Immediately following the Eagles’ loss to the San Francisco 49ers, a somber feeling started to take over the Golf Place. Those gathered at the Bucks County golf simulator facility to watch the Eagles while working on their swings began to pack up and go home, and co-owners Justin Hepler and Killian Lennon began to close up shop.
But in a brief moment, an idea was developed to help Birds fans release their anger after a disappointing loss: letting them hit golf balls at offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo’s face — or at least an image of it.
Earlier in the season, some fans broke the law by egging Patullo’s Moorestown home after the Eagles’ Black Friday loss to the Bears. The Golf Place’s idea keeps the flying objects far from the real Patullo, and within legal bounds.
“It was a fun way to let off some steam, but also make it fun for everybody involved,” Hepler, 24, said. “And obviously Killian in the video is a diehard Eagles fan, so he was pretty upset. But, everybody in here has gotten a kick out it.”
The Golf Place, located in Langhorne, has been open for a brief two-and-a-half months but is now getting more attention after the video of Lennon, 29, went viral overnight, accumulating over 200,000 views on social media and over 10,000 likes.
“We knew it had some potential because this was eight minutes after the game ended,” Hepler said. “So we thought it was pretty hilarious.”
So why the face of the first-year coordinator? To them, the answer is simple.
“No one’s happy with the offense this year, obviously,” Hepler said. “I’m sure you can see all the Eagles fans that related to it. You can see all the comments saying, ‘This could have been recorded any month of the year.’ We could have had this for not just a today type of deal.”
As of Monday afternoon, one person had already entered the store asking to take them up on their offer of hitting golf balls at Patullo. They said all fans are welcomed to request the same thing.
And although Hepler isn’t an Eagles fan, he knows there’s a glaring change that needs to be made by the team this offseason.
“Fire Patullo,” Hepler said. “That’s the answer for them. I mean, that’s what everyone says. That’s what Killian’s first response was, and I think that’s the overall message.”
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