Hundreds expected at Tampadelphia Eagles watch party

TAMPA (FOX 13) - Pro football's biggest day of the year is Sunday and that means fans and businesses alike are getting ready for the game.

It's the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots, and the Bay Area Eagles fan club has plans for a major celebration - win or lose.

There's no secret the Bay Area is home to lots of people from the northeast, but it's the Philly fans who are expecting to show up in force with hundreds at their watch party.

The Tampadelphia Eagles expect as many as 600 devoted Eagles fans to show up for a wild watch party.

The club's founder Paul Parone says with so many transplants in the Bay Area from Pennsylvania plus a sturdy Philadelphia presence with the Phillies spring training in Clearwater, Philly represents one of the strongest fan groups around.

“We remember where we came from. We're passionate, we're loud, we're loyal, we're focused,” Parone told FOX 13 News. “People are flying down from Philadelphia, I have people coming over from Orlando… I have gentleman flying in from Boston because he wants to be around die-hard fans.”

But local New England Patriots fans are gearing up for the game as well. An online search shows dozens of options for catching the game at a bar or restaurant.

But some just prefer to stay in - and for them - the food will be the focus.

At ABC Pizza House in Tampa, employees expect to double or triple the normal amount of pizza sales for an average Sunday.

“It's just like for Gasparilla last week. It was a ball [and] it was busy,” explained George Fotopoulos at ABC Pizza Shop.

As for the big Eagles celebration – it starts at 4 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza in Tampa. Reservations are closed, but you may still be able to walk in.