Patriots greeted by throngs of cheering fans in victory parade
BOSTON (AP) -- Grown-ups skipped work and teenagers played hooky from school Tuesday to watch the New England Patriots take yet another Super Bowl championship ride through the streets of Boston.
The cheering fans stood on snowbanks and trash cans to catch a glimpse of quarterback Tom Brady, Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch and their teammates.
�I told my boss I�m locked up in traffic,� said Charles Roper, a 46-year-old delivery worker at a dry-cleaning business.
The Patriots� victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday marked their third championship in four years. It came three months after the Boston Red won their first World Series in 86 years.
Like the Red Sox did during their celebration last fall, the Patriots rode through town on World War II-era amphibious duck boats in what was billed as a �rolling rally.�
Coach Bill Belichick wore his trademark sweat shirt, surrounded by team owner Robert Kraft and other officials. Players and their families rode in other duck boats, which are usually used to carry tourists around Boston.
�This means more than anything in the world,� offensive tackle Matt Light told the thousands of fans. �You guys have been the greatest fans since day one. This is the best season of my life.�
Some players flapped their arms, ridiculing the touchdown celebration of Eagles receiver Terrell Owens. Fans threw T-shirts, posters and other memorabilia at them to be autographed.
One fan held up a sign saying �Next Stop Detroit��the site of next year�s Super Bowl.
Several people were led away from the parade route in handcuffs, but police could not immediately say why they were detained. Near the end of the celebration, a fight broke out at a downtown intersection; it was not known whether anyone was injured.
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