Because the clock ran out on the Tremendous Bowl on Sunday night time, and the Philadelphia Eagles ran onto the sphere in New Orleans, confetti crammed the Superdome and the crew’s battle tune, “Fly Eagles Fly,” blared over the audio system.
Chants of “E-A-G-L-E-S” got here from all corners of the 83,000-seat stadium. However now, followers went into overdrive, wearing beads and sequins, flapping their arms like birds, and hoisting each other onto their shoulders.
There was loads for these Eagles followers to cheer as Philadelphia beat Kansas Metropolis, 40-22, stopping the Chiefs from turning into the primary crew in N.F.L. historical past to win three consecutive Tremendous Bowls.
Lit with inexperienced lights, Eagles followers spilled out of the stadium whistling, high-fiving strangers and dancing to a drum band, as Chiefs followers walked by sadly and serenely.
All through the sport, the thrill had prolonged past the sphere.
President Trump, who was a visitor of Gayle Benson, the proprietor of the New Orleans Saints, watched among the sport from a collection alongside members of his household, together with his daughter Ivanka Trump and his daughter-in-law Lara Trump. He was additionally joined by members of Congress, together with Speaker Mike Johnson. In one other suite, the previous first girl Jill Biden cheered on the Eagles with assist from her grandson, Robert Hunter Biden, amongst others.
As Taylor Swift, Paul Rudd and different notable Chiefs followers watched the sport tensely, with issues going poorly for his or her crew from the beginning, excessive profile Eagles followers, together with the actor Bradley Cooper, the comic Kevin Hart and the actress Anne Hathaway, had been noticed across the stadium cheering loudly.
“It was pure domination,” stated Phil Minissale, 38, a beverage gross sales specialist who lives in New Orleans and grew up in Philadelphia.
He was carrying a feathery eagle masks, which lined up the tears in his eyes. “I’m emotional in regards to the sport,” he stated.
Mr. Minissale stated the $2,900 he paid for his ticket, which he purchased at 2 p.m. on sport day, was value it. “Cash comes and goes, however this can be a magical night time,” he stated.
It was clear from the time the groups had been launched that the group on the Superdome leaned closely towards the Eagles, and as these followers streamed out of the stadium following the win, a block occasion emerged exterior, with devastated Chiefs followers pressured to make their means by means of the chaos.
Shawn Laroda, 54, a retired welder who lives exterior of Philadelphia, was exterior the stadium with 4 mates puffing a cigar he introduced from house.
“It got here all the best way right here on a airplane,” he defined, beaming.
He nonetheless couldn’t consider the sport’s outcomes.
“I believe we’re going to take just a few whiskey photographs earlier than going to mattress,” he stated.
Dahiana Torres, 48, a nurse who lives in Bradenton, Fla. and is initially from Philadelphia, was handing out inexperienced whistles to the group and screaming “Go Birds.”
She watched the sport in a bar after which headed as shut as she may get to the stadium the place she had been for the final half-hour.
“I simply wish to stand right here and cheer,” she stated. “I imply that sport was insane. We had been the underdogs, and now we confirmed them that we’re not the underdogs.”
Taylor Barber, 24, a trainer from Dallas, had a private connection to the crew.
“My cousin is an Eagle,” she yelled into the group on the prime of her lungs, referring to Milton Williams, a defensive deal with for the Eagles.
She was carrying a T-shirt together with his No. 93 on it together with knee-high inexperienced boots.
She and her two mates, who’re additionally lecturers in Dallas, had been headed to the Eagles postgame occasion, going down close by.
They couldn’t wait to have fun alongside the gamers. The plan was to out-party them, stated Jessie Ulmer, 23, who was carrying a gold sequined purse within the form of a soccer with gold cowboy boots.
“We’re going to drink like we’re those who gained,” she stated.
Different followers had been on their technique to celebrations within the French Quarter.
Brooke and Shane Felgoise, siblings who dwell in Baton Rouge and grew up in Philadelphia, had been headed to Bourbon Road, the place soccer followers had congregated all weekend for Mardi Gras-style road events.
“I already referred to as out of labor tomorrow,” stated Ms. Felgoise, 23, who works at a regulation agency.
They attended the sport after their mom stunned them with tickets earlier within the week.
“I want we may have fun on Broad Road, however Bourbon Road can be enjoyable,” stated Mr. Felgoise, 19, a freshman at Louisiana State College. “There are such a lot of Eagles followers right here it looks like house.”
