While the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins battled it out on the ice at Heinz Field on Saturday, a completely different battle was happening in the stands -- and on social media -- after a photo of Alec Lessner went viral.
Wawa vs. Sheetz
Lessner, 24, a native of Kennett Square, Pa. and lifelong Flyers fan strode confidently on the concourse, holding up his sign and letting everyone who crossed his path know that Wawa is better than Sheetz.
The photo, posted by @CSNPhilly, was liked more than 133,000 times on Facebook and shared nearly 30,000 times if you add in reactions from Twitter and Instagram.
We caught up with Lessner after five little words made him Internet-famous.
What was the idea behind the sign and was that your only idea?
"I really had only one idea for what to put on my sign. Considering the contentiousness of the election season and the nasty reactions people have had to protesters on both sides of the political spectrum, I thought it would be good to make a humorous sign that would inspire a more lighthearted debate."
What were some of the best reactions you received throughout the night, from both Flyers and Penguins fans?
"I actually love the city of Pittsburgh and the people who live there. We couldn’t have asked for a better reception. Almost every interaction we had with a Penguins fan was civil and fun. When we visited Market Square before the game, I made plenty of new friends.
"I met Katie, from Philadelphia, and her friends in passing, and we all agreed that this is one of the most important issues of our time.
"I also made friends with Ed, a Marine who served three tours in Iraq. He was eagerly anticipating the game but got even more excited to see a fellow Wawa fan.
