How Penn experienced the historic Super Bowl win for the Eagles

The Daily Pennsylvanian is reporting on how Penn's community is reacting to the Super Bowl as the game progresses throughout the night. This story was last updated at 10:22 p.m. Check back for updates.

For the first time ever, the Philadelphia Eagles have won the Super Bowl. The team, which went off against the New England Patriots, won 41— 33, prompting celebrations across the city and on campus. 

Minutes after the game ended, Penn students were seen running down Spruce Street yelling "Go, Eagles!"

After finishing 7-9 for the past two seasons, Philadelphia played successfully this past season to finish 13-3. The last time the team reached the Super Bowl was 2004 when it lost to none other than the Patriots. 

Downtown, the bars on Broad Street were overflowing with fans drinking, booing, and chanting throughout the night. More than 50 police officers lined up along the street to prepare for riots that broke out after the game.

Crowds were gathered in front of full-capacity bars like Howl at the Moon at 15th and Latimer streets. 

Fans were standing in the rain watching TVs through the bar windows, shouting and screaming at the screen. Everyone went wild with the last Eagles' touchdown — friends and strangers are embracing each other in equal measure.

Located on the corner of 15th and Walnut streets, the Fox & Hound Sports Tavern Bar and Grill was, too, packed to capacity. People were lined up for half a block waiting on their chance to get a seat.

Penn football players, College sophomore Choyce Bostian and Wharton junior Nico Ament, were just two of the many fans standing outside of the bar. 

Watching the game with some of their other teammates, the students said they were supporting Philadelphia in the face off. 

“Even though we’re both from California, it’s a once in a lifetime type of deal where you can come down and actually be in the city where the team is in the Super Bowl," Ament said. "We figured it would be a lot of fun and hopefully they end up winning.”

"If Philadelphia wins this game I doubt there will be laws in the city tonight," Bostian added, before the game ended. "It will be absolutely wild.”

Inside, there was no room for servers to move, and drinks were being passed out from the bar as everyone's eyes were glued to the game. Every 10 minutes or so, periodic chanting for "free beer" overwhelmed the space. 

On campus, students gathered in Houston Hall, in college houses, and in high rise lounges to watch the game. The crowds included both students who came from outside Philadelphia and those who had never watched a football game before.

More than 150 people crammed into Houston Hall for a University-sponsored watch party. 

With free food and some comfortable armchairs, members of the Penn community, largely dressed in green, watched the game on a television on the first floor of the building, as another group crowded into the basement to watch on another screen. 

“I’m always rooting for the underdogs, so I’m hoping we pull through," said College freshman Kelsey Padilla, who was watching the game in Houston Hall.

A large group of students gathered to watch the game in Hill College House. 

"Yo, it's my first year in Philly, and it's the first year the Birds going to win. Let's watch it, let's get it!" Wharton freshman Lobo Itzol from Guatemala said. "It's my first time watching football, and they're doing a good-ass job, so I'm with it."

College freshman Kevin Zeno, who was also watching the team in Hill, said he had ties to each team. 

"I'm from Massachusetts, but I want the Eagles to win," Zeno said. "Either way, I'm going to be happy, but I want the Eagles to win so I can celebrate here in Philly."

At the Kelly Writers House, College sophomore Jacob Kind and other student workers made food as they watched the game.

In Harrison College House, students came together in a calmer environment to watch the face-off. 

About 20 people gathered on the first floor to hang out, eat pizza and chicken wings, and do homework with the game playing in the background. While the excitement was not as intense as it was in other spots around University City, students still cheered, booed, and enjoyed the game together. 

Some upperclassmen fans chose to watch Philadelphia and New England face off on multiple screens at Smokey Joe's.

Students were rowdy prior to the coin toss, booing the Patriots and chanting slurs directed at Tom Brady as New England walked onto the field. 

The crowd boasted its usually Penn clientele as well as students from the University of the Sciences, Villanova University, and the Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College.

Miles Love, a student at Penn State University from Bucks County, said he felt confident in the ability of his team. 

“I feel incredible, my confidence is just feeling itself right now, Eagles defense are putting the stops on," Love said. “The Patriots defense are not stopping us, we’re going all the way.”

Brian Child, a resident of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, visited Smokes' for his first time to watch the game with his friend, a Penn student. 

“If the Eagles win today I definitely would like to try to make my way towards the city more and experience that and show off my fan base. I love these fans, they’re the best fans in the whole world,” Child said before the game started. "This is a revenge game."

However, Brandon Lawrence was a bit more cautious in predicting the final outcome of the game. 

“I like how we’re doing so far but turnovers are a big thing," Lawrence said. "“You can never get too comfortable with the Patriots.”

For Molly Greenberg, the game was reminiscent of Philadelphia's season. 

"It just tells the story of the whole season,” she said. “[It's a] Cinderella god-damn story.” 

Many Eagles fans at the bar announced they would be heading to Broad Street after the game, regardless of whether or not Philadelphia won.  

Some fans had boarded the Market-Frankford Septa line at 40th Street Station to head to Center City before the game had begun.  A few became impatient with the seeming lack of arriving trains and subsequently abandoned the platform to catch an Uber. 

But Courtney Law, donning head-to-toe Eagles garb and a neon poncho, was not deterred. 

Law, who was born and raised in West Philadelphia, was heading to Xfinity Live! at 1100 Pattison Ave. to watch her team.  

“I’m really excited, I have Philly pride, and this is what the city needs," she said, "I mean this will be — 'cause I’m claiming it — the Eagles’ first Super Bowl title."

However, outside Fado Irish Pub at 1500 Locust St., Daniel Will was not joining in the celebration. 

Will, a Philadelphia resident who has worked as a bouncer for roughly 15 years, said he was unimpressed and put off by the wild Philadelphia fans. 

He said the wildest thing he had ever seen occurred outside of Xfinitiy Live! during the playoff game two weeks ago between the Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings. He described fans flipping vans and fighting "all in the name of a ball going down the field."

"I've stopped enjoying football," Will said. "[Fans] were screaming at children because they were wearing the wrong color."

Inside the bar, each fan seemed to be glued to the many screens and they roared in response to the game.  

Tyler Drob and Kevin Duggan, students at Westchester University, were confident the Eagles would win.

"[There's] never a doubt [that Philadelphia will win]," Duggan said above the din. 

At halftime, Greenberg agreed. 

“We’re savage; we’re absolutely savage.”

Staff reporters James Meadows, Lucy Curtis, Avni Kataria, and Julie Coleman contributed reporting to this article.