Philadelphia’s first Super Bowl parade provided catharsis Thursday for hundreds of thousands of Eagles fans
Dallas Goedert Jersey , deliriously joyful after decades without a title and relishing the national spotlight on a team that few outside the city thought
could win it all.
Fans clad in Eagles green jammed the streets from dawn near the stadium to an afternoon rally at the city’s famed ”Rocky” steps, lining up 20 deep in spots to
catch a glimpse of the champs. The Eagles rode in open-top double decker buses
to the art museum that Sylvester Stallone made famous for a rally nearly 60
years in the making.
Center Jason Kelce gave voice to every frustrated Philly fan with a remarkable, impassioned and profane speech that had him defending the general
manager, the coach and a litany of players who supposedly weren’t smart enough,
big enough or talented enough to win a championship.
”We were a bunch of underdogs,” shouted Kelce, channeling Rocky himself. ”Bottom line is we wanted it more!”
And so did football-crazed Philly – desperately.
Until Sunday’s 41-33 victory over the favored New England Patriots, the Eagles remained the only team in their division without a Super Bowl title – an
ongoing humiliation that gave Philly an inferiority complex and made Eagles fans
an easy target for fans of other teams, especially the rival Dallas Cowboys and
New York Giants.
”This Super Bowl championship is for you,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie told the vast crowd. ”You are the most passionate and deserving sports fans on the
planet. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
Added Super Bowl MVP quarterback Nick Foles: ”We finally did it. We’re Super Bowl champs!”
The parade began at the Eagles’ stadium complex and slowly made its way up Broad Street past the cheering throngs. Carrying the Lombardi Trophy, coach Doug
Pederson walked part of the route – allowing fans to touch the gleaming hardware
– while Lurie held a sign saying ”THANK YOU FANS” as he stood next to the team’s
three quarterbacks: Foles, injured starter Carson Wentz and third-stringer Nate
Sudfeld.
Dan Tarvin, 29
Tremaine Edmunds Jersey , was pumped after getting to high-five Pederson and GM Howie Roseman, who was instrumental in putting together a squad expected to
compete for championships for years to come.
”They are more than heroes. They’re legends. They’re immortal in this city, forever,” Tarvin said.
Corey Carter, 32, of West Philadelphia, clutched a woodcut of an Eagle that he dubbed the ”Lombirdy Trophy.”
”This is the greatest day!” Carter said. ”Besides God, my kids and my wife, it’s Eagles. That’s all there is. My family and then Eagles, and this is the
greatest day of my life, ever.”
Schools, museums, courts
Terrell Edmunds Steelers Jersey , government offices and even the Philadelphia Zoo were shut down so the city could fete an underdog Eagles team
that few outside Philadelphia thought had a prayer of beating the mighty
Patriots led by superstar quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick.
Organizers prepared for as many as 2 million people, though city officials didn’t release a crowd estimate.
Terry Gallen, a fan from Glen Mills, in the Philadelphia suburbs, said he ”broke down like a baby and cried” when the Eagles won the Super Bowl.
”It means everything,” Gallen said. ”We’re loving it.”
At the rally, Lurie, Pederson and a slew of players all took the microphone and dedicated Sunday’s victory to the fans.
But it was the crowd-pleasing Kelce who best channeled the gruff but ultimately good-hearted ”attytood” for which Philadelphians are famous.
Wearing an outlandishly sequined Mummers getup – a nod to Philadelphia’s raucous New Year’s Day parade – Kelce declared that ”no one wanted us. No
analyst liked to see us win the Super Bowl. And nobody likes our fans.”
He then led the crowd in a jolly – and filthy – chant set to the tune of ”My Darling Clementine”: ”No one likes us, no one likes us, no one likes us, we
don’t care!” The big-bearded lineman uttered at least two profanities that made
it onto live TV, recalling Chase Utley’s similarly profane speech at the
Phillies’ World Series parade 10 years ago.
Police investigated at least two stabbings on parade day, including one man stabbed inside a mall just off the route. No details about his condition were
released. A second man was taken to a hospital with a stab wound
Darius Leonard Jersey , and police said they were trying to piece together what happened. City officials said they wouldn’t have arrest numbers until
Friday.
The parade was overwhelmingly peaceful, though, giving fans an emotional release after decades of disappointment.
For lots of fans, the parade was a reminder of the Phillies’ victory lap after a 28-year World Series title drought.
For others, it took on spiritual shades of the pope’s visit in 2015.
”It is like a religion,” said Kevin Fry, 37, of Prospect Park in suburban Philadelphia, a press operator at the Inquirer and Daily News who helped print
700,000 copies of the Super Bowl edition that proclaimed ”At Last!”
And for Natasha Curley, 31, a janitor from Trenton, New Jersey
Zack Martin Jersey , the Super Bowl title means that rival fans can stop their yapping – at least till next season.
