This week in Philadelphia — a linen truck was broken into, a fire was set, and a street light was toppled over. Relax — it’s not a riot. The Philadelphia Eagles have once again won the Super Bowl by overwhelming the Kansas City Chiefs 40–22 in Super Bowl LIX.
One hundred years after the beginning of NFL football in Northeast Philadelphia when the 1924 Frankford Yellow Jackets were granted a professional franchise — the city is enjoying a decade of Eagles excellence. The win — which now marks the most dominant stretch of success in Eagles franchise history with an NFC Championship in 2023, Super Bowl victory in 2018, and now another World Championship in 2025 — has not only positioned Philadelphia for a February celebration, but success for years to come with youthful talent all over the roster. This includes an incredible secondary who is the first in modern NFL history to win a Super Bowl with two rookie starting cornerbacks and has on its roster the first NFL player to ever score a touchdown on his birthday in the Super Bowl — Cooper DeJean.
For those fans not old enough to remember the dream of this moment with the promise of Buddy Ryan’s devastating defenses, the ingenuity of Ray Rhodes West Coast offense, or the repeated NFC Championship Game losses under Andy Reid — this is a time to savor.
Since their inception in 1933 — the only time that can rival this dominance was the pre-Super Bowl Eagles was that of the late 1940s. Much like the present-day Eagles, the 1947 team would lose the NFL Championship Game despite a furious comeback only to return to the big stage to win it for Philadelphia in 1948 and 1949 complete with quarterback Tommy Thompson and running back Steve Van Buren.
Seven years after Broad Street erupted with an incredible parade to celebrate the Eagles 2018 Super Bowl including a speech from Jason Kelce that will live in Philadelphia infamy — we get to celebrate once again. This decade — and indeed this Valentine’s Day parade — will be a fitting tribute to both these Eagles and the best NFL fanbase in the world with a journey that began in Sao Paulo Brazil and ended with once of the most decisive victories in Super Bowl history in New Orleans.
The Eagles rookie secondary wasn’t the only history to be made this season. Two weeks earlier in South Philadelphia not far from Friday’s parade rout — the Eagles scored the most points in an NFC Championship Game in the modern Super-Bowl era and tied an NFL record previously set by the 1940 Chicago Bears with seven rushing touchdowns against theWashington Commanders.
On Sunday, Saquon Barkley broke an NFL record for most individual rushing yards in a season. Two years ago — during a 31–7 rout of the 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field in he 2023 NFC Championship Game — hardly anyone noticed when the Eagles broke a 90-plus year record for rushing touchdowns in a season. That record was previously held by the 1924 Frankford Yellow Jackets.
Enjoy the love of a Valentine’s Day Eagles celebration, Philly.
Michael Thomas Leibrandt is member of the York Road Historical Society and lives and works in Abington Township.
