Philadelphia Eagles fans tailgate before the NFC Championship against the Minnesota Vikings. Jerry Habraken / The News Journal
PHILADELPHIA – The three-word chant of the night involved Tom Brady and an expletive. Toilet paper rolls unfurled from windows high above street level. There was dancing and singing, chanting and cheering.
There were sparklers and fireworks, "Free Meek Mill" screams and more profanity directed at Tom Brady. The jubilant crowds turned Minnesota's trademark SKOL chant into a battle cry for Nick Foles.
And those poles that had been greased with Crisco? They got climbed on, of course.
Thousands of Eagles fans took to the streets Sunday night and into Monday morning to celebrate the team's upcoming Super Bowl appearance -- the first since 2005. They gathered on Broad Street and, among other places, in Northeast Philadelphia at the usual – or, rather unusual given the city's lack of sporting success – meeting point for celebration at Cottman and Frankford.
Fans marched northbound on Broad Street and settled around Walnut Street for the bulk of the post-game celebrating in Center City, where police had closed Broad between City Hall and Spruce Street. The controlled celebrating was allowed until shortly after midnight, when a line of police officers moved the crowds off the street.
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On the outskirts of the yelling and dancing and fireworks shooting stood Pat and Karen Rogan, wine glasses in hand, who came down to Philadelphia from the Wilkes-Barre area.
"When we walked off the subway and came up those stairs… we can’t go in (to the heart of the celebrating), but we’re just enjoying it," said Pat, 54. "Literal fireworks right here. It’s unbelievable."
“It’s so energetic and it’s just awesome,” Karen said. "Everyone should be here.”
The Rogans said they come to around two games per year. Sunday marked their third. They stayed in their seats in section 136 through the presentation of the George Halas Trophy.
They said they booked a hotel room in Philadelphia for Super Bowl weekend and the subsequent parade prior to the injury to Carson Wentz. They didn't expect to need to use the room.
But... "Nick Foles is doing an incredible job," Pat said.
Pat said the waiting for the franchise's first Super Bowl has been tough, but he likes the team's chances this year, especially compared to the Donovan McNabb-led Eagles in the 2005 Super Bowl loss against New England.
“I think this team is better," Pat said. "We want Tom Brady."
That was among the nicer things any one said about the future Hall of Fame quarterback of the Patriots.
And if you think the Pocono region was a long commute for the weekend's festivities, the Rogans had nothing on Canadian brothers Andrew and Stephen, who came all the way from Alberta.
The pair, who didn't want to share their last name, flew in Friday from Edmonton after connecting in Phoenix. They're originally from Toronto.
Andrew became enthralled by the Eagles in 2002 thanks to legendary safety Brian Dawkins, whose jersey Andrew, 31, wore Sunday.
“Dawkins. Tinted visor. Helmet to helmet contact," Andrew said when asked how he became a fan.
The brothers were making their first ever appearance in Philadelphia. They attended the Flyers game Saturday afternoon and the 76ers game Saturday night before partying at XFINITY Live.
"It was a Philly sweep," Andrew said.
Sunday night, their seats in section 234 – which they paid a lofty $550 per ticket to sit in – provided a decent view of Patrick Robinson's 50-yard interception return for a touchdown that opened the scoring for the Eagles and got them started on a stretch of 38 unanswered points.
“Pick six in our end zone. Place is bananas. It was amazing,” Andrew said.
And a sign of what's to come?
Next up for the Eagles is a trip to Minneapolis, where the Eagles play for the Super Bowl on Feb. 4. That trip would be a lot closer to Alberta than Philadelphia.
"I don’t want to be in Minneapolis if they win," Andrew said. "I want to be here on Broad Street."
Contact reporter Jeff Neiburg at (302) 983-6772, jneiburg@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @Jeff_Neiburg.
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