“Before Sunday, the first argument in any conversation with an Eagles fan was that they had no rings. I think winning the Super Bowl, in the fashion that we did it with our backup quarterback, it definitely puts the Eagles up there with the best moments of all time,” says Jimmie Brown, BU senior. As the final seconds ticket off the clock in Super Bowl LII, Tom Brady threw up a Hail Mary as his New England Patriots were trying to make a last-minute come back, down 41-33 to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The ball seemed to hang in the air forever before a pack of Philadelphia defenders knocked it away from New England’s Rob Gronkowski as time expired.
The clock showed all zeros, and the Philadelphia Eagles had won their first Super Bowl in franchise history. Pandemonium ensued on the field at U.S. Bank Stadium, the site of Super Bowl LII, and the town of Bloomsburg started to party.
Just after the clock struck zero, the large population of Philadelphians and Eagles fans in Bloomsburg took to the streets to celebrate what they had been waiting for since the Eagles’ last championship that most likely none of them were alive for, the 1960 NFL Championship.
Bloomsburg turned into “little Philly” as fans flooded Main Street as they stood on both sides of the road, chucking snow balls back and forth at each other while “E-A-G-L-E-S, EAGLES” chants filled the air.
One brave fan tried to do his best Philadelphia sports fan impression by trying to climb a light pole in front of Ready-Go Burrito but was unsuccessful in his attempt.
As more fans left their apartments, Main Street began to fill even more while both friends and strangers sang the Eagles’ fight song together, some even sharing an embrace.
Eventually, the sidewalks began to become so packed that students stopped traffic by running out into the street and forming a giant mosh pit in the middle of the road. One individual blasted Meek Miil’s “Dreams and Nightmares,” the song that became the team’s anthem in the post season, as everyone jumped around and sang along.
Bloomsburg police showed up to keep things under control and eventually attempted to move students off the street.
The scene was very similar inside the bars in Bloomsburg as well, which was probably as close to a Philadelphia sports bar as they ever will be. Eagles’ green and jerseys were plentiful inside Capitol Bar and Grille as Meek Mill was played many times. Chants about Eagles’ Super Bowl winning quarterback Nick Foles occurred almost every other minute it seemed as fans continued to dance and sing the fight song as well.
One lone New England fan, wearing a Patriots’ t-shirt, got the brunt of some of the Tom Brady jokes that circulated around.
BU senior Matt Lock says, “I don’t think it’s really hit me yet, and it may take while for it to hit me. In the moment, you’re obviously super happy, but I think if the Eagles are not as good five years from now, we will look back on this moment and just remember how awesome it was. I think once we start remembering the feelings that we’re are having right now, it will really hit us and we’ll always remember how awesome this moment was.”
The later the night got, the more the bar filled with Eagles fans who celebrated the win late into the night.
Some of the most Philly-like action occurred on Fetterman Avenue where another large pack of Eagles’ fans flocked. The scene there was much more chaotic than on Main Street or in Captiol. There, beer cans flew while fans moshed and cheered for hours.
Fireworks filled the sky as did Eagles chants, with fans standing on roofs and balconies decked out in their Philadelphia sports gear. The madness culminated as a group of Philadelphia fans started a bonfire in the middle of the street, something that has become famous in sports celebrations.
A couch was set on fire to start it off as other things were added into the mix as well. Just as Bloomsburg was celebrating the win Sunday night, so too was the entire city of Philadelphia in an even larger fashion.
These celebrations were just the beginning of what will mostly be a life time of partying for Eagles fans as they finally have the Lombardi Trophy that has eluded them for so long.
Philadelphia will continue to rejoice over the win today as the official parade for the team will take place in the city.
