The miserable winter of 1968
A substitute Santa takes the field
How a snowball fight became a legend
YOUR GOAL
Master of When Philadelphia pelted Santa Claus
dash The Eagles Santa Snowball Incident
Worst-place season, ice-cold bleachers, snowballs at Santa!
dash Over the decades, the story morphed into wild, untrue rumors involving batteries, rocks, and physical injuries.
dash The substitute Santa, Frank Olivo, never held a grudge and remained a proud, lifelong Philadelphia sports fan.
dash Dodge incoming snowballs to discover why frustrated Philadelphia fans famously pelted Santa.
Playful boos: When Frank Olivo was introduced at a 76ers basketball game in 2003, fans cheered him first, then playfully booed him to honor history.
A round mass of snow pressed together, typically used as a projectile. In December 1968, frustrated Philadelphia football fans pelted a substitute Santa Claus with these frozen projectiles.
Is Philadelphia's reputation as the toughest sports town in America actually deserved?
When Frank Olivo dressed as Santa at a Philadelphia 76ers basketball game in 2003, how did the crowd react?
Which national sportscaster famously broadcast the Santa snowball incident, turning it into a national story?
What false rumor later emerged about what Philadelphia fans threw at Santa besides snowballs?
How did the substitute Santa, Frank Olivo, feel about the Philadelphia fans who pelted him?
In what year did Frank Olivo pass away, leaving behind his legendary legacy as the pelted Santa?
What did the national media use the 1968 Santa incident to illustrate about Philadelphia sports fans?