Newtown to New Orleans and Back Again

This is from a Marc Narducci article in the Inky today -- I just thought it was worth sharing. It's about the Saint's head coach (and former Eagles assistant coach) Sean Payton. It explains how he grew up in the area (the hardscrabble hood of Newtown Square) until 7th grade, and how his brother lives in the area and remains a Birds fan:

Payton's brother Tom, who lives in Cape May County, N.J., is proof of how passionate Eagles fans are. Even when Sean Payton was an assistant coach with the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys, Tom remained loyal to the Eagles.

"It's a little bit easier that the Eagles are out of the division, but there would be years when there would be no conversation for six months," Payton said. "He is like the rest of the town. He grew up watching their teams play, and that is what makes the fans there special and makes it a tough place to, obviously, play."

I think that's awesome. But seriously, is that a big deal? I mean, if I had a brother who worked for Lyndon LaRouche, that doesn't mean I'd vote for that nutjob or donate to the LaRouche PAC. (I see enough inchoherent, babbling, mean-spirited and paranoid rantings at work; I have no desire to underwrite any more of them). Hell, I'd want this fictional brother of mine to be sucessful at what he did, but I damn sure wouldn't want his party to win, and would have no problem actively campaigning against it.

So my point is that I don't find anything the least bit wrong with Tom Payton's refusual to support his brother's teams. He's just a real fan. Or more specifically, an Eagles fan.