Philly’s Super Bowl hoopla gets greasy
Philadelphia was cleaning up Monday after pockets of Super Bowl victory celebrations turned unruly overnight with rowdy Eagles fans smashing department store windows, looting a gas station convenience store and toppling a number of the city’s famously greased light poles.
The vast majority of revellers celebrated peacefully and police made only three arrests, said Ajeenah Amir, a spokeswoman for Mayor Jim Kenney.
“Tens of thousands came out and celebrated t his amazing victory and but for a handful of bad actors, the celebration was peace- ful and jubilant,” Amir said. She lauded police for “their assistance in getting the crowds dispersed and people home safely.”
The victory parade is set for Thursday and along the parade route revellers can expect free Bud Light at 25 bars thanks to a bet the beer maker made with Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson.
Just as Nick Foles and the Eagles clinched a surprising 41- 33 victory over the New England Patriots in Minneapolis for the team’s first Super Bowl title Sunday, the scene more than 1,600 kilometres away in Philly was jubilation and pandemonium.
As time expired, crowds spilled into the streets to celebrate the Eagles’ first NFL championship since 1960.
Revellers shot off fireworks, drivers beeped their horns and Philadelphians young and old descended on Broad Street, the main thoroughfare that last hosted a major championship parade in 2008 for the Phillies’ World Series win.
“The city deserved it,” said 66- year- old Lou Potel, who threw a party at his home just off Broad before joining a much bigger party outside. “It’s a great city and now we have a Super Bowl to go along with it.”
Some of the pockets of unruly fans clambered atop the awning at the swanky RitzCarlton hotel near city hall, jumping off into the crowd in what one Twitter post called “Ritz Carlton Skydiving.” The awning later collapsed with a large group of people on top of it. It’s not clear if anyone was injured.
Nearby, windows were smashed at a Macy’s department store and at an Old Navy clothing store.
And apparently no amount of grease can keep some drunken Eagles fans from climbing poles in celebration. A few managed to shimmy up traffic lights and street sign poles.