PITTSBURGH – Gold and black-clad fans with Steeler Terrible Towels waving in the air partied into the early morning hours yesterday in an impromptu block party across Pittsburgh to celebrate the team’s historic sixth Super Bowl win.
But in pockets of the city, fans went a little too far, police said. More than 100 people were arrested, mostly for failing to disperse from various locations. One officer suffered a possible broken arm, and some revelers broke windows, threw bottles at police – including at a state trooper on horseback – and engaged in fights, city police spokeswoman Diane Richard said.
Couches and several garbage containers were set on fire, and several vehicles were overturned as police responded to more than 400 emergency calls during the game and a similar number in the 2 1/2 hours after it ended, Richard said.
Police in riot gear and on horseback were out in force in the city’s Oakland neighborhood near the University of Pittsburgh, where thousands of people gathered, and also along a quirky strip of bars known as the South Side. City officials had about 400 police on the streets as a precaution, but they let the loud and rowdy celebration run its course.
At least one person was arrested for arson and two others for drunken driving.
Later in the day, city officials announced a victory parade for the Steelers will be held today. An estimated 250,000 fans turned out for a parade in 2006 to celebrate the Steelers’ Super Bowl victory over Seattle.
Moments after the Steelers sealed the 27-23 victory over the Cardinals in Tampa on Sunday night, revelers poured out of Pittsburgh bars, and some broke out in song, bellowing Queen’s “We are the Champions.”