Philadelphia was awash in green on Valentine’s Day to celebrate its Super Bowl champions.
Excited fans erupted in cheers and screams on Friday as star quarterback Jalen Hurts, MVP of the game, and Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie joyously raised the Vince Lombardi Trophy to kick off the team’s victory parade through Philadelphia, also known as the City of Brotherly Love.
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Numerous fans had spent the night camping along the parade route, braving the cold by wrapping themselves in blankets and setting up tents to secure the best vantage points near the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It was there that the Eagles made their grand appearance on the iconic “Rocky” steps.
Reflecting on the momentous occasion, Hurts shared, “I remember telling myself that when I first got drafted, I wouldn’t visit the ‘Rocky’ steps unless I achieved a championship win. And now, here we are, celebrating our victory.”
A few rowdy fans lobbed beer cans to players riding on the open-air buses, and a wayward throw smacked Eagles general manager Howie Roseman in the forehead.
“I bleed for this city,” Roseman said later during the celebration.
Other fans decked out in Eagles jerseys climbed trees and light poles, perched themselves atop ladders and clung to a statue of Benjamin Franklin near City Hall to get a glimpse of record-setting running back Saquon Barkley and Cooper DeJean, the rookie defensive back who ran an interception into the end zone on his 22nd birthday.
“This team is special. We can’t be great without the greatness of others, and that certainly applies to our fans,” head coach Nick Sirianni said.
Barkley, along with many other players, hopped off the buses to walk along the parade route and exchange high-fives with fans who pressed against teetering barricades.
Jordan Jaindl, who couldn’t make it to the 2018 parade after the Eagles won their first Super Bowl, wasn’t going to miss this one, bringing his wife and three daughters from Binghamton, New York. This team, he said, was the embodiment of the city.
“Their work ethic,” he said. “How they have to grind for each win. We have to grind here in Philly.”
Fans showed up with grocery carts stocked with food and booze, while a few stayed warm in a hotel, sipping champagne. One group roasted a pig with the number “15” carved into the side – a final shot at Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The Eagles, despite being underdogs, dominated the Chiefs in the big game last Sunday, shutting them out in the first half before finishing with a 40-22 victory.
“I’m so happy you didn’t have to go through a nail-biter game,” veteran defensive end Brandon Graham said. “It’s about us being gritty. We’re going to stay gritty.”
Earlier this week Mayor Cherelle Parker and other city leaders implored the team’s exuberant fans to stay safe and keep the mood festive.
“In the midst of all this beauty, all of the sacrifices this team has made to meet this moment, we don’t want it to all go by the wayside,” the mayor said.
Just weeks ago a college student died falling from a street pole after the Eagles won the NFC championship game. And a year ago, a shooting at Kansas City’s Super Bowl victory rally left one person dead and nearly two dozen wounded.
Two women were shot in the legs Friday during an argument with another person near the parade, police said, but it was not clear exactly where it took place or whether it had any connection to the celebration.
There was a large police presence along the route, which stretched from South Philadelphia, where the Eagles play, all the way to City Hall and on to the art museum.
Dump trucks and heavy equipment blocked many side streets, and city schools, courts and other agencies closed for the parade.
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Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press journalists Matt Rourke in Philadelphia, Bruce Shipkowski in Toms River, New Jersey, and Steve Megargee in Milwaukee contributed.
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