Even though the Eagles' execution in Sunday's Super Bowl XXXIX was imperfect, police crowd control game plans went off without a hitch, according to area law enforcement officials.
In the entire city only nine people were arrested despite, or perhaps because of, the extraordinary volume of police officers on duty.
"We had absolutely no problems whatsoever," Penn Police Patrol Captain Joseph Fischer said.
He added that although many University City bars were crowded -- especially Brownies' on 38th Street and Cavanaugh's on 39th Street -- there were no disturbances.
"Most of the people left almost immediately" after the game's conclusion, Fischer said.
Fischer speculated that the combination of dejected fans saddened by the Eagles' 24-21 loss to the New England Patriots and the heavy police presence around campus was a major deterrent.
If fans had turned rowdy, however, Fischer felt police were ready to respond. He added that the Penn Police Department closely coordinated its efforts with those of Philadelphia police.
Corporal Jim Pauley, a spokesman for the Philadelphia Police Department, echoed Fischer's sentiments. All the arrests were for minor offenses, he said.
He described the night as "pretty much uneventful" from a police standpoint.
Like Penn police, however, Philadelphia's officers were prepared to deal with any potential violence or property damage.
"The bottom line," Pauley said, "is that we were prepared."
