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Several NFL teams tried desperately to outlaw the “tush push” this offseason, which has become notorious for being a staple of the Philadelphia Eagles’ success.
The Eagles have converted a first down or scored a touchdown on roughly 87% of their tush-pushes since 2022 — they have made two Super Bowls in that span, winning this past season by ending the Kansas City Chiefs’ hopes of a three-peat.
The Green Bay Packers put forward the official push (pun intended) to ban the play, and it received much support. However, there were not enough votes to outlaw it.
Well, Quinnipiac University wanted to run it by football fans in the state of Pennsylvania. Maybe they are a bit biased, but the recent polling found that 72% of the state’s fans think the play should be allowed, while 16% want it outlawed.
Eighty-one percent of Eagles fans in the state support allowing the play, as opposed to 8% who oppose it. That compares to 65% of fans overall who are OK with it, and 23% who are not.
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“When questions arose about whether or not to ban the Tush Push, the NFL said no. NFL fans in Pennsylvania clearly agree with that sentiment. Just because the other teams can’t stop it isn’t a good enough reason to get rid of it,” said Nick Pietruszkiewicz, assistant professor of journalism and program director of sports communications at Quinnipiac University.
“NFL fans do not appreciate it when the league waters down or bans risky yet exciting aspects of the game,” added Quinnipiac University School of Communications assistant professor of media studies Dr. Brittani Webb. “In the case of the controversial tush push, the support for the Eagles’ signature play crosses fandom lines and follows that same ‘let them play’ attitude.”
The Eagles are off to a hot start in their Super Bowl defense, winning each of their first four games this season, including against the Chiefs.
However, the play has been under the microscope this season amid numerous false starts that have not been called.
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