”This stops all the hate,” Curley said. ”They got nothing to say now.”
—
Associated Press reporter Kristen De Groot in Philadelphia and Michael Rubinkam The Latest on Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden
Knights and the Washington Capitals (all times local):
11:03 p.m.
The Washington Capitals have beaten the Vegas Golden Knights 3-1 and taken a 2-1 lead in the Stanley Cup Final.
Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov scored second-period goals and Devante Smith-Pelly added another late in the third period to put the Golden Knights in
a hole. The lone Vegas goal came from Tomas Nosek, who cashed in a mistake by
Washington goaltender Braden Holtby at 3:29 of the third period.
Vegas pulled goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury for the final two and half minutes of the game but couldn’t break through.
It was the first Stanley Cup Final held in the nation’s capital since 1998.
—
10:50 p.m.
Devante Smith-Pelly has given the Washington Capitals a 3-1 lead on Vegas late in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore had trouble clearing the puck and Capitals centerman Jay Beagle took the puck away and found Smith-Pelly skating in all
alone on Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.
Smith-Pelly ripped it past the goalie at 13:53 of the third period.
The series is tied 1-1.
—
10:35 p.m.
The Vegas Golden Knights have taken advantage of a huge mistake by Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby to get back into Game 3 of the Stanley Cup
Final.
Holtby did a poor job of clearing the puck from behind the Capitals net, and Tomas Nosek easily scored to slice Washington’s lead to 2-1 at 3:29 of the third
period.
The goal deflated the mood of the sellout crowd, many of them wearing red and cheering for the Capitals in the first Stanley Cup Final held in D.C. since
1998.
The series is tied 1-1.
—
10:10 p.m.
The Washington Capitals are 20 minutes away from taking a 2-1 lead in the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Second-period goals by Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov put Washington up 2-0 in Game 3. Washington holds a 21-13 advantage in shots on goal after two
periods.
Washington lost the opener 6-4 in Vegas before rebounding to win 3-2 on Wednesday. The series shifted to the nation’s capital for Game 3, marking the
first time 20 years the Capitals hosted the Stanley Cup Final.
When the Final has been tied 1-1, the winner of Game 3 has gone on to win the Stanley Cup 21 of 27 chances (78 percent) since the series went to the
best-of-seven format in 1939
—
9:45 p.m.
Evgeny Kuznetsov has given the Washington Capitals a 2-0 lead in Game 3 of their Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Kuznetsov came down the right side in a 2-on-1 with Jay Beagle and pushed a shot into the left side of the net past goalie Marc-Andre Fleury at 12:50 of the
second period. Kuznetsov missed most of Game 2 with what appeared to be a left
arm injury.
The goal came after Washington defenseman Brooks Orpik looked dazed following a hit from Golden Knights forward James Neal. He was not pulled from the game to
go through concussion protocol.
Orpik went to the bench following the check in the corner but did not go down the tunnel for evaluation. The NHL’s concussion protocol states that a player
exhibiting any possible concussion symptoms must be evaluated, and the league
has spotters in place to pull players if that’s suspected.
—
9:25 p.m.
Alex Ovechkin has given the Washington Capitals a 1-0 lead over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Ovechkin scored on a shot from the left side at 1:10 of the second period as he was falling over Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb to end a flurry that saw
goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury make three saves before Ovechkin connected.
It was Ovechkin’s 14th goal of the playoffs, tying the franchise mark set by John Druce in 1990.
The series is tied at one game apiece. This is the first Stanley Cup Final held in the nation’s capital since 1998.
—
9:05 p.m.
The Washington Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights have skated through a scoreless first period, though both teams had chances to get on the board first
in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury swatted away a close shot by Alex Ovechkin, and the Capitals had an apparent goal taken away when winger Devante Smith-Pelly
was called for goalie interference.
Golden Knights’ leading scorer, Jonathan Marchessault, hit the right post with a shot at the 14-minute mark.
Washington finished with 7-5 advantage in shots. There were 15 goals total in the first two games
Breeland Speaks Youth Jersey , the most in a Final since 1982.
Toward the end of the period, Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny left the ice. He took a spill in pregame warmups after crashing into the boards.
There’s plenty of star power in the stands, including a few people you never knew were Capitals fans.
Keenan Thompson, a longtime cast member of ”Saturday Night Live,” spent this Saturday night watching hockey. He waved to the crowd and tipped his red hat,
which said, ”ALL CAPS.”
Actress Lynda Carter showed off her red Capitals jersey. Former Redskins coach Joe Gibbs yelled ”Let’s Go Caps!” over the public address system and game
show host Pat Sajak introduced the starting lineups.
The series is tied 1-1. It is the first Final game in Washington in 20 years.
—
8:40 p.m.
Plenty of action between Vegas and Washington in the opening minutes of Game 3, even if the game remained scoreless as the first period approached its
midpoint. The fast pace of the first two games has continued.
The.
