While it is the biggest day on the sporting calendar for American football fans, there is also plenty of intrigue outside the game when the National Football League title clash takes place stateside. On Super Bowl Sunday this time around, the main plotline involves a historic three-peat quest for Kansas City Chiefs. But away from the action in New Orleans, Donald Trump is set to create a slice of American history as well.
Where’s the party?
The vibrant Louisiana city of New Orleans goes level with another party town in Miami for hosting the Super Bowl for the 11th time. The Superdome, New Orleans’ iconic 75,000-seater, is set to host the marquee event for the 8th time, the most for a particular venue.
Super Bowl Eve. #SuperBowlLIX pic.twitter.com/kqHszly0R5
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What’s at stake at Super Bowl LIX?
The Chiefs have already made history by returning for a third straight final after winning the last two Super Bowls. They will enter Superdome on Sunday, facing a Philadelphia Eagles team determined to deny them the dynasty-building win. The Chiefs clipped the Eagles’ wings two years ago, overcoming a 10-point halftime deficit to win the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl 57.
Who are the stars in Super Bowl LIX?
Chiefs believe they have the right formula again led by golden-armed, twice-MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The league-leading Eagles defense could upset the odds, however, while the addition of prolific running back Saquon Barkley from the New York Giants has given their versatile quarterback Jalen Hurts a great new option. Kansas City is the first team to reach the Super Bowl after winning the previous two, which means Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have done what Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Troy Aikman and Bradshaw couldn’t before them.
Trump, Swift are in attendance at Super Bowl LIX
Reelected to the highest office in the country, Donald Trump is set to become the first sitting U.S. president to attend the NFL title game. Trump, who is expected to give a pre-game interview with broadcaster Fox, has a long, tangled history with America’s most popular league, having bashed the NFL after Black players began kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice.
Another target of Trump’s ire will also be in attendance, Pop superstar Taylor Swift, the girlfriend of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce who endorsed the Republican Trump’s opponent Kamala Harris in the recent presidential election. Swift brought new fans to the NFL since she began attending games at the start of their relationship in 2023. But Kelce said this week he would be “honored” to have Trump in attendance even after he wrote on social media last year; “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!”.
Lamar at half-time
Swift’s “Bad Blood” collaborator and generational hip-hop talent Kendrick Lamar will have the attention of the 73,000-plus crowd for the halftime show, bringing story-telling brilliance to the Superdome after winning five Grammys last week. Fresh off winning five Grammys including song and record of the year for his ubiquitous diss track “Not Like Us” on Sunday, Lamar is currently at the zenith of his powers but said he has never forgotten where he came from. “I’ve always been very open about storytelling throughout my catalog and my history of music,” Lamar said during an on-stage interview on Thursday. Lamar was raised in poverty in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Compton but found inspiration in the “hard raps” and “good beats” being produced by west coast artists like Tupac Shakur.
With Reuters inputs
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