Philly fans destroy the city after Super Bowl win
The Philadelphia Eagles' first Super Bowl victory set off rowdy celebrations in Philadelphia as people who poured into the streets set fires and damaged property.
Joyous football fans burst into jubilation in gatherings at bars and took their party into the streets, jumping up and down, setting off pyrotechnics and singing the fight song "Fly Eagles Fly."
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Some went further and ignited a fire in the middle of a street that firefighters soon extinguished.
Other images showed a light pole tipping over and the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News website Philly.com reported smashed windows and toppled awnings.
Police in riot gear and on bicycles formed lines to control crowds and push people back, social media images showed.
Some people broke a display window at a department store near City Hall, and looters broke into a convenience store, grabbing merchandise and screaming, "Everything is free," Philly.com reported.
Nearly all the light poles on one side of City Hall were toppled, and a car outside a hotel was tipped on its side, Philly.com said.
The Eagles, coming into the game as underdogs, defeated the five-time National Football League champion New England Patriots 41-33 in Minneapolis.
In Boston, local media reported somber Patriots fans spilling out of local bars and heading home in the cold winter drizzle as temperatures dipped near 0.
"We haven't had a single incident, thank God," said a Boston police dispatcher.
The Boston Globe reported a number of injuries and that at least six people were arrested as police used pepper spray to disperse the angry fans.
The city of Philadelphia will host a victory parade on Thursday. The original plan was for the parade to be held on Wednesday, but the forecast predicts rain and snow throughout the day.
The outlook for Thursday looks much brighter with sunshine and a high of 32 degrees.
"Oh man, Philly is crazy right now I bet," Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox said, via ESPN.
"The city probably won't sleep for a week. It's so exciting, I can't wait to be on that bus going down Broad Street and seeing the passion of these fans when we get back there."
City officials confirmed Thursday's parade will start at Broad and Pattison in south Philadelphia, then head north to the Art Museum.
with agencies
