the sons of ben (sobs) is an independent supporters group for philadelphia union of major league soccer. the group was created in january 2007 by soccer fans from philadelphia, pennsylvania and its greater metropolitan area, using such existing major league soccer fan clubs as the screaming eagles, la barra brava, and section 8 chicago as models. the name of the club alludes to benjamin franklin, who was one of the most well-known founding fathers of the united states and a particularly iconic figure of philadelphia.