As soon as Eagles’ backup quarterback Gardner Minshew took a knee in the final seconds of the NFC championship game to run out the clock, many Temple students and community members were already heading out the door, on their way to Center City.
Crowds of people jumped and danced in blocked off streets with songs from Philly artists, like “Dreams and Nightmares” by Meek Mill and “20 Min” by Lil Uzi Vert, blasting from speakers that fans held above their heads.
“It’s honestly been like the most fun I’ve ever had in my entire life,” said Jenny Herman, a junior psychology major. “The environment is very uplifting. Everybody went to the subway, came to city hall and the subways were packed.”
On Jan. 29, the Eagles defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31-7 to advance to their second Super Bowl in five years. Students across Temple’s Main Campus are very excited about the Eagles returning to the Super Bowl and many took to city hall to celebrate the milestone.
The win came just months after the Phillies advanced to their first World Series since 2009, before falling to the Houston Astros four games to two in the best of seven series. It is just the second time both the Eagles and Phillies made their league’s championship in the same year, which last happened during the 1980 seasons.
Although the Phillies didn’t win the World Series, the unlikely run brought the entire city together in the way only sports can. Even students who don’t consider themselves big sports fans have soaked in the excitement from the teams’ success.
“First it all started with the Phillies,” said Samantha Burgess, a junior nursing major. “I was never super into sports before I moved to Philly for college but it has been the most fun time I’ve had in college like going out every Thursday and Friday and getting ready for the games and everything, it was the most fun.”
Like they did before the Phillies World Series berth, Philadelphia city workers greased poles and blocked off streets around city hall in an attempt to limit potential celebrations. Despite their efforts, many Temple students immediately rushed to South Penn Square after the Eagles officially punched their ticket to the Super Bowl.
A small number of fans climbed the porte cochère in front of the Ritz-Carlton hotel and danced on top of it. Another fan climbed halfway up a light pole and ripped off a “Go Eagles” flag before tossing it down to a crowd of people below him.
ROBERT JOSEPH CRUZ / THE TEMPLE NEWS
“It’s so electric and the streets are just full and everyone is yelling,” Burgess said. “Everyone usually watches at Pub Webb or someone’s house or a bar and then we immediately just ran to the septa and it’s just so cool.”
When the Eagles beat the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship game and eventually the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl in 2018, the celebrations resulted in $2.7 million in police overtime and damages.
After Sunday’s win, the celebrations were just as rampant as the ones in 2018. While the team has not yet won the Super Bowl, that didn’t stop fans from climbing and falling through the roofs of bus stops, setting off fireworks or blaring their horns as cars drove down a congested Broad Street.
“It’s been so crazy,” said Kyrstin Saudinger, a junior biology major. “But there is just so much energy and so many good vibes and I have just been loving it.”
While fans would love for the Eagles’ season to end with a parade down Broad Street, they are also ensuring they take time to enjoy the moment.
Just six players remain from the 2017-18 team that took down the Patriots. For a winning team to almost completely change rosters and have another championship caliber team just five seasons later is impressive, and fans are soaking in the team’s success.
“It’s a whole new team and a whole new energy,” said Andrew Scott, a junior finance major. “Even waking up yesterday morning you could just feel the vibe in the air and the whole city is illuminated by the fact that we’re going to the Super Bowl and we are going in there with confidence.”
The Eagles will play in the NFL’s 57th Super Bowl on Feb. 12 at 6:30 p.m. in Glendale, Arizona, in hopes of securing the franchise’s second Super Bowl victory.
“No one expected them to be there,” said Kai Jacketti, a senior chemistry major. “They proved everyone wrong this year so it’s good to see that for Philly.”
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