Super Bowl in the Big Easy
One thing the world now knows about Philadelphia Eagles fans for sure is they know how to spell E-A-G-L-E-S—as they got to do it no less than nine times during Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans—one for each time their team scored, and one final time for the win or, rather, the total dominating and decisive annihilation of the mythical "Chiefs-peat" team from Kansas City during Super Bowl LIX at the Ceasars Superdome on February 9.
Super Sunday
With a week of NFL-sponsored events and parties related to the big game preceding it, Eagles fans seemed to be everywhere in downtown New Orleans. However, as fans poured into the Superdome filling the massive venue, the reality was much different. The opposing red and green shirts filled the seats somewhat evenly, looking more like Christmas decorations than the home of the black-and-gold home town team colors when the Saints play their home games during the regular season.
Kansas City Chiefs were on the verge of three consecutive Super Bowl championships—an accomplishment never achieved in the NFL's 59 years of this final game. Missouri's red-and-white team have become as vilified amongst football fans as the New England Patriots, Chicago Bulls in basketball, and New York Yankees in baseball. Whether its fallout from overexposure in insurance commercials, a player's romance with Taylor Swift that eclipses the team's abilities, or the appearance of weighted officiating to the advantage of the team, the expectation (nearing-assumption) the Chiefs would "three-peat" put opposing fans over the top. The NFL promoting the game as a "Chiefs-peat" did not make things better.
Lead by the affable QB Patrick Mahomes and bolstered by the popularity of Taylor Swift beau Travis Kelce, the team's success has elevated beyond its Kansas/Missouri fan base and attracting international interest.
So it was not surprising to see how red-clad fans seemed to come out of hiding on game day. They seemed to come out of hiding in a city which had seen Eagles green dominate the landscape up to that point. But media markets don't lie, and six hours before game time, average ticket prices had dropped between $2,000-$6,000, which was almost half of what they were asking a week earlier.
Local fans stubbornly wore Saints black and gold in honor of their eliminated team, welcoming the out-of-state fans with the hope of Who Dat Nation prevailing again next year.
The seemingly good natured trash talking between the rival fans along Bourbon Street all week and walking up Poydras Street to the Caesars Superdome for the game belied a deeper conviction—more of a need—that their respective team was going to win.
At St. Louis Cathedral, where Super Bowl projections had adorned the façade all week, the homily at Sunday morning mass assured Eagles and Chiefs fans filling the pews that the parish was impartial. The priest humorously insisting his green vestments had nothing to do with the church being partial to the Eagles.
Opposites Attract
Manny and Pilar from San Antonio, TX were such a couple, rooting for the opposing teams.
Proudly wearing his Eagles jersey and his grandmother's cap "from the '80s," Manny would not vocalize his confidence in his team under the eye of his girlfriend, simply saying, "I know what I know." Then predicting, "Saquon [Barkley] will break some records today."
Manny was right. On the final play of the first half, Saquon Barkley amassed 2,504 yards with a two-yard run. His 2,005 yards during the regular season, along with 499 yards in the post-season, broke Denver Broncos' Terrell Davis 1998 record for most rushing yards in NFL history. As Super Bowl Sunday was his 28th birthday, capturing this honor, as well as the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award, were the perfect gifts.
Pilar in Chiefs Mahomes white-and-red jersey said she was "going to cry if Kansas City loses." Adamantly stating she was not a bandwagon Taylor Swift-inspired fan, Pilar's loyalty was based on her having been a classmate of the Chiefs popular quarterback Patrick Mahomes at Whitehouse High School in Texas.
But looking affectionately at Manny, she confirmed Mahomes was not the one that got away. "We never dated," she clarified so Manny could hear it.
Celebs Pre-Gaming the Big Game
As tailgate activities swirled around the city in no less than five high-profile shindigs with performers including Diplo and Post Malone around the stadium, the celebrities began quietly arriving.
While Philadelphia fans such as Bradley Cooper were expected, the event also attracted unaffiliated football fans including Kevin Costner, Pete Davidson, Kevin Hart, Paul McCartney, Macaulay Culkin, Paul Rudd, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Lady Gaga, and many NFL players whose season had ended a few weeks earlier.
The arrival of President Donald J. Trump as the first president to ever attend a Super Bowl elevated the contest to a higher level. With many football greats in his friends circle and as a former owner of the USFL's NJ Generals, Trump is well known for his love of football. However, his presence also spoke to a larger issue—sending a message that New Orleans was safe to visit despite a terrorist act a few weeks earlier.
Taylor Swift was roundly booed by the crowd when she was shown on the stadium's screen and looked confused by the reaction. She could be seen saying, "What is going on?"
