Baltimore Basks in Purple Glow of Ravens' Victory
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Plenty of cheering in Baltimore as they bask in the purple glow of the Raven's Super Bowl victory. Fans poured into the streets last night to celebrate Baltimore's 34-7 win over the New York Giants. The crowd was rowdy, but police say the celebration was peaceful. There's only a handful of arrests for disorderly conduct. The new Super Bowl champs return home today. And Baltimore will celebrate their victory with a big parade tomorrow. Kathleen Koch joining us live from Baltimore, where there's been no letup in the celebrations. Kathleen, good morning.</s>KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. Well, obviously, there has been in no letup whatsoever in the celebrations. They continued through the night into the wee hours of the morning. I mean, the Ravens are flying high as this entire city. You know, this city of the team, they were all hungry for respect, because, as you recall, when the Baltimore Colts were swept away in the middle of the night back in 1984, this city was left with a broken heart. Well, call it Super Bowl therapy. This victory was just what the doctor ordered. And here to talk with us about the celebration, about the victory is one of those who stayed up all night, Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland. Senator, tell us, how sweet was it last night?</s>SEN. BARBARA MIKULSKI (D), MARYLAND: Oh, my gosh. Baltimore was like a New Year's Eve. Not only the sweet victory, where 34-7, where the Ravens just soared high over the Super Bowl. What you have here in Baltimore is that we feel we are the comeback city. We had a rough -- a couple of speed bums with crime rates and so on. But now, we are back. And we are back big and proud. And by the way, those New York -- yes, they've got two New York senators that were so trash-talking me, so provocative.</s>KOCH: And I heard you have a little bet with them. Tell us about that.</s>MIKULSKI: We have a bet in the sense that if the Giants won, I had to signing "New York, New York" on the Senate steps with Senator Paul Sarbanes. But now, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chuck Schumer have to stand on the Senate steps and read Edgar Allen Poe's poem to me, Sarbanes, and the nation.</s>KOCK: Now, have you talked to them yet, last night or this morning? Have you been rubbing a little salt in that open Super Bowl wound?</s>MIKULSKI: Oh, I was unavailable last night. I was out here partying with the rest of Baltimore. We were cheering. We were blocking streets. You couldn't get through Baltimore for an hour. But I expect a phone call within the hour. And I want it to be appropriately humble...</s>KOCH: Senator, you...</s>MIKULSKI: ... real humble.</s>KOCH: Now, you're going to be here for the parade, though. The big parade is tomorrow morning at 11:00 a.m.. They're going to be coming through the streets of Baltimore, the Super Bowl champs, and I assume winding up at City Hall, where, I guess, Martin O'Malley will give them the keys to the city.</s>MIKULSKI: Well...</s>KOCH: They've got the hard cover (ph) ready.</s>MIKULSKI: I think -- I'll tell you. All Baltimore is going to be turning out tomorrow. And we're going to be turning out to give them the keys to the city. But we're proud of the Ravens. But we're proud of Baltimore. We're proud of the fact that we're creating a digital harbor. We're proud that our crime rates are down and our test scores are up. You know, this is a city that's often overlooked and undervalued. And now, we say to the world: Get to know us; we're just the best.</s>KOCH: Now, we're standing here, Senator Mikulski, you know, outside the Admiral T. This is the T-shirt and gift shop here in Fells Point. And they've been swamped with customers since 5:00 a.m. this morning. Fans who couldn't get enough of purple have been coming in, buying T-shirts, sweatshirts, jerseys. Now, in the doorway is a woman whose brother owns the shop, and her daughter, her eight-year-old daughter, Dallas (ph). And this Paula Buckhite (ph). How crazy has it been here this morning?</s>PAULA BUCKHITE (ph): Oh, it's been phenomenal. This is better than Christmas.</s>KOCH: I understand you have a little message for the fans in New York. What would you like to tell them this morning?</s>BUCKHITE (ph): Yes. The Baltimore Ravens took a big bite out of the Big Apple.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy Ravens Day!</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Number one!</s>KOCH: And we'll be back with more in the next hour. Reporting live from Baltimore, this is Kathleen Koch. Back to you.</s>KAGAN: Oh, my. All right, Kathleen, thank you very much -- that -- for that very colorful report.