Fans pack Boston streets for Patriots' Super Bowl parade

[February 06, 2019]    By Ross Kerber
 
 BOSTON (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of football fans packed into Boston's streets on Tuesday to catch a glimpse of the New England Patriots after their record-tying sixth Super Bowl win.

Fans cheer during a victory parade for the New England Patriots after winning Super Bowl LIII, in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., February 5, 2019. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

A parade of World War Two-era amphibious duck boats blasted confetti into the sky, while players including quarterback Tom Brady, linebacker Dont'a Hightower and famously taciturn head coach Bill Belichick, celebrated the team's 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

Unseasonably warm weather -- with a forecast high of 63 Fahrenheit (17.2 Celsius) -- helped swell crowd sizes at the city's 12th professional sports championship parade since 2001.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh had forecast that the crowd could pass 1 million. Police offered no estimate of the crowd's size.

Fans packed the route from Boston's Prudential Tower and down Boylston Street to City Hall, with players including wide receiver Julian Edelman tossing footballs to the crowd.

Patrick Cronin, an 18-year-old high school student, said he was thrilled to cheer a team he said was often doubted during its regular season.

"So consistently everyone was like, 'They're too old,' or they have some stupid reason why Brady is no good," Cronin said. "It's so satisfying when they're so good again."

(Writing by Scott Malone; Editing by Tom Brown and Susan Thomas)

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