🦅 Super Bowl bound | Morning Newsletter

Welcome to a new week, Philly, and a hearty “go Birds” to our NFC championship-winning Philadelphia Eagles.

The Birds crushed the Commanders, 55-23, in Sunday’s game to secure their second trip to the Super Bowl in three seasons. Of course, fans celebrated hard.

And City Council President Kenyatta Johnson had a turbulent year as Philly’s top lawmaker, from school board spats to the Sixers arena fiasco. Read on to learn what his political future holds.

— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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The Birds are soaring to Super Bowl LIX.

🦅 How it happened: Quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley were stars on a whole team of standout players. Barkley will have a chance in two weeks to set a new record for the most rushing yards in a season when combining the regular season and postseason.

🦅 What comes next: The Birds will take on the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans on Sunday, Feb. 9. Here are the full details.

🦅 How Philly celebrated: You already know Broad Street was a madhouse, poles were mounted, and Philly Elmo’s drumline made an appearance. Other features: confetti, fireworks, champagne, a handful of arrests, flying copies of Inner Excellence, and plenty of dancing. The victory also gave kids (and their parents) a reason to party on a school night. Pregame tailgating at the Linc turned into a party, too — and up in New York City, even the Empire State Building lit up in green and white.

🦅 A win for Eloise: More than anyone else, we’re happy for Eloise Brown, the 102-year-old Eagles fan from North Philly who doesn’t miss a snap and watches each game with a stress ball.

See more fan reactions to the win and more scenes from the night. Catch the latest on Inquirer.com.

Philadelphia government began 2024 with a new mayor, plus a slate of new City Council members and a new Council president to lead them.

Johnson replaced the long-tenured Darrell L. Clarke after never having held a leadership role in the legislative body. But a year in, he has effectively evolved from South Philly-focused Council member to citywide representative. He’s earned the support of many of his fellow lawmakers, even through the controversial 76ers arena negotiations and sparring with Mayor Cherelle L. Parker over school board appointments.

Now, City Hall reporter Anna Orso writes, Johnson enters his second year in office bruised by the Sixers’ sudden reversal but in firm control of the chamber.

Here’s how the even-keeled Council president sees his role.

The Kensington building that played Mighty Mick’s Gym, as seen in the Rocky movies, is now a destination for fans of the franchise. What business recently opened there?

A) A taproom

B) A boxing gym

C) A Rocky museum

D) An auto repair shop

Think you know? Check your answer.

💕 Loving: Keke Palmer and Tierra Whack’s love for each other.

⚽ Learning about: New Union manager Bradley Carnell’s goals for the season.

🇺🇸 Considering: The impact of Trump’s executive orders on racial progress by Black Americans.

🗄️ Wondering: What’s in city officials’ unreleased files related to the Sixers arena negotiations.

Hint: 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist and past Chef’s Table subject

ROSANNA UNKNOT

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Loree Schuster, who solved Sunday’s anagram: Charles Willson Peale, an artist of the American Revolution. A mural at SEPTA’s Independence Hall station was found to have misspelled Peale’s name.

📬 Think back to the night that changed your life that could only happen in Philly, a true example of the Philly spirit, the time you finally felt like you belonged in Philly if you’re not a lifer, something that made you fall in love with Philly all over again — or proud to be from here if you are. Then email it to us for a chance to be featured in the Monday edition of this newsletter.

This “only in Philly” story comes from reader Michael Thomas Leibrandt, who describes childhood memories of a landmark in the midst of change:

We all have that earliest of memories , that somewhat cloudy image that is struck in your mind forever. For me, that moment was when as a toddler, when I wandered into Wanamaker’s in Center City with my Dad at Christmas. I remember freezing for what seemed to be minutes on end — staring up at that iconic bronze eagle like it was medusa herself — wondering why the Eagles logo was in a century-old department store.

What caught my gaze next was that incredible organ playing in the backdrop of the annual Christmas Light Show. Standing in that Wanamaker’s Grand Court with my mouth hanging wide open at every deep chord , while my mom waited for us in the Crystal Tea Room , is today a memory for me that is as vivid as though I was there standing there today.

In the wake of the reality that the next generation of Philly kids may not be able to see those incredible pieces of the city’s history at 13th and Market leaves me with one lasting comfort along with the memories. I saw them standing there with my dad.

👋 Wishing you a smooth slide into a new week. I’ll be back in your inbox tomorrow morning.

Correction: In Friday’s newsletter, we referred to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as “Abington-born.” He was born in Kansas City, Mo., and raised in Abington.

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