Los Angeles got its first victory celebration in a long time Wednesday when the Rams held a championship parade and rally to celebrate their Super Bowl win against the Cincinnati Bengals.
KTLA had live coverage of the event, which kicked off at 11 a.m. from the Shrine Auditorium and ended with a rally outside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and speeches from the champions, who delivered a 23-20 victory on Sunday.
“Whose house? Rams house” echoed in the sea of blue and gold along the parade route as the champion team made its way down Figueroa Street, thrilling large crowds of celebrating fans.
Champagne spraying and confetti raining down, the Rams paraded through University Park on double-decker buses featuring the words “World Champions L.A.”
The players raised the Lombardi Trophy as they celebrated their victory.
The 1.1-mile parade near the University of Southern California made its way to the Coliseum, where Rams players addressed fans in a rally outside the Coliseum’s Olympic Plaza.
Chants of “run it back” filled the air as the team’s players and coaches gathered on the stage before thousands of cheering fans.
“Look at this trophy right here” Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald said, raising the Lombardi Trophy. “This is for you guys. This is for the city of L.A. We did it.”
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp, named MVP of Super Bowl LVI, took the stage in a Kobe Bryant jersey.
“I’m standing here in this city that knows nothing but championships,” Kupp said. “We’re all here celebrating this championship. Kobe is a part of this. He belongs here. I’ll tell you what, he set the standard.”
Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts presented the key to the city to Rams owner Stan Kroenke while on stage.
“The Rams were born in Los Angeles, and they’ll always be the Los Angeles Rams. But now, they play at Stan Kroenke’s palace on Prairie in the city of Inglewood,” the mayor said.
Rams players Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald and Matthew Stafford were also given honorary keys to the city of L.A.
In the crowds, some revelers climbed trees and jumped on parking lot kiosks to get a view of the champions.
The Rams victory celebration was the first in the city since the pandemic started.
Fans didn’t get parades to celebrate the Lakers and Dodgers championship wins because of COVID-19 concerns.
The Rams won their first Super Bowl in L.A. before tens of thousands of cheering fans in a hometown championship game at SoFi Stadium.
City officials were expecting anywhere from 20,000 to 100,000 people to attend the parade and rally Wednesday. Aerial video from Sky5 large crowds along the parade route.
Clad in blue and gold, fans stood in long lines outside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum early Wednesday morning — some getting up as early as 2 a.m. to get a good spot to watch the celebration.
After the Super Bowl win, crews raced to set up a stage for the team to hold the rally at the Coliseum, with equipment being brought in to prepare for the extravaganza.
Barricades were placed along the parade route, with the Los Angeles Police Department deploying a large number of officers in the area.
“We’re gonna have a couple knuckle heads, likely, and for that we want to make sure that we’re well staffed to identify them and take the appropriate action to get them off the streets,” LAPD Chief Michel Moore said.