Baltimore, MD

A maximum-capacity crowd of 80,000 packed the M&T Bank Stadium to celebrate the Baltimore Ravens' second Super Bowl triumph and give veteran linebacker Ray Lewis a perfect send-off before he officially ends his 17-year career.

"There's no better place on this earth than the city of Baltimore," Lewis said during his speech. "This city believed in each other from Day 1, 1996 to now, we believed in each other, Baltimore."

"I said this is my last ride and every moment every time I've stepped into this stadium, what I've received is pure love," added Lewis amid cheers from the crowd.

Before his final speech as a Raven, Lewis also showed his familiar dance moves upon the egging of the crowd.

The Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 34-31, to win their second Super Bowl title behind Joe Flacco's three touchdown passes.

"Baltimore, we did it," said Flacco, who won the Super Bowl MVP trophy. "Super Bowl champs, baby. Hey, this is for you guys. Hey, we've been through a lot this year -- a lot of highs, a couple lows. And you guys stood there through it all. Just like you always do."

Safety Ed Reed grabbed the spotlight when he walked the parade route with the Lombardi Trophy in his hands, allowing fans who packed the streets leading to the M&T Stadium to reach out and touch the championship prize.

"From my team, Baltimore, God bless," Reed said. "We love you all. We represent you all. This is how we do it, baby. The football city."

Ravens coach John Harbaugh also thanked Baltimore for its support during the Ravens' Super Bowl run.

"Thank you for today," Harbaugh said. "Thank you for every single day. We talk about the team. Look around. This is the team. This whole stadium is packed with the Baltimore Raven team together."

The victory celebration started on the streets where thousands of fans endured cold temperature and an hour-long delay just to witness the event.

Many businesses along the route leading to the stadium, such as restaurants, closed their shops because of heavy traffic around the area and at the same time, witness the celebration.

 

 

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