Frank Olivo, the guy who dressed up as Santa Claus at an Eagles game back in 1968 and was pelted by snowballs by the crowd, much to the chagrin of every Philadelphia sports fan that’s been alive in the last five decades, died last week. He was 66.
The Inquirer has a wonderful obituary on his life, and it chronicles the story of how the infamous snow ball incident — one that’s brought up every … single … time … a Philadelphia sports fan any sports fan in the world does something stupid — played out that day at Franklin Field in December ’68.
But the infamous – and unexpected – role the 19-year-old Bishop Neumann High School graduate played one snowy day at Franklin Field in December 1968, when the Eagles lost to the Minnesota Vikings, tagged him for life and made him a Philadelphia icon.
In the late 1960s, the Eagles would end each regular season with a halftime holiday show that featured Santa. But on Dec. 15, 1968, the regular Santa was snowbound in New Jersey. … An Eagles staffer spotted Mr. Olivo, wearing a Santa suit and a fake beard, with relatives at the 40-yard line, and asked him to fill in. He was told to wave to the fans as walked the field. The Eagles were ending a dismal 2-12 season. It was cold, and the 54,535 fans who had showed up in a snowstorm were not happy.
“You hear the booing,” Mr. Olivo said in an ESPN video a few years ago. “You hear it. I said, ‘Well, you know, I understand what’s going on here. They’re not booing me. They’re not just booing Santa Claus; they’re booing everything.’ “
He saw snowballs being hurled.
The whole obit is really worth a read. Rest in peace, Mr. Olivo.
