The five-time Super Bowl winners received a hero’s welcome as they paraded through downtown Boston aboard World War II-era duck boats that have become a staple of the city’s recent title celebrations.
Sounds of “Brady! Brady!” ‘’TB12!” and “MVP” rang out throughout the procession as fans proudly wore No. 12 jerseys over thick parkas and sweaters, holding signs declaring star quarterback Tom Brady the G.O.A.T. — the greatest of all time.
“We’re going to remember this one for the rest of our lives and we know you will too,” he shouted from a stage at the parade’s end at City Hall.
Cannons shot out red, white and blue confetti along the route, which started near the Boston Marathon finish line, where three spectators were killed and 260 others wounded in bombing attacks in April 2013. The route wound past famous city landmarks such as historic Faneuil Hall and the Boston Common.
Along the route, Patriots players held up some of the team’s five Lombardi trophies.
Fan favorite Rob Gronkowski, who went down with an injury before the team’s playoff run, energized the crowd with his typical Gronk antics. The tight end took off his shirt and chugged beers tossed up to the duck boats by fans, while other players held a wrestling championship-style belt over his head.
Some players waved black “Roger That” T-shirts showing fists with five championship rings as fans reciprocated with their own handmade signs deriding NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
There’s little love for Goodell in Patriots Nation after he handed Brady a four-game suspension at the start of the season for his role in the “Deflategate” scandal, a dispute that wound through federal court twice as the NFL found Brady responsible for using underinflated footballs during a playoff game in 2015.
The crowd showered the MVP of Super Bowl 51 with chants of “MVP” and “We Want Six” as the snow, which fell in thick wet clumps most of the morning, broke just long enough for Brady and others to speak onstage.
Coach Bill Belichick said this year’s team was the hardest working group he’s ever coached.
“They came to work every day and there were no days off.”
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