The Philadelphia Eagles are Super Bowl bound. The Eagles soared to a 31-7 victory Sunday over the San Francisco 49ers to win the National Football Conference title, advancing to Super Bowl LVII where they will face the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Feb. 12.
Eagles fans made sure to celebrate Sunday’s win in style, full of fireworks, drumlines, and yes, some pole climbing in Center City.
Benjamin Horner took part in the celebrations on Broad St. and said he hasn’t seen Philly this excited since the birds last Super Bowl appearance in 2018.
“This town can be really negative, but not now,” Horner said. “Not now, not today. Not for the rest of the month. There’s no better place to be than here. This is where I want to be. This is as good as it gets.”
Street lights throughout Center City were “greased” ahead of the game to deter rowdy fans from climbing. But, that didn’t stop many from taking on the challenge.
Rolling road closures extending around City Hall from 8th Street to 20th Street, and Race to Lombard were also in effect following the game.
Kai Morris said despite everyone’s differences, moments like this are what unites the city.
“Republican, Black, white, gay, doesn’t matter,” Morris said. “If you bleed green for the next two weeks, we’re all one city, and that’s where it all matters.”
Thousands of loud and proud Eagles fans — and some Niners fans too, poured into Lincoln Financial Field for the championship game.
Despite some animosity leading up to the game, Eagles and Niners fans came together from all over the country, to witness the matchup between the NFC’s best teams.
Ryan Ching flew from the Bay Area to Philly on game day. The California-native grew up an Eagles fan and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to witness Sunday’s game.
“Green was my favorite color growing up and I chose the Eagles and it stuck, 33 years of my life,” Ching said. “Fly Eagles Fly!”
Ching made the trip with his best friend, Gabriel Richardson, a Niners fan. The pair said they’ve enjoyed the trip so far, despite some ragging from loyal Eagles fans.
“They’re soft out here, it’s not bad at all,” Richardson said. “It’s a cakewalk.”
Philadelphia fans have had a lot to cheer for this year. After barely making the Playoffs last year, Philadelphia is now the best team in the league featuring eight Pro Bowlers, including MVP candidate and quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Hurts was selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, a move that was heavily criticized. This year, he has thrown and ran for 35 combined TDs, paving the way for what could be the best season an Eagles QB ever.
Eagles fan Luis Lauer said Hurts’ dedication is something that he feels really resonates with fans.
“Philadelphians are hardworking people, they’re passionate people. If you just have those two things, regardless of talent, we’ll like you.” Lauer said “This year the question was, ‘Does work ethic actually lead to improvement?’ And he did improve exponentially year over year. Now, to no surprise, based on his work, I think he’s playing like a top caliber quarterback.”
The Eagles are third in the NFL in scoring at 28.1 points per game, and allow 301.5 yards per game, making them the second best defensive team in the league.
The Eagles will play either the Kansas City Chiefs or the Cincinnati Bengals on Feb. 12 in Glendale, Ariz.
