The Eagles — and their Super Bowl trophy — have landed in Philadelphia, and the fans are going wild
Dozens broke into an E-A-G-L-E-S chant, and others said being with fellow fans outside the airport was a way to keep the party going after riding high on Broad Street.
Fresh off their Super Bowl domination over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Eagles flew back to Philadelphia from New Orleans on Monday. And fresh off of Broad Street, Philadelphia’s fans rushed to the airport to greet them.
On the 8300 block of Enterprise Avenue in South Philadelphia Monday afternoon, dozens of Birds fans gathered, hoping to get a glimpse of their Super Bowl LIX champions.
The afternoon had the energy of a mini-block party with multiple speakers blasting crowd favorites, like Meek Mill’s “Dreams and Nightmares” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” The crowd included people of all ages draped in their best gear.
Michelle Thomas, 64, wore furry kelly green boots, a Saquon Barkley jersey, and a black jacket featuring a bejeweled eagle on the back.
She distilled the Sunday night win into a few words: “It meant everything.”
”I’m representing, I’m a die-hard Eagles fan,” said Thomas. “I bleed green.”
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Bree Mitchell, 50, said she and her cousins usually try to get a glimpse of winning teams at the tarmac. And, Mitchell said, being with fellow fans to keep the celebration going felt like a logical next step after riding high on Broad Street the night before. In fact, she partied so hard, she lost an earring and her dentures.
”If anyone sees them, they’re mine,” said Mitchell, joking.
Still, all the highs and lows of the past couple of years — and even denture replacements — seemed worth the moments of sweet victory that Mitchell and her family got to witness.
”We were there,” she said. “We were there when Saquon jumped over the head. We was there when they won. We was there when they lost. We was there, we was there, we was there.”
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As the Super Bowl champion team’s plane touched down and workers set up stairs on the tarmac, dozens of people broke into an E-A-G-L-E-S chant.
Kevin and Lauren Scanlan picked up two of their children and nephew from school and rushed to the airport from Ridley Township in Delaware County.
”It’s just so cool to see it from their eyes,” Lauren Scanlan said. The children, clad in Eagles gear, were just as enthusiastic about the win as the adults.
Kevin said it’s not lost on him just how special it is for him to share this with his children and nephew. The last time the Eagles won, his son, Drew, now 8, was too young to remember.
”I was two,” said Drew.
“As a kid I didn’t get to experience these wins the way they do,” his dad added.
With every plane that flew overhead, the children asked if they were closer to seeing their team.
When the Eagles’ aircraft finally landed, the crowd rushed to the fence separating them from the tarmac, chanting “bring that trophy.”
Even the airport staff got in on the fun, pumping their arms as they prepped for the landing and the crowd cheered them on.
Ultimately, they were greeted by Coach Nick Sirianni and owner Jeffrey Lurie.
”We love you Jeffrey!” shouted the crowd as fans whipped out their phones and propped the children on their shoulders so they could get a glimpse of the Lombardi Trophy.