To absolutely nobody's surprise, Eagles fans rioted all over Philadelphia after the Super Bowl, but things quickly got out of hand. The Eagles finally won the Super Bowl on Sunday since their last victory in 2018, but instead of celebrating peacefully, chaos erupted on Broad Street.
Videos by Wide Open Country
As soon as the Eagles took the 40-22 triumph, around 10,000 fans swarmed Philly's streets. Some overly zealous fans lit fires, others damaged vehicles, and there were many injuries. Viral videos showed people climbing light poles, and even worse they pulled down traffic lights and destroyed them.
Eagles Fans Riot In Philadelphia After Winning Super Bowl
Rowdy fans hopped on cars parked on the street, and some even attempted to flip a police vehicle. Philly cops arrested nine people after the destructive celebrations, five of which assaulted officers.
As for the lighter repercussions, the cops cited 29 people. On top of that, there were eight vandalism incidents reported, although there were probably much more than just eight. When on the scene, police tried to ease the crowds by posting themselves around City Hall, but it didn't seem to work well.
One of the more grisly sights that night was when Eagles fans burnt a Chiefs Jersey and chanted "F**k Taylor Swift." This unruly act stems from the fact that the pop star is currently dating Chiefs player Travis Kelce.
In another video, fans also burnt a stuffed toy of Kermit the Frog. The choice of toy isn't unrelated, as supposedly the Chiefs quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, is said to look like this beloved muppet.
Behind all of this chaos was a stream of fireworks going off, which didn't help calm the crowds. Cops on motorbikes and horseback couldn't contain the rabid fans, despite knowing this would likely happen. Super Bowl watchers know how nasty Eagles fans can get, no matter if they win or lose the game.
Philly's mayor Cherelle Parker wrote a message to fans before the game to try and tame them. It clearly didn't work well. "Please, Philadelphia, I implore you as your mayor: Do not climb light poles or anything else," she said.
"I know this comes up every time we have an outdoor celebration after our Philly teams win, and I get it. But folks, climbing or attempting to climb up a light pole, or a bus shelter, or really any structure for that matter—it can lead to tragedy."
This tragedy is quite real, as 18-year-old Tyler Sabapathy died after falling from a light pole. It happened during the Eagles' NFC championship victory on January 26 as the Temple University student succumbed to critical injuries.
