Asked what made this squad a championship team, the NFL’s leading rusher, Saquon Barkley, summed it up in one word: “Love.”
“I think that s the biggest thing,” he told NBC Philadelphia on the parade route. “You had all these names, these superstar names and nobody cared … and pushed (ego) to the side and won a championship.”
Friday’s parade was the worst nightmare for fans of 31 other teams, who have a particular disdain for the Birds.
The Eagles linebacker, Sweat, said he had no care for the haters on Friday.
“Nobody likes us,” said a jubilant Sweat, wearing a full-length faux fur coat he , who donned that garment at the parade seven years ago. “Nobody likes Philly, I’m telling you, but we do and they and they do.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro seized the chance Friday to spike the football on the Eagles’ hated rivals, the Dallas Cowboys —
“Being an Eagles fan, I know how people love to hate us. You people love to hate us,” Shapiro told fans at the post-parade rally.
“They love to root against us, but something I noticed is that all of a sudden, people were coming together to cheer on our Philadelphia Eagles, not just here in Philly, but all across America. “
Shapiro then turned to Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and said: “It would seem, Jeffrey, that the Philadelphia Eagles are now America’s team! You hear that Dallas, the Eagles are America’s team. Philadelphia?! “
The parade convoy move slowly on on Friday morning, allowing Barkley, coach Nick Sirianni and other Eagles to jump off their buses at points to exchange high-fives with Birds backers.
Defensive end Brandon Graham, the longest tenured Eagle with 15 seasons in Philadelphia, said he wanted to record and soak in as much of Friday’s festivities as possible.
“Like I’m saying, enjoy this,” Graham, 36, told NBC Philadelphia. “I know that these opportunities, these moments, come and go, just make sure I document every day so I have something to show my kids, even though they’re here now.”
