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 swarming City Hall and clashing with cops that had been stationed throughout the city in case of such an outcome.
Police scanner audio since 10:30pm suggested police had made multiple arrests, as citizens were seen scaling lampposts, chanting ‘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 were using tear gas to deter any further disruptions, after a crushing defeat highlighted by game-altering penalties.
The loss is compounded by the fact the city’s baseball team, the Phillies, similarly crashed out of the World Series just a few months ago.
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.’
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.
Philadelphia! pic.twitter.com/3I8XNBX6il
— Marcel (@BasicallyIDoWrk) February 13, 2023
https://twitter.com/SchmitLogan12/status/1624911287481139207
