Sumo wrestling, morning mac and cheese, and more highlights from Jason Kelce’s ‘New Heights’ tailgate
Kelce, who hosted a tailgate for his podcast in Kansas City earlier this season, brought it to Stateside Live! Sunday morning before the Eagles-Giants game.
If you think 8 a.m. is too early to eat mac and cheese, the New Heights tailgate at Stateside Live! was not for you.
Jason Kelce brought his New Heights podcast back to Philly for another year on Sunday ahead of the Eagles-Giants game at Lincoln Financial Field after hosting one in Kansas City, Mo., earlier this season. His cohost and brother, Travis Kelce, wasn’t in attendance because his Chiefs team was hosting the Jets at Arrowhead Stadium.
The many activities around Stateside Live! included free samples of three types of Stouffer’s mac and cheese for attendees to try and rank.
» READ MORE: Jason Kelce confronted his fear of heights with a ‘Go Birds’ while visiting West Point cadets on a PBS special
Beth Thomas, a Giants fan, and Heather Englander, an Eagles fan, might not agree on which team they were rooting for on Sunday, but they both agreed that the “Hail Mary Mac”— classic Stouffer’s mac and cheese topped with extra cheese and bread crumbs — was their favorite. The other two options, the “Buffalo Blitz Mac” and “The 92%er Mac,” were too spicy for the pair, who were heading to the game.
“I would harass [Thomas] all the time because she was the assistant principal, and I’m a teacher, and I would always go into her office and show off my Eagles stuff, especially when they won, [and] the Giants were never winning,” Englander said.
When Englander saw that the tailgate was happening the same weekend they were finally going to a game together, she told Thomas they had to go.
There also was a “Kelce Clubhouse” section selling merch and a photo-op station.
Despite the strong gusts of wind that kept knocking over the bowling pins, the conditions were fine for the other activities set up, including cornhole, foosball, or just throwing a football around.
Luckily for fans, the main events of the day weren’t weather-dependent. When Kelce took the stage around 11 a.m., he threw beers into the crowd, led the festivities, and, naturally, led a few Eagles chants, too.
The first event was a sumo wrestling tournament inspired by Kelce’s new appreciation for the sport and his desire to teach fans “the art of sumo.” The winners in both the men’s and women’s division received a $5,000 prize.
» READ MORE: A former Eagles cheerleader joined the Army after college. Now, she’s the team’s Salute to Service nominee.
Sumo wrestling was followed by a hobby horsing, or, rather, hobby eagling. Participants “rode” a hobby horse — with an eagle head — around a circuit. Jason also promised “$5,000 of Travis Kelce’s money” to the winner of this event, Becca from Colorado. She was in town with her mom, celebrating her retirement with the first stop on their quest to see all 30 NFL stadiums.
Kelce’s final surprise was bringing out actor Anthony Ippolito from the new I Play Rocky movie to discuss the film with Kelce.
At the front of the stage to witness it all was Larry McTighe, a 70-year-old who has been listening to New Heights for about three years. McTighe, who was wearing one of the only “Kelce” jerseys for Travis instead of Jason, said he enjoys the show’s football insight and variety of guests as a Chiefs fan, football fan, and Swiftie.
“They will give you insight that even I, that’s been a football fan since 1958, can relate to, and you can get some inside information you’re not going to get anywhere else,” McTighe said.
Along with being a huge fan of New Heights, McTighe also had a goal in mind when he drove up from Selbyville, Del.: give Kelce a gift.
McTighe was in the Pentagon during 9/11, working in the affected area. He hoped to give Kelce one of his commemorative coins. McTighe also wanted to witness the environment and send some photos back to the women who run the Kelce Brothers’ Facebook page.
With the help of “Jets Jake” and “Intern Brandon,” two behind-the-scenes personalities for New Heights, McTighe gave the coin to Kelce and took a picture with him.
With the Eagles’ season gradually going up in flames, there’s been plenty of external fingerpointing. The offense, specifically the line, has drawn considerable ire, especially in light of the Eagles parting ways with longtime, beloved assistant coach Jeff Stoutland. Stoutland’s track record on the offensive line is Hall of Fame-worthy. This year, with Chris Kuper as Stoutland’s replacement, the line has regressed.
Should Kuper shoulder most of the blame? What really happened between Stoutland and the Eagles that caused their relationship to fall apart? The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane dives deeper into one of the biggest “what ifs” from a frustrating season, framing Stoutland’s exit around four key questions. Listen here.
Listen to all episodes here or wherever you get your podcasts.
