But they're all rooting for them now because they're going up against [Patriots quarterback] Tom Brady."
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Trout, an Eagles season-ticket holder, was on hand for Sunday's NFC Championship Game at Lincoln Financial Field, watching the game with Angels left-hander , a Vikings fan. As soon as the matchup was set, Trout said he texted Skaggs and invited him to fly to Philadelphia to attend the game. Skaggs accepted and had early bragging rights, as the Vikings scored on their opening drive, but the game soon became a blowout, with Philadelphia trouncing Minnesota, 38-7.
"The first drive of the game, when they scored a touchdown, I said, 'Man, I'm in trouble,'" Trout said. "We were just talking back and forth. I was rooting for the Eagles and he was rooting for the Vikings. After [Philadelphia] scored a couple touchdowns, he kind of got quiet. At the end of the game, it was so loud and electric, he started chanting the Eagles chant. I think I turned him into an Eagles fan."

Though Trout has been a mainstay at Eagles home games this season, he said he's unsure if he'll be making the trip to Minnesota next month to attend the Super Bowl.
"It's up in the air because I like spending it watching the commercials with my wife and family and friends," Trout said.
The Eagles, who lost their star quarterback, Carson Wentz, to a torn knee ligament in December, will enter the Super Bowl as heavy underdogs to the Patriots and five-time champion Brady, but Trout is sticking with his hometown team.
"I still think that the Eagles are going to pull it out," Trout said. "I think they're going to win, 31-24."

Trout, who grew up about an hour outside of Philadelphia in southern New Jersey and still resides there in the offseason, has remained a prominent fan of the region's sports teams, prompting a reporter to ask him if he'd want to come home to play for the Phillies once his contract with the Angels expires after the 2020 season.
"I'm an Eagles fan," Trout said. "I obviously grew up a Philly sports fan. I love playing in Anaheim. Obviously I've got a couple years left on my contract. I love the city of Anaheim and obviously the West Coast."