Gonna Fly Now
With temperatures peaking in the low 30s, roughly two million fans of the Philadelphia Eagles lined the city’s streets on Thursday for a parade.
A parade honoring the Super Bowl champions.
It still sounds a bit weird.
The Eagles won an NFL championship in 1960, failed in their two previous Super Bowl appearances and then, in Super Bowl LII on Sunday, defeated the New England Patriots 41-33 for that elusive crown. They beat the defending champions behind a backup quarterback, Nick Foles, and with a second-year coach, Doug Pederson, making gutsy play calls.
The parade was set to begin on Broad Street at 11 a.m., but true Eagles fans were “tailgating” along the route well before that. The parade route included City Hall and the famed Rocky Steps at the Philadelphia Art Museum.
Perhaps the parade will allow Philadelphia’s sports fans, who are among the nation’s most vulgar (relax, they admit it, relish it and don’t think it is an insult) to bury their long tradition of self-pity. The city’s previous championship in a major sport came in 2008, when the Phillies won the World Series. Of course the Phillies have been playing since 1883 and that was only their second title.
The NBA’s 76ers haven’t won since 1983. The NHL’s Flyers captured the Stanley Cup twice (1974, 1975), but not since.
So Thursday became a holiday in Philly. Schools were closed, free beer was given away by Yards Brewing Company (though not to students) and the streets were packed and joyous.
As the theme from Rocky said, “Gonna fly now.” Buckle your seat belt.
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman
7 Tech Tips For Frequent Travelers
-
Manchester City Brings it Home with a 3-1 Victory! Following Manchester City’s impressive 3-1 victory over FC Copenhagen in...
-
Murray’s New Goals Before Retirement Andy Murray, the renowned British tennis player and three-time Grand Slam champion, has shared...
-
Kylian Mbappe led Paris Saint-Germain to a resounding 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad in the first leg of their...
-
Klopp acknowledges defensive flaws as Liverpool suffers unexpected defeat against Arsenal. Following Liverpool’s unexpected defeat against Arsenal, manager Jurgen...
-
Ryan Mendes’ Heroic Penalty: Captain Leads Cape Verde to Victory In a historic moment for Cape Verde, the national...
-
Probe Raises Questions About PSG’s 2017 Deal and Political Involvement. French authorities have launched an investigation into allegations...
-
As Ireland faces a back-three injury crisis ahead of the Six Nations, some players have an opportunity to step...
-
16-year-old Luke Littler Makes History as the Youngest Player to Join the Prestigious Premier League Darts Luke Littler, the...
-
Get ready for the electric thrill! In a groundbreaking move, Formula E announces its exclusive broadcasting partnership with TNT...
-
Captain Kohli’s Record-Equalling Century Lights Up World Cup Match Against South Africa. On the occasion of his 35th birthday,...
-
All-Rounder Stokes Aims for Recovery Ahead of Upcoming India Test Series England Test captain Ben Stokes has announced that...
-
NBA Star Penalized for Inappropriate Gesture During Victory Over Trail Blazers Philadelphia 76ers’ star center, Joel Embiid, has been...