But didn’t 2 million see ’74 Flyers parade?

The erroneous idea that South Broad Street can hold two million spectators probably got started in 1974, when fans went ga-ga after the Flyers won their first Stanley Cup.

Not even the end of World War Two produced such gigantic crowds, observers said at the time.

According to published accounts, Police Commissioner Joseph F. O'Neill declared 2 million people were there for their beloved Broad Street Bullies.

He recently denied providing any such figure.

"I personally would never give an estimate, because it's too difficult," O'Neill said last month, a few days before the anniversary of last year's parade for the world champion Phils.

Without analyzing aerial photographs, only very rough approximations are possible, he said.

"Simply say a hell of a lot of people - and mostly well-behaved" is how he'd size up that parade today, he said.

One reason photographs showed such a mob scene at City Hall was that the 1974 was the reverse of later routes, he said.

The parade began in South Philadelphia, and crowds followed as the motorcade headed to City Hall, filling even the middle of South Broad Street, before the procession headed east to Independence Mall.

The amazing turnout - whatever it was - seems to have become the yardstick ever since.

Parades apparently as crowded - like last year's Phillies celebration - got tagged at 2 million.

Not-so-packed parades - like the 1983 Sixers and 1980 Phillies - were estimated as closer to 1.5 million.