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Fans celebrate in the streets as the Philadelphia Eagles are Super Bowl bound

A common Philly tradition, fans climbed street lights on Broad St. following the Eagles NFC Championship victory on Jan. 29, 2023.
Cory Sharber
/
WHYY
A common Philly tradition, fans climbed street lights on Broad St. following the Eagles NFC Championship victory on Jan. 29, 2023.

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.”

Benjamin Horner and Gabriel Starwood couldn't contain their excitement on Broad St. after the Philadelphia Eagles punched their ticket to Super Bowl LVII on Jan. 29, 2023.
Cory Sharber
/
WHYY
Benjamin Horner and Gabriel Starwood couldn't contain their excitement on Broad St. after the Philadelphia Eagles punched their ticket to Super Bowl LVII on Jan. 29, 2023.

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.

Latest fashion trend or spur of the moment celebration? This fan was seen modeling a traffic cone as an accessory Sunday night.
Cory Sharber
/
WHYY
Latest fashion trend or spur of the moment celebration? This fan was seen modeling a traffic cone as an accessory Sunday night.

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.”

Fans began dismantling a street light right next to City Hall as the impromptu Eagles NFC Championship party was underway.
Cory Sharber
/
WHYY
Fans began dismantling a street light right next to City Hall as the impromptu Eagles NFC Championship party was underway.

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.

Fan Pedro Cartahgena (left), Victor River (center) and Mauricio Vasquez (right) support the Philadelphia Eagles from the tailgate outside the Linc during the NFC East Championship Game on January 29, 2023.
Kimberly Paynter
/
WHYY
Fan Pedro Cartahgena (left), Victor River (center) and Mauricio Vasquez (right) support the Philadelphia Eagles from the tailgate outside the Linc during the NFC East Championship Game on January 29, 2023.

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!”

Jaimie Ching (left), Ryan Ching (center), and Gabriel Richardson (right) flew from the Bay Area to witness their two favorite teams square off in Philadelphia.
Cory Sharber
/
WHYY
Jaimie Ching (left), Ryan Ching (center), and Gabriel Richardson (right) flew from the Bay Area to witness their two favorite teams square off in Philadelphia.

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.”

Chris Nady (left) and Austin Ritter (right) made the most of Sunday's pregame ahead of the NFC Championship at Lincoln Financial Field, despite their differences.
Cory Sharber
/
WHYY
Chris Nady (left) and Austin Ritter (right) made the most of Sunday's pregame ahead of the NFC Championship at Lincoln Financial Field, despite their differences.

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.

Thousands packed parking lots outside of Lincoln Financial Field on Jan. 29, 2023, ahead of the NFC Championship game between the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.
Cory Sharber
/
WHYY
Thousands packed parking lots outside of Lincoln Financial Field on Jan. 29, 2023, ahead of the NFC Championship game between the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.

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.”

Thousands packed parking lots outside of Lincoln Financial Field on Jan. 29, 2023, ahead of the NFC Championship game between the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.
Cory Sharber
/
WHYY
Thousands packed parking lots outside of Lincoln Financial Field on Jan. 29, 2023, ahead of the NFC Championship game between the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.

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.