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Mayhem has broken out in the City of Brotherly Love following the Philadelphia Eagles’ narrow Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Signs of unrest surfaced almost immediately after the team’s 38-35 defeat Sunday night – with disgruntled fans already seen swarming City Hall and clashing with police that had been stationed throughout the city in case of such an outcome.
Police scanner audio since 10:30pm suggests that cops have already made multiple arrests, as citizens have been seen scaling lampposts, chant ‘f*** the Chiefs’, and hurling glass bottles throughout the city’s Downtown neighborhood.
Footage circulating on social media also shows several residents lighting fireworks, with others egging on armed SWAT teams tasked with keeping the piece.
In one shocking clip, a group of Philadelphians are seen lighting fireworks, with some reports indicating the explosives are being thrown at officers.
Cops are currently using tear gas to deter any further disruptions, after a crushing defeat highlighted by game-altering penalties. The loss is compounded by the fact that the city’s baseball team, the Phillies, similarly crashed out of the World Series just a few months ago.
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Mayhem has broken out in the City of Brotherly Love following the Philadelphia Eagles’ narrow Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs
Cops are currently using tear gas to deter any further disruptions, after a crushing defeat highlighted by game-altering penalties
That said, the Chiefs’ win on Sunday was anything but a given. The 1.5-point underdogs not only trailed for much of the game, but were struggling to contain Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, who was playing the game of his life.
Outside of a costly second-quarter fumble, which was returned for a touchdown by Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton, Hurts was sensational. The third-year Eagles star tossed for 304 yards and one touchdown, while running for three scores and a two-point conversion that tied the game at 35 late in the fourth quarter. But his final pass – a Hail Mary at the final gun – fell well short, giving the win to the Chiefs.
But it was the Chief’s superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who proved to be the bane of Philadelphia’s existence, exacting a now-characteristic comeback in the games’ second half.
That came after the 27-year-old – who now has two Super Bowls to his name – aggravated an existing ankle injury in the second quarter, and was seen literally limping into the locker rooms at halftime, with his team trailing by 10 points.
By the end of the game – and following some fortuitous calls for Mahomes’ side that may have added insult to injury for the already notoriously rowdy Philadelphia populace – the sixth year quarter back was the one left standing
‘He’s the MVP,’ Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of Mahomes. ‘That’s all that needs to be said. MVP. And you saw it tonight.’
Signs of unrest surfaced almost immediately after the team’s 38-35 defeat Sunday night – with disgruntled fans already seen swarming City Hall and clashing with police that had been stationed throughout the city in case of such an outcome
Police scanner audio since 10:30pm suggests that cops have already made multiple arrests, as citizens have been seen scaling lampposts, chant ‘f*** the Chiefs’, and hurling glass bottles
Footage circulating on social media shows some of the violence, with some citizens seen throwing punches at each other while trying to overrun locations being watched by cops
Eagles fans, meanwhile, likely have a different take on the day’s events, following a costly second-quarter fumble and a late-game penalty that allowed the opposing team the opportunity to to kick a game-winning field goal with eight seconds left.
Those frustrations may have fueled the pronounced response currently being seen across the city, footage of which shows citizens throwing punches at each other, while some have been filmed attempting overrun locations being watched by cops.
Other clips show crowds of thousands of people growing increasingly brazen, chanting profanities and in some cases even rushing officers.
Several snippets of the mayhem circulating on social media show officers already making arrests.
Police scanners in the area as well as video from the scene indicate that multiple officers have been assaulted amid the outpour of anger.
Officers from the Philadelphia Police Department tasked with keeping the peace have already made multiple arrests, though the exact amount is still unclear
Officers are seeing trying to arrest citizens attempting to cause disruptions in the city’s Downtown neighborhood, near City Hall
The unrest comes after a second-quarter fumble and a late-game penalty that allowed the opposing team the opportunity to to kick last-minute field goal cost The Birds the big game
Other revelers were seen climbing atop bus shelters and shimmying their way up light poles, while some electing to stay peaceful, choosing to bang drums and engage in pro-Eagle chants instead of contributing to the unrest.
As of Monday at 1am, there have been no reports of shots fired, with crowds reportedly having started to dissipate around midnight.
The Philadelphia Police Department has yet to make a statement or issue a state of emergency following reports of the several rambunctious processions.
Cops had been preparing for potential riots before the game, when fans tipped over a car in North Philly – an occurrence that was also filmed, and harked back to the car-flipping and fire-starting seen after the team’s Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots in 2018.
