How a loyal Eagles fan keeps ‘getting those first downs… and staying in the game’ in his fight against cancer

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The correlation between football and life are quite similar, especially in the case of passionate Eagles fan Joe Flatley.

“We will,” says Flatley, as those two words together seem so simple, yet are so powerful.

His favorite team – the Eagles – are coming out of an epic collapse, losing six of their last seven games in 2023. But Flatley predicts that in 2024 they will make the playoffs, win the division, make the Super Bowl and win the whole thing on top of it.

As far as himself, his “will” is that he will beat cancer.

“I will survive,” says the soon-to-be 69-year-old Army vet, who is a husband, father and grandfather.

Flatley, a Philadelphia native from Juniata who now lives in South Jersey, became an Eagles fan as a kid in 1966 when he and his mother won tickets to a game at Franklin Field. He said that was the greatest day of his life, and the memory still nearly brings him to tears decades later.

It started a passion that’s now reached almost six decades, and included taking off work the days after games, and building an “Eagles Nest” in his basement — a room painted green and filled with memorabilia. It’s a space where he and loved ones watch games together. Flatley’s nickname is Papa Flats, and the crew that watches games in his nest is aptly called “Papa Flats and the Usual Suspects.”

Flatley is such a big fan that his son, Jim Flatley, says he has bought a jersey for everyone close to him, numbering between 20 to 30 personalized kits. Joe says he’s also written the Eagles letters and Christmas cards, even though most of the time he doesn’t receive a response. It doesn’t bother him.

They’re helping him. He considers them extended family. When he hears the players talk, he says they’re talking to him.

Joe has cholangiocarcinoma, a rare cancer of his bile duct in his liver. He was diagnosed a little less than a year after retiring as a longtime security guard for Cooper Health. He has the love and support of his dear family and friends. His wife of 48 years, Mary, is a retired nurse who takes care of him. He’s been receiving chemo for the past year, and Jim has been by his side every step of the way.

“He’s always showing up wearing a Phllies outfit, Sixers outfit, his Eagles gear, it’s non-stop,” says Jim. “And he has a real big heart. He’s always inviting people — ‘Hey, come watch the game at the nest!’”

“The Nest,” offered another dose of adversity Joe plans on overcoming. Last December, there was a bad storm that flooded Joe’s “Eagles Nest,” and a number of treasured items got wiped out. They’re in the process of restoring the room, and it’s another example of Flatley’s resiliency, especially when it comes to his fandom.

“It’s important for him to keep fighting to survive,” says Jim, “and that’s what we’re doing now. Keep getting those first downs… and just marching down the field, and staying in the game. That’s what he’s doing now.”

“I will beat this,” Joe said, “with my son next to me and the Eagles are giving me the strength to do it. And I love those guys.”

To hear more of Joe Flatley’s story, tune into this week’s edition of KYW Newsradio’s Philadelphia Sports Fan of the Week.