A group of friends who had grown up together in Lansdale, Pennsylvania—Anna, Jess, Phong, Aseem, and Steve—had the answer. "She's an Eagles fan," said Jess, now living in Los Angeles but joined her friends in for the game. "It's in her songs. She's been very clear about that. You can't be from Philly and root against The Birds," she stated flatly.
Despite her well-publicized relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, the group agreed she was not actually wanting him and his team to prevail. "Notice Taylor wore white tonight. That's a big statement. She does not have any red on."
"And you know Jason Kelce's kinda loving this," Steve laughed, referencing Travis's brother who had been a player on the Eagles when the two teams faced off in Super Bowl in 2023 and lost. "There's nothing like sweet revenge on your brother."
The Super Bowl kept the culture and character of New Orleans infused including pre-game music by Grammy-Ward winning artists Harry Connick Jr., Lauren Daigle, Trombone Shorty, and Black Masking Mardi Gras Indians, with the National Anthem performed by Jon Batiste.
17-time Grammy award winning rap artist Lamar Kendrick took over the halftime show, thrilling his fans.
Game Time
Anticipation was high for the high stakes battle between the teams, with Philadelphia and its rabid fan base wanting revenge for the loss two years prior and Kansas City looking to make history by winning three consecutive Super Bowl championships.
Eagles won the coin toss and KC received the opening kickoff. The excitement was short-lived for Chiefs Kingdom.
When an Eagles touchdown with 6:30 left in the first quarter was called back, Philadelphia conspiracy theorists about biased officiating seemed to be coming true. However, the Eagles responded by driving in the ball anyway a mere 15 seconds later, getting on the board 0-7 first.
A line of flags with letters spelling out "Eagles" came running onto the field with the chant "Fly Eagles Fly" several thousand strong.
Again, with 8:42 left in the second quarter, officials called back a field goal, only to have Philadelphia redo the kick, which elevated the game 0-10.
The Chiefs' possession was a demoralizing mess as quarterback Patrick Mahomes was brutally sacked in the next two plays and losing ground, only to then throw an interception to Eagles' Cooper DeJean. Eagles scored on the short drive back. Cue the chant.
The Chiefs were down 0-17 with 7:03 left in the half. By the time halftime came, Kansas City fans had to hear "Fly Eagles Fly" from The Iggles faithful again three more times, ending the half 0-24.
"We can't get comfortable," said Eagles fan Bill from Fort Washington, PA, attending the game with his son Will. "Kansas City can come back from this after the half. Mahomes has come back in games like this."
Bill and Will were cheering their team on in the Dome with each of their long-time childhood friends—Matty and his son Matty, as well as another friend named Matty and his son... yes, also named Matty.
The second half dispelled all concerns for all those backing the city of brotherly love with Mahomes and his red-clad teammates having a rough first three minutes, and little encouragement to follow.
After another field goal followed by "Fly Eagles Fly" with 5:18 left in the third, it was 0-27 Eagles.The Birds chanted again a few minutes later after Philly's Avonte Maddox blocked a fourth down pass by Mahomes putting the ball back in Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts' capable hands close to the goal, easily scoring again, expanding the widening lead to 34.
The largest margin for a win in Super Bowl history was a 45 point deficit when San Francisco beat Denver 55-10 in 1990. With 2:40 still left in the third quarter and an entire fourth quarter ahead, the Chiefs were dangerously close to breaking that record.
Whether it was that stat or starts finally aligning, KC finally scored on the board 6-34, but failing on a two-point conversion.
But, the "Fly Eagles Fly" chant resounded in the curved roof two more times, once for a field goal and another touchdown in the fourth quarter. When Mahomes threw another interception after being sacked a play earlier with 9:42 left in the game, it was the final nails in a Kansas City coffin, and people dressed in red began leaving.
Eagles fans and players began celebrating in earnest at the two minute warning with hugs, congratulations, and Gatorade showers on coach Nick Sirianni.
Kansas City answered with a picture-perfect 50-yard touchdown pass to lessen the impossible gap in the final minutes, but it was the kind of aggressive playing that was too little too late. Kansas City went down in defeats with a whimper rather than a bang as a the teams left the field with over a minute left to countdown; the Eagles easily covering the 1.5-point spread by flying high—soaring even—22-40.
"Absolutely worth every penny," Bill emphatically said when asked if the high prices for the Super Bowl LIX tickets (on the secondary market), inflated lodging costs, local transportation (ride shares, etc.), food, and related ticketed events adding up to well over $10,000 each for Bill, Will and the Mattys was worth it to experience seeing the Eagles capture the Lombardi Trophy in person. "But if I was a Kansas City fan, I'd be so pissed!"
