The words on the pages screamed of a Patriots championship, and so when Chris Calnan saw a pile of torn and tattered newspapers on the street outside City Hall Plaza, he knew exactly what he had to do.
He had to end New England’s victory celebration the way longsnapper Lonie Paxton ended the Patriots’ season.
Making snow angels.
“We won the Super Bowl!” Calnan cried as he flapped his arms and legs, scattering the collection of Boston papers.
“That was just appreciation for the Patriots winning the Super Bowl,” said the Fitchburg State College senior. “It looked like a good thickness of the newspapers; I figured I could get the full angel in there.”
Calnan arrived at 8 a.m. to join an estimated 1.25 million Pats fans yesterday for a 15-minute rally at City Hall Plaza to celebrate the Patriots’ dramatic 20-17 win over the St. Louis Rams in Sunday’s Super Bowl. The players arrived in grand fashion, riding on the back of Duck Tour trucks as they paraded from Copley Square and through the Back Bay with fans lining their path and city streets shut down for most of the day.
Team owner and President Robert Kraft led his team onto a platform that was surrounded on three sides by screaming fans. Kraft carried the Vince Lombardi Trophy onto the stage, where he met a receiving line that included acting Gov. Jane Swift, Mayor Thomas Menino and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.).
Some of the assembled arrived as early as 2:15 a.m. yesterday morning, braving sub-freezing temperatures to share in the glory of the Patriots’ first-ever Super Bowl title.
“Today, we are all world champions,” Kraft told the crowd.
Cornerback Otis Smith was the first Patriot to step on stage, and as his teammates followed him out, the players were serenaded by Patriots Nation with a rendition of Queen’s “We are the Champions” blaring through City Hall Plaza.
“Only in a town like this could this many people come out to celebrate our championship,” said special teams captain Larry Izzo. “You guys are the greatest fans in the world. You were the only ones who thought we could win going into Sunday.”
The loudest voice in the Patriots demand for respect throughout the playoffs belonged to captain Lawyer Milloy. Milloy repeatedly defended his team during the playoffs while pundits heavily doubted them.
“City of Boston. It’s been a long time coming, huh?” said Milloy, a big grin forming on his face. “Yeah. Yeah. We came in as underdogs, they gave us now respect: We got our respect now, right? Let’s show the world, right here, repeat after me: We’re No. 1!”
With that, the crowd joined Milloy in the chant, index fingers extended skyward.
Since Sunday, some have labeled the Patriots’ win the best moment in Boston sports history, and judging by the fan reaction yesterday, many seem to agree. By 3:30 a.m., more than 150 people had trickled onto City Hall Plaza, wrapped in blankets and coat layers. At 5 a.m., a full-fledged crowd assembled and was let into the gates near where the Patriots were to take the stage.
Lifelong Patriots fan Michael Glynn, 40, of Hudson, N.H., awoke at 5 a.m. “ready to party,” and didn’t even mind that his car was towed after the parade. “I just thought, ‘The Pats won the Super Bowl. Whatever.'”
Jubilation abounded when Patriots cornerback Ty Law reenacted his Super Bowl interception return for a touchdown and subsequent touchdown dance. He got others involved in the dancing as well, calling on Tom Brady for an “MVP, Super Bowl, welcome to Disney World-type of dance,” but all the quarterback could do was smile and point to the crowd.
Kraft met Law’s need for an “ownership” dance, though, shaking to the tune of Nelly’s song, “Number One.”
Perhaps no Patriot better exemplifies the attitude of the team better than wideout Troy Brown. After patiently waiting for his turn to shine, Brown became a star this season in place of problem child Terry Glenn and had a 23-yard reception at the end of the Super Bowl to put his team in field goal range.
“I’ve had the pleasure of watching this team become what I’m all about: quiet, unselfish, disciplined,” Brown said. “That’s what we’ve been about all year. We kept our mouths shut and got the job done when nobody gave us a chance in hell of doing it. We stuck together all year. All year.
“I never touched the AFC Championship trophy because two is not a winner. I wanted to be a champion, and I’ve got my hands on the biggest prize of them all.”
The team aspect is Waltham native Scott Duplessis’ favorite thing about this year’s Patriots. He wore a Ted Johnson jersey to yesterday’s rally, chosen, he said, because he once met the linebacker through a mutual friend.
Duplessis was impressed with Johnson’s character and said he can see signs of it throughout the entire club.
“They do it as a team,” he said. “You hear them speak in the media or whatever — the media is just big hype. They seem to do everything as a team and do everything together.”
Ellen Levigne, a bus driver at Bridgewater Elementary school, ordered her kindergarten busload of 20 to “tell your parents tomorrow I won’t be picking you up. I’m off to see history.”
Her son, 16-year-old Paul Levigne of Taunton High School, arrived with his mother at 8 a.m.
“I’ve got the Patriot fever,” Paul said, trembling from the cold.
Boston Police had more than 1,000 police officers at City Hall, resulting in 10 disorderly conduct arrests. Six ambulances were kept on standby outside the Plaza.
“Despite the cold and all that, it was very worth it. Forty-two years, waiting for this long, 16 years without a championship, it was well worth it,” Duplessis said. “It should have went longer than it did — I mean, 42 years, but only a 15-minute rally — I’m very happy, very pleased.”
But according to Brown, the party may just be starting.
“We ain’t finished yet in Boston,” he said. “I’m looking forward to doing this again next year.”
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