By Josh Sullivan, Sports Editor
By the final whistle of Sunday night’s Super Bowl match-up between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots, fans began swarming Main Street and shouting cries of victory.
“All I’m saying is that Sherman is a sorry-ass cornerback!” a UNH student in a red Rob Gronkowski jersey shouted, mocking Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman after the Patriots come-from-behind victory over the Seahawks in the Super Bowl. “Don’t you ever talk about me! Don’t you ever talk about me!”
While the New England Patriots celebrated their win over the Seahawks in dramatic, last second fashion Sunday night for their fourth Super Bowl in franchise history, students were flocking to Main Street, bypassing police officers and insisting that they were “just headed to CampCo to get some chicken” merely seconds after the game clock hit zero.
Among the highlights on the block party on Main Street: a UNH student bringing a piece of her calzone to a Durham police officer after hearing that he has never seen the Patriots win a Super Bowl because he’s always been at work, UNH cornerback Casey DeAndrade wearing a throwback Patriots jersey and carrying a WWE belt down the street and a random group of students picking up beer bottles and trash off the streets out of the goodness of their heart.
In between chants and cheers, students stopped and talked about the game, their superstitions and their reaction to their team playing from behind.
“I just told everyone to shut up while we watched the game,” another student said. “We turned the lights off because when they were on, [the Patriots] started to suck, and we told everyone to shut up!”
Chants of the White Stripes “Seven Nation Army” echoed in the street, alternating with “UNH”, “USA” and “F*** the Seahawks.” Yet, despite people throwing snow up in the air and doing front flips from the trees [into the arms of a friend], the overall atmosphere was a celebration, not riot-like.
“That was the greatest Superbowl of all-time!”
“Number 12? He’s the greatest of all time! The greatest quarterback of all time. Ever. Ever.”
“Pats Nation baby! Delete all Seahawks fans off of your Facebook!”
“I tried to keep the faith the entire time and it all paid off!”
Harry from Hollis, who would not provide his last name, walked through his mindset during the most pivotal moments in the game.
“I’m thinking this is a fight!” he said after Seattle tied the game up at 14 on a Chris Matthews touchdown right before the first half ended. “It’s a fight between the two best teams and let’s keep slugging!”
And when Tom Brady and company was knocking on the door to come back from behind and take the lead from Seattle.
“Champions are made right here,” he said. “He’s done it three other times, why not one more! Why not one more?”
Follow Josh Sullivan on twitter at @JSully27