BOSTON – Boston College football fans numbering inthe tens of thousands took to the streets in celebration on Thursday night after the wildly popular No. 2-ranked Eagles pulled off an improbable 14-10 victory over the No. 8-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies. The Eagles’ improbable run to the BCS title game has become an obsession in this sports-crazed town, giving championship-starved Bostonians a reason to celebrate.
“I mean, it’s been a long, hard drought since the last time the Celtics won a title,” said Patrick O’Leary, 45, who had come down to the Bull and Heather, a pub popular with Boston College fans, to watch the game. “Since then, there really hasn’t been much to celebrate, so obviously everyone’s getting behind the team however we can. It’s all anyone talks about at work these days.”
Boston police reported eight arrests and two minor injuries in the post-game victory celebrations, which lasted well into the night. Authorities said that while they were disappointed in some isolated cases of violence, things could have been much worse.
“Fortunately, the thousands of hardcore Boston College fans – Eagles Nation – had traveled with the team to the game at Virginia Tech,” said Boston mayor Thomas M. Menino. “If that many sports fans had been in Boston tonight, I’m sure this could have escalated even further.”
Boston native Bill Simmons, who writes “The Sports Guy” column for ESPN.com, said that people shouldn’t be surprised about Bostonians’ support of Boston College’s quest for a national title.
“This is a huge sports town, but there really isn’t much to get excited about in the fall other than BC football,” Simmons said. “I was remarking about my fond memories of sitting at the 50 yard-line of Boston College games the other day to Bish and Geoff while we were at the seven-card stud table at the Bellagio about this.”
Sports fans throughout the Boston area have been enchanted with the Boston College team and its players, especially star QB Matt Ryan, whose two fourth-quarter touchdowns propelled his team to the come-from-behind victory. Asked about Ryan’s late-game heroics, self-described “President of Eagles Nation” O’Leary was philosophical.
“Sometimes he takes some plays off, but you know he’s going to be there when it counts,” he said. “It’s just Matty being Matty.”
Traffic in the greater Boston area was described as “gridlock” by authorities. Problems were apparently exacerbated by a baseball game played at a local park involving the local professional side and a team from the Denver area.
Thousands of Boston College Eagle fans take to the streets to celebrate the team's 14-10 win over Virginia Tech on Thursday night.
