Eagles Win!

Wow. Wow wow wow wow wow wow.

I’m still in shock. The Eagles are Super Bowl Champions!

My first stop after leaving LA was Philly to watch this game. Even if I had been given free tickets to Minnesota to watch in-person, there was no chance I would watch this game, and a chance at THE moment that many of us have waited our entire lives for, anywhere but in the city. Ten years ago I watched the Phillies win the city the first championship of my lifetime and as crazy as that was, it couldn’t compare to what happened on Sunday.

But other than a few idiots who for some reason think property damage is a proper way to celebrate, most of the insanity I witnessed came from the number of people and the pure joy. Yes, there were people climbing lampposts, fireworks in the crowd, and plenty of boozing in the streets, but nearly everyone was just jubilant, singing the fight song and hugging strangers. And all of the goodwill from that night carried forward - through people calling out of work on Monday, and through the rain storms on Wednesday - and continued for the parade on Thursday.

Unofficial estimate: Approximately 10 billion people came to see the parade.

Unfortunately for me, I had been told that the parade would be Wednesday, so I booked a flight to England for Wednesday night. But because the incoming storm pushed the parade back a day from initial plans, it forced me to reschedule my flight. I had waited 30 years to see this - there wasn't a chance in hell I'd miss it. And even for just the glimpse of the team rolling by, hanging with friends in front of the Art Museum, and Jason Kelce's epic rant to cap off the morning, it was worth it.

"No one likes us, we don't care!" ~ Jason Kelce and all Philadelphians

Whenever the Eagles’ first Super Bowl championship was going to come, it would have been a memory of a lifetime. But what made the fact that it happened in 2018 even more special was that fact that it was THIS roster that finally got the job done. From Malcolm Jenkins using his platform to raise awareness for issues like race and policing, to Lane Johnson raising money for Philly schools by selling “underdog” gear, to just the general character of men up and down the roster and coaching staff, this is a team that is truly worthy of admiration on and off the field.