Other revelers were seen climbing atop bus shelters and shimmying their way up light poles
A man is seen jumping into a crowd of hundreds of Philadelphians following the Eagles’ loss
Police scanners in the area as well as video from the scene indicate that several people, including officers, have been assaulted amid the outpour of anger
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The Philadelphia Police Department has yet to make a statement or issue a state of emergency following reports of the violent processions
And while the true extent of the unrest Sunday will likely not be known until morning, many will hope the consequences will not be as pronounced as those seen following the Phillies’ loss to the Houston Astros in November, which included a shooting that left nine wounded, five critically.
This time around, city planner Todd Sartini swore that would not be the case, insisting this week that any potential riots would be quelled before they got out of hand.
‘Whether the fans desecrate city property to celebrate or to grieve the Eagles’ fates, my fellow municipal employees and I are prepared for the worst,’ Sartini said in a statement.
‘We have shatter-resistant windows in most of our buildings now so I’m not too concerned. I might even look outside and watch those crazy kids get their skulls bashed in by our wonderful boys in blue.
‘I don’t pay much attention to sports, punks, or police officers,’ the city speaker added, ‘but I hope everyone has fun.’
Residents were seen egging on armed SWAT officers tasked with keeping the piece on Sunday
the true extent of the unrest seen Sunday will likely not be known until morning, once cops assess the damages
City officials this week promised that any potential riots would be quelled before they got out of hand
As for the winning side, the Chiefs, with their victory Sunday, successfully raised the hallowed Vince Lombardi trophy for the second time in four seasons.
They beat the 49ers following the 2019 season before losing to the Buccaneers after 2020. This time, they trailed for most of the evening before rallying in the second half to beat the Eagles.
Mahomes first hurt the ankle three weeks ago against Jacksonville, but undoubtedly benefited from a longer halftime to allow for Rhianna’s performance at State Farm Stadium. He was among the first players out of the tunnel once the field was cleared of the stage, grabbing a ball and immediately beginning warm-up tosses.
‘I told you all this week there’s nothing that’s going to keep me off that football field,’ said Mahomes. ‘I just want a shoutout to my teammates — we challenged each other, we needed everyone to win this football game — so shoutout to my teammates. We’re Super Bowl champs!’
Mahomes’ ankle was a big question mark for the AFC championship game, when he only had a week to recover from the initial injury, but he insisted this week that he felt good on it. Chiefs coach Andy Reid likewise said his star quarterback had no limitation as they put together the game plan for the Super Bowl.
Mahomes was moving around well on it in the first half Sunday, too. He scrambled for a big gain on Kansas City’s opening series and was doing a good job of buying time against the NFL’s top-ranked team in sacks this season.
Then came the fateful series, when the Chiefs were trying to match a touchdown that gave the Eagles a 21-14 lead.
Mahomes was flushed from the pocket, stepped forward and scrambled to his left, then Edwards lassoed him and spun him to the ground. Mahomes lay there for a moment with his facemask buried in the turf before getting to his feet and hobbling to the sideline in a near-carbon copy of the image from three weeks ago at Arrowhead Stadium.
As Mahomes sat on the bench, grimacing in pain, the Chiefs punted the ball back to the Eagles, who promptly drove downfield and added a field goal as time expired to take a 24-14 halftime lead.
Despite his sore ankle, Mahomes ran for 44 yards on Sunday, including this 26-yard scamper
Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark celebrates winning Super Bowl LVII
Kansas City Chiefs placekicker Harrison Butker appears with his children after kicking the game-winning field goal on Sunday
Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 to win Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium
Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium on Sunday
Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs fakes the pass against the Philadelphia Eagles during the third quarter in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium
Patrick Mahomes appeared to aggravate is ankle injury late in the second quarter on a hit by Eagles linebacker TJ Edwards
A.J. Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles makes a 45-yard touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in the second quarter
Rihanna performs during the halftime show at Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona on Sunday
Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who couldn’t win the big game during his tenure with Philadelphia, beat his former team to earn his second ring with Mahomes and the Chiefs.
With the score tied at 35-35, the Eagles tried to let the Chiefs score a touchdown with under two minutes left so they could get the ball back. But Jerick McKinnon slid at the 2, forcing the Eagles to use their last timeout.
After Mahomes took a knee two times, Butler nailed his kick, sending thousands of red-clad Chiefs fans into a frenzy.
The Chiefs won their second Super Bowl following the 2019 season, 50 years after the first one. It took just three years to get another Lombardi.
The Eagles, meanwhile, will have to wait until next year until raising their second Lombard trophy, following what can only be called a disappointing season. The Eagles finished their season with a league-best record of 14 wins and 3 losses.
