After the Eagles defeated the New England Patriots 41-33 in Monday's Super Bowl, fans of the new NFL champions showed you don't need to be invited to a swanky VIP after-party to let off steam.
Philly was overrun by Eagles supporters collectively losing their minds following their team's first championship since 1960. If you had no idea there was a pretty important football game on, you could be forgiven for thinking the scenes resembled a riot more than a party.
Cars were rolled over, fires were started in the street, people opted to ride on top of four-wheelers rather than inside them and leaps of faith were no longer reserved for coach Doug Pederson and his troops on the field.
Ecstatic fans came to the conclusion the only way is up β for them as well as their team, but many found out the hard way what goes up must come down.
City officials greased poles on the main strip of Broad Street with hydraulic fluid to prevent overeager sports lovers from climbing skywards, but it didn't make a difference. And as those on social media pointed out, poles on the sidewalk may have been greased but the gates of City Hall were not.
They greased the poles... BUT THEY DIDN'T GREASE THE GATES π
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in downtown Philadelphia was a hotspot for the action as fans did backflips on the awning out front, while others channelled their inner rock star and went crowd surfing.
But what do you know, it turns out hotel awnings weren't designed to support the weight of 20 people.
Yep, it was pure madness. Forget New Year's Eve in Times Square, New York β Broad Street had it covered.
It certainly wasn't all fun and games, with reports SWAT teams had been called in because people were throwing objects at police officers.
There's no doubt Philadelphia is going to be a sorry sight in the morning, but it's all worth it after breaking a 58-year championship drought on the back of Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles' matchwinning performance at quarterback.
Philadelphia Eagles fans celebrate the team's victory in the NFL Super Bowl 52 between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots, Sunday. Photo / AP
Foles, who took over when regular starting QB Carson Wentz injured his right knee in mid-December, matched five-time champion and three-time MVP Tom Brady play for play.
He threw the go-ahead touchdown to tight end Zach Ertz from 11 yards on third-and-7 with 2:21 remaining, capping a seven-minute, 14-play drive that covered 75 yards.
It kept Brady cooling his cleats on the sideline and allowed the Eagles' exhausted defenders to catch their collective breath in a game that featured 1151 total yards β the most in any NFL game in the Super Bowl era.
Brady threw for more yards β a playoff career-high 505 to Foles' 373 β but Foles matched Brady's three touchdown tosses and even caught another.
After stints at St Louis and Kansas City, Foles returned to Philly for $12 million over two years to provide insurance behind Wentz.
Now he's a folk hero for a franchise that had gone 0-for-2 in Super Bowls and for a legion of fans who were rooting for anybody other than Brady and the Patriots, who were seeking their third title in four years.
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