BOSTON — The snow continued to fall heavier and heavier as the trees that lined the sides of Tremont Street turned white. Fans started to lose any feeling in their toes and hands. Not even the vendors on the sidewalk selling hot chocolate and fresh steak sandwiches could cure the cold. However, as the temperature dropped, the attendance rose. As the duck boats crawled closer, fans began to chant: “Brady! Brady! Brady!” Each fan desperately attempted to find a better vantage point than the one they already had, and then it happened.
As the Patriots turned the corner onto Tremont Street in the duck boats New Englanders have become so used to in the last 15 years, the snow stopped, but the cheers and chants intensified.
Fans hung halfway out of windows in the buildings that lined the street, groups of grown men took of their shirts, and children sat on the shoulders of their fathers to get a better view of the newly crowned champions. A couple young fans with courage climbed on top of a Park Street train station next to Boston Common, before promptly being reprimanded by the police.
Fans were not shy in interacting with the players as they made their way down the street. One fan was bold enough to throw tight end Rob Gronkowski a beer, which he promptly caught one-handed, cracked open with his teeth, and finished with a few gulps. Once Gronkowski had finished the beverage he made sure to dispose of it with a Gronk spike.
A few minutes later, the man who was selected with pick No. 199 in the 2000 NFL Draft and was the seventh quarterback on the depth chart his freshman year at Michigan celebrated his fifth Super Bowl championship and fourth Super Bowl MVP with his extremely loyal fans and teammates. As the duck boat made its way down the street, Tom Brady held high a goat plush animal, which got an electric reaction from the fans, before throwing it to a lucky person in the crowd.
Brady played catch with some fans and seemed to be soaking in every ounce of the moment. He looked high into the sky and waved at fans on the top floors of buildings, and looked directly at a young boy sitting on the shoulders of his father and gave him a thumbs-up.
Behind Brady’s boat was the duck boat holding most of the wide receivers. As it made its way down the street, Julian Edelman threw his hands in the air to pump up the crowd. He then asked everyone to join him in counting up the Patriots championships: “One, two, three, four, five!”
Edelman was without a doubt the most vocal player on the duck boat. Wide receivers Chris Hogan and Danny Amendola clapped and waved to fans, while Edelman eccentrically celebrated with the crowd.
The duck boats made a final stop at the Boston Public Library. As they arrived one by one, members of the team spoke to the crowd.
In a break from character, head coach Bill Belichick wore a smile from ear to ear as he started a chant that is bound to be the successor to “do your job.” The thousands of fans in attendance joined Belichick and the team in a chant of “no days off.” It’s a phrase that indicates Belichick and company do not plan to savour this victory for too long, and plan to dive into their playbooks and scouting reports in preparation for next season.
Brady then appeared from behind the growing crowd of Patriots players and staff in a black overcoat, white scarf and black winter hat. He took the microphone from president Jonathan Kraft and thanked all in attendance for “having the team’s back.” Then, as Brady held the Lombardi Trophy high with one hand and the microphone with the other, he belted out his famous, “Let’s go.”
As the players made their final remarks, people in the courtyard began to filter out. All that remained were empty Dunkin’ Donuts coffee cups, fan-made signs and the sludge of dirty snow on the streets.
The parade and the 2016-2017 season had officially concluded. The NFL is now officially on vacation until April 27, the start of the NFL Draft. But, as Belichick said, the Patriots are taking “no days off.”