When the Eagles face the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12, superfan and podcaster Giovanni Hamilton will likely be at State Farm Stadium in Glendale with them.
The 15-year-old said he talked his mom into letting him create a fundraiser to help cover the costs of a trip to Arizona for the big game on Feb. 12 — and it's no bargain. The average price of just one Super Bowl ticket on StubHub was more than $7,500 to start the week.
"Gio is the biggest Eagles fan there is," Hamilton's mom wrote on Spotfund crowdfunding page, which has an $18,000 goal. "Every week he works to make podcasts and cheer his team on through social media. He’s had so many medical struggles and football has always brought him through. Let’s get Gio to the Super Bowl in AZ!"
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Hamilton was born with Schwartz-Jampel syndrome, a type of dwarfism that has left him with skeletal abnormalities and severe muscle stiffness throughout his life. He's undergone more than a dozen surgeries, and through it all has dedicated himself to covering the Eagles over the years.
Hamilton has earned the respect of numerous NFL players who have joined him on his podcast, The Giovanni Show, including Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, former defensive end Chris Long and notable players from other teams including T.Y. Hilton and Yannick Ngakoue. He's also expanded to cover the NBA, MLB and other topics on his show.
On Monday afternoon, Hamilton said the crowdfunding campaign got a major boost with a $10,000 donation. By early Tuesday afternoon, Hamilton was well within striking distance of the goal.
Hamilton has overcome a ton of adversity to build a successful platform. On top of his health issues, he's also braved cyberbullying while working to build a following for his podcast. If anyone deserves to make the trip to Super Bowl LVII, it's Hamilton.
The Eagles-Chiefs matchup will be filled with intrigue — from brothers Jason and Travis Kelce going head-to-head to Andy Reid competing against his former team on the NFL's biggest stage. The stands at at the stadium are likely to be filled with a large contingent of Eagles fans, and it looks like Hamilton will have the experience of a lifetime to share with listeners.