Over One Million Cheer Pats in Boston

By JUSTIN D. GEST

CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

BOSTON—Over one million New Englanders flooded the streets of downtown Boston yesterday, shoulder-to-shoulder along the city’s sidewalks and plazas, to welcome home their 2004 Super Bowl champions.

Less than 48 hours after a dramatic 32-29 victory over the Carolina Panthers in Houston, the New England Patriots returned, triumphantly hoisting their two Vince Lombardi trophies from the tops of 10 Boston Duck Tour amphibious buses rolling along a 1.5-mile parade route lined ten people deep from Copley Square to City Hall.

Thousands braved freezing temperatures before dawn to stake out the best positions on the route and at Government Center, where the team congregated on an elevated stage to thank and excite their dedicated fans—many of whom endured over three feet of snow, subzero temperatures and stinging winds during home games at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.

Bill G. Whelan ’05, a Cabot House resident from Hanover, Mass., and a lifetime Patriots fan, said that even if the University were in session, he “absolutely” would have missed class for yesterday’s parade.

“I could have watched it on TV, but it’s just so much better being there,” he said.

Whelan said he and a friend pushed enough to reach the stage.

“We were right by the stage and got absolutely crunched. We honestly couldn’t move one foot,” he said.

The championship was the organization’s second in three years, and the win in Houston marked the 15th consecutive victory for a team that many league observers underestimated earlier this season. The Patriots’ first-ever championship in 2002 inspired an estimated 1.2 million people to pack the streets of Boston, a city of under 600,000 residents, according to the 2000 U.S. Census.

The Boston Police Department (BPD) estimated that 1.5 million fans witnessed the Patriots procession yesterday afternoon. While many huddled together at street level, the most innovative climbed on top of mailboxes, into nearby trees and on rooftops to get a better view. One man straddled the statue of Samuel Adams in front of historic Faneuil Hall at Quincy Market, wrapping his legs around the bronze head of the famed revolutionary figure, to the cheers of the crowd below.

Though thousands of people skipped work and school due to “Patriots Fever,” those working in the parade district pressed their faces against the office windows overlooking the procession and rally. A construction crew, renovating a building three blocks away from City Hall, perched on the scaffolding around the 20th story for a bird’s eye view of the various speeches.

Emceed by sportscaster Gil Santos, the ceremony began with a brief but grateful address by team owner Bob Kraft. “Two years ago, I told all of you we wouldn’t be satisfied until we brought another championship to New England, and here it is!” he said, heaving the handcrafted sterling silver Tiffany & Co. trophy into the chilled air.

As the crowd cheered and threw fists upward, confetti machines blew bits of red, white and blue tissue into the wind blowing through the corridors of Cambridge Street.

Several players made references to winning another title. “One was nice, two’s a lot nicer, but I need number three,” said quarterback Tom Brady, the two-time Super Bowl MVP who at 26 years old is the youngest quarterback ever to win two championships.

Kicker Adam Vinatieri, who kicked the game-winning field goal, held his hand up and said, “I’ve got two [championship rings] on my fingers, and the last time I checked, I got plenty more of them.”

For back-up guard Jamil Soriano ’03, the combination of an NFL championship and victory parade was overwhelming.

“It was definitely a once-in-a lifetime experience for me, to win a Super Bowl and come back to Boston to see all the fans cutting class and taking breaks from work,” said Soriano, who played left guard for Harvard, and was a part of the Patriots’ practice squad all season long.

“It was unreal, having all these people cheering for a team that I’m a part of. Coming from Harvard from a championship team was amazing, but to be a part of this Super Bowl team was just unbelievable,” Soriano said. “After being with three or four [NFL] teams, I’m not one to believe in fate or destiny, but something good happened to be with this kind of team.”

While in Houston, Soriano said that he “bumped into” former President George H. W. Bush, singer Beyoncé and rock star Kid Rock.

Reminiscent of the 2002 Super Bowl celebration, Kraft, Brady and Head Coach Bill Belichick did an awkward victory dance for the crowd, egged on by star cornerback Ty Law, who asked the deejay to put on the hip-hop song, “Encore” by Jay-Z. Linebacker Willie McGinest joined in, dancing the “Crip Walk,” while Belichick extended both arms forward with visible reluctance and made a Frankenstein-esque motion.

In another humorous moment, wide receiver Troy Brown faced the crowd trophy in-hand, removed his dark sunglasses to reveal a black eye and broken nose sustained in Sunday’s game, and yelled “Bingo!”

The BPD along with federal police showed a heavy presence along the parade route and particularly at City Hall, where hundreds of officers patrolled the plaza and barricades. Despite a pervasive scent of alcohol, a BPD spokesperson said only seven arrests were made. Also present were Massachusetts Gov. W. Mitt Romney and Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey ’82.

Even Harvard student Jon Gentry ’07, who is a Houston native, felt the need to join the festivities.

“I missed all the excitement in Houston, but I guess the parade makes up for it,” he said.

—Staff writer Justin D. Gest can be reached at gest@fas.harvard.edu.