The Coolest Photos from the Baltimore Ravens' Super Bowl Parade

Joe Flacco, Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens had their Super Bowl XLVII parade on Tuesday.

It was a massive gathering of the city and John Harbaugh speaks to the point, per the Ravens' official Twitter feed:

"

John Harbaugh: "Wow this is amazing! ... We are the 2013 World Champions!"

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) February 5, 2013"

Might as well say it over and over again, at least for the next few months. Nothing is guaranteed in pro football, and no team has encored a Super Bowl win the subsequent season since the 2004 New England Patriots.

Baltimore now is provided with that opportunity, so live in the moment. And given that it's such an exciting time for Ravens fans, let's check out some photos from their victory parade.

View of the Field, It's Pandemonium

It looks like the stadium is getting set up for Woodstock.

That is awesome the fans get to storm the field, though. A rarity in sports today.

Fans Up Close Inside the Stadium

How awesome would it be to step on the field?

Euphoria and adrenaline mix to create one insane atmosphere. Someone needs to start crowd surfing.

Unsurprisingly, Some Streets Are Closed

According to Jim Russ of WBAL 1090 AM in Baltimore:

"

The Baltimore City Department of Transportation says the parade will be held regardless of the weather conditions.

In preparation for the event, the following streets will CLOSED starting at approximately 10:30 am:

• Commerce Street from Fayette to Pratt Streets
• Pratt Street from Paca to Commerce Streets
• Howard Street from Lombard to Conway Streets
• I-395 NB north of Conway Street (Commuters should utilize Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to Mulberry Street)
• Fayette Street from Gay Street to Guilford Avenue
• Baltimore Street from Calvert to Gay Streets
• Water Street from South to Commerce Streets
• Lombard Street from Gay to South Streets
• Calvert Street from Pratt to Lombard Streets
• Light Street northbound from Conway to Pratt Streets 
• Light Street southbound from Lombard to Conway Streets
• Charles Street from Conway to Lombard Streets
• Hanover Street from Pratt to Lombard Streets
• Hopkins Place/Sharp Street from Lombard to Conway Streets
• Eutaw Street from Pratt to Lombard Streets
• Camden Street from Russell to Howard Streets
• Guilford Avenue/South Street from Saratoga to Pratt Streets
• Holliday Street from Saratoga to Lexington Streets
• Lexington Street from Calvert to Gay Street

The following parking restrictions will also be implemented on Tuesday from 6:00 am until 2:00 pm:

• Holliday Street from Fayette to Baltimore Streets
• Commerce Street from Baltimore to Pratt Streets
• Pratt Street from Commerce to Howard Street
• Howard Street from Pratt to Conway Streets
• Guilford Avenue from Saratoga to Fayette Street
• Lexington Street from Calvert to Frederick Streets
• Frederick Street from Lexington to Fayette Streets
• Saratoga Street from Lexington to Gay Streets
• Gay Street from Fayette to Saratoga Streets
• Fayette Street from Gay to Holliday Streets (north side only)
• Holliday Street from Saratoga to Lexington Streets 

"

So, the entire city is basically being shut down for the parade. Not a bad idea after winning the Super Bowl.

Crazy Ravens Fans

It's cold and these guys aren't wearing shirts.

For the guy in the middle, there's really no point in sporting a winter hat.

Nevertheless, sports and crazy passionate fans do go together well for the purpose of increasing entertainment.

Ray Lewis' New Ride...at Least for the Parade

Who needs a new car when you can get this, right?

Cars, to a certain degree, are generic.

But a hummer with army camouflage is pretty awesome. Even if it's only for the parade.

And we have Ray Lewis expressing his love, per NFL on ESPN:

"

"This is our time. We brought home another crown. The city of Baltimore, I love you FOREVER!!" - Ray Lewis at @ravens parade

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) February 5, 2013"

Well said by a future Hall of Famer.

The Oriole Bird Showing Support

Perfect segue from football to baseball season.

The Orioles' mascot displaying the love for another city franchise.

The Baltimore Orioles are now on deck, because the Ravens just knocked in a home-run in Super Bowl XLVII. Will the city pull consecutive professional sports championships?

Base on the Orioles' 2012 campaign, 2013 certainly has realistically increased expectations.

America's Heroes Supporting Joe Flacco

We must always put the troops first, because they put America first.

And any time the troops support their favorite teams that only amplifies our passion for pro football.

Ed Reed's New Hat

Ed Reed unveiling his creative personality to the world.

Perhaps this is the next wave of pro football's technological development.

We already have radios in helmets and cameras virtually at field level. How about a camera inside a helmet?

That would be interesting an interesting viewpoint.

People Going Mad over Ray Lewis

As the parade unfolded, NFL Network's Albert Breer's consecutive tweets of Ray Lewis' Humvee:

At 12:16 p.m. ET:

"

The police just had to restrain the local roving reporter from getting too close to Ray Lewis ... Tune into NFLN. This is fantastic.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) February 5, 2013"

Six minutes later:

"

Pandemonium in Baltimore!!! Fans ignoring barriers, mounted police mobilized to protect Ray Lewis ...

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) February 5, 2013"

And at 12:30 p.m. ET

"

Not an exaggeration: Six mounted police officers assigned to and surrounding the military vehicle that Ray Lewis is riding in the parade.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) February 5, 2013"

That was fast...and insane. Pick any superlative you want to describe the bedlam, because any will suffice.

The Stadium After the Parade

Via Jim Corbett of the USA Today:

"

Looks like Lombardi Gras at M&T Bank Stadium, 80,000 Baltimore Ravens fans inside, apparently another 20,000 turned away. Really great fans!

— Jim Corbett (@ByJimCorbett) February 5, 2013"

So, the Ravens are roughly 9,000-plus over capacity in their stadium.

Just imagine this type of scene should an NFL stadium reach 100,000-plus seating capacity. There are a few of those in college football, and having that in the pros would make a Super Bowl parade incomprehensible.

Ray Lewis in Fired Up

What a great picture of the flames rising behind Ray Lewis.

It epitomizes his passion and tenacity, even though a game isn't being played.

Then again, Lewis need not suit up again after winning a second Super Bowl.

The Statue of Ray

This pose of Ray Lewis holding the Vince Lombardi Trophy would be an awesome statue.

The meaning, other than leaving Lewis' legacy embodied within an immortal statue, would be to display the franchise's expectations.

And every rookie that comes after Lewis will immediately be aware of Baltimore's NFL standards.

Ed Reed's Ready to Roll

Ed Reed looks like he'd be willing to put the pads on right now.

I would suggest taking off the camera hat beforehand, though.

Unless smash-proof cameras are made these days, which would not be surprising.