New Yorkers expressed outrage Sunday night after seeing the Empire State Building lighted in green and white to honor the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles, a longtime rival of the New York Giants, defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Sunday's NFC Championship Game to advance to the Super Bowl.
Arguably the world's most famous skyscraper, the Empire State Building routinely is lighted in colors to honor local or national sports teams or to recognize important occasions and holidays.
"Fly @Eagles Fly! We're going Green and White in honor of the Eagles NFC Championship Victory," the Empire State Building's Twitter account posted shortly after 6 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Many Twitter users quickly asked whether the photo was fake or came via The Onion, a satirical media outlet. However, others who could see the building were quick to verify the view.
"It's real. Eagles fan in Hoboken just sent me this," J Harp tweeted with a photo that included the iconic building.
The Giants, who suffered a playoff loss to the Eagles a week earlier, tweeted a photo of the building and said: "I'm just here for the comments [thinking face emoji]"
Pat Hanlon, the Giants' vice president of communications, though, offered his own comment: "Whoever thought this is a good idea needs to start updating their credentials!"
The New York Jets team colors are green and white, though the lights clearly were not meant to honor them.
Even the New York City Sanitation Department called the lights display a garbage move.
"For anyone who finds this as treacherous, traitorous, and unforgivable as we do – just pretend it's green and white for #NewYorksStrongest. We take out the trash every day ... and next year, that'll include the Eagles," NYC Sanitation tweeted with a photo of the building.
Local politicians also expressed dismay.
"As the representative for the Empire State Building, and a diehard Giants fan, let me be on the record saying that this is absolutely ridiculous," Keith Powers, city council Democrat majority leader, tweeted.
Following the Kansas City Chiefs' victory against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday night, the Empire State Building changed its lights to red and yellow.
"That hurt us more than it hurt you," the building's Twitter account posted.
The Eagles and Chiefs will meet in Super Bowl 2023 on Feb. 12.
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