Sloan Jambor ‘26, Copy Editor/Social Media Manager
The Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, and the Washington Commanders all fell short to create the Super Bowl a majority of us did not want: the Philadelphia Eagles against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Super Bowl, the most anticipated game of the year, has become one that fills people with disappointment and dread.
The Chiefs, the winner of the past two Super Bowls, were the most hated team during the entirety of the NFL season. Fans were enraged with the fact that this supposedly powerhouse team was barely scraping by each of their games due to unjust referee calls and sheer luck. In all fairness to the Chiefs, the team did get a majority of their wins off of blocked field goals, a one touchdown differential, or a poor call from the ref that went their way. A “dominant” team hardly beat the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers: a mid-tier team and a lower-tier team off a field goal that bounced into the goalpost and a barely blocked field goal. Luck is clearly on the Chiefs’ side, and Harry Enten from CNN established just that: “After looking into it, the Chiefs, it turns out, are the luckiest 11+ win team through 13 games in the Super Bowl era.” A lucky team is the one in the running for the Super Bowl instead of the Ravens or Bills, both of which are teams that have an MVP-filled roster and lost due to poor calls. The fans are simply tired of seeing the Chiefs win.
There are other people who prayed for the downfall of the Chiefs just out of spite in that they do not want to see Taylor Swift, tight end Travis Kelce, or quarterback Patrick Mahomes on their TV anymore. Ever since her relationship with Kelce started, Swift has been displayed over the screen at least once a game and fans from all over the country are tired of it. A lot of people are turning on the football game to watch the players, not Swift. People are also tired of the taunting that Mahomes and Kelce get away with. They are easily two of the biggest taunters in the league, yet they do not face half of the punishment that the rest of the league would face for the same acts.
On the other hand, the Eagles do not necessarily have a standout factor that leads the rest of the country not to want them in the Super Bowl other than the fact that they were just the least-liked team in the National Football Conference (NFC) this past year due to their fanbase. The Lions, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Los Angeles Rams were all deemed as the teams people wanted to win; however, even when it came down to the Washington Commanders and the Eagles, people still rooted for the Commanders over the Eagles. The team itself may have incredible players like quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquan Barkley, but the fanbase takes away from the skill of this team. The ProFootballNetwork studied what the Eagles’ fansbase has done to become so hated, and the results stemmed from them throwing snow and beer and yelling at opposing fans each game. When the Eagles’ fanbase is deemed as one of the most annoying and obnoxious in the league, it shifts the hatred towards the team itself. Though the hatred due to the fanbase may not be entirely fair, it is simply how life works: nobody wants the obnoxious fans to win.
Even if the two teams competing were not favored by the people to make it to the Super Bowl, there still needs to be a winner. Of course, the polls were leaning towards the Chiefs because they have two Super Bowls in a row under their belt, and they had a chance to make history with a three-peat. However, the Eagles were also amped up for this game because two years ago, the same match-up occurred, and the Eagles unfortunately took a loss. Nobody wants to go into the same game that they fell short in originally, but with a change of scenery in New Orleans, the Eagles redefined history. The green and white took this opportunity and defied the odds and pummeled the Chiefs to such an extent that the Eagles put their backup quarterback in to end the game.
While the game itself will still get an immense amount of viewership because it is “the game,” a lot of people are talking about the halftime show rather than the game itself. With Kendrick Lamar and SZA being the collab for not only this show, but also their upcoming concert, there was a lot of buzz about how this could be one of the best halftime performances yet. After the performance was done, there was controversy with how entertaining Lamar was. Some believed he could have had more choreography because they felt it was a little melo, but others claimed it was a historical message that does not need any change. Most wanted more SZA, some wanted more throwbacks like “Money Trees” or “L.O.V.E”. Overall though, the rapper still received lots of positive feedback and hype surrounding his showing.
Though the Super Bowl did not end with the Lions storming the field for the redemption they deserve, the 40-22 win for the Eagles left many feeling amped for the win. The dreaded game ended up not being so bad after all —even though Philadelphia currently has people storming the streets due to their victory. After a solid halftime show, a takedown of the Chiefs, and history for the Eagles, Super Bowl LIX let the Eagles fly.
Lyon Life 