NFL NEWS

Eagles fans revel in celebratory parade

The Sports Xchange

February 08, 2018 at 3:10 pm.

Feb 8, 2018; Philadelphia , PA, USA; The Eagles team sing "Fly Eagles Fly". Thousands gather around the Rocky steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art as the Super Bowl LII Champions Philadelphia Eagles parade down Broad Street ending at the art museum in Philadelphia. Photo Credit: Suchat Pederson/The News Journal via USA TODAY NETWORK

Feb 8, 2018; Philadelphia , PA, USA; The Eagles team sing “Fly Eagles Fly”. Thousands gather around the Rocky steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art as the Super Bowl LII Champions Philadelphia Eagles parade down Broad Street ending at the art museum in Philadelphia. Photo Credit: Suchat Pederson/The News Journal via USA TODAY NETWORK

Businesses in the City of Brotherly Love closed as crowds estimated at up two million people jammed Philadelphia’s main streets for Thursday’s parade to celebrate the Philadelphia Eagles’ first Super Bowl victory.

The five-mile parade started at Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, then headed up Broad to City Hall before heading toward the Philadelphia Museum of Art, home of the famous “Rocky” staircase.

Fans clad in Eagles green lined up 20-deep in spots to see the team despite freezing winds. Many had camped out overnight despite the cold weather to get a good spot. The parade route was jammed with fans nearly four hours before it started.

Many of the Eagles players wore outlandish outfits, with most of them riding atop open-air double-decker buses in the parade, which started at 11 a.m. local time.

Defensive end Chris Long wore a full-length faux fur coat over an Allen Iverson 76ers jersey. Center Jason Kelce was clad in full Mummers attire, a tribute to the annual Mummers Parade held New Year’s Day in Philadelphia.

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie stood atop a bus along with quarterbacks Nick Foles, Carson Wentz and third-stringer Nate Sudfeld as they made their way through the fans.

Lurie held a sign reading “Thank You Fans,” and Super Bowl MVP Foles held the Vince Lombardi Trophy aloft as fans chanted “Ea-gles, Ea-gles!”

Coach Doug Pederson got off the bus at one point to show the Lombardi Trophy to the crowds, allowing some to touch it.

The Eagles were underdogs in all three of their postseason games, including the Super Bowl, which they won 41-33 over the New England Patriots.

Not only was it the first Super Bowl win for the Eagles, but it was their first NFL title since 1960, when the league had just 13 teams.

Schools, museums, courts, government offices and the Philadelphia Zoo were shut down Thursday to allow the city to celebrate the event.

A total of 850 Port-A-Potties were set up along the route, and they might be needed with the beer available.

Bud Light offered free beer to fans at two dozen bars along the parade route. That was a result of a promise its brewer made to Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson before the season.

Philadelphia-based Yards Brewing also announced it would offer free Philly Pale Ale Thursday in the brewery’s taproom.

Mayor Jim Kenney had asked fans to act responsibly while celebrating at the parade. Sunday’s postgame celebration included some violence and vandalism.

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