When I tell people I’m from Virginia and follow that up with the fact I’m a HUGE Philadelphia Eagles fan, a perplexed look immediately swoops across their faces. And for the life of me, I can’t figure out why.

Newsflash: Virginia isn’t home to any NFL team and never has been. Sure, the Washington Redskins are 200 miles north, but being as that’s my dad’s favorite team and I’m the rebellious little zealot that I am, I was on the hunt to find MY perfect team. (Note: the Ravens franchise did not yet land in Baltimore as they would have possibly been another viable close-to-home option.)

In sixth grade (back in good ole 1991), Starter jackets were all the rage (it blows my mind these same once-coveted trends now clutter the clearance racks at TJ Maxx, but I digress), so rationally, like an only child I just had to have one.