The Latest: Chiefs try for Super Bowl three-peat vs Eagles
By Canadian Press on February 9, 2025.
Super Bowl 59 is underway, with the Kansas City Chiefs facing a familiar foe, the Philadelphia Eagles, hoping to win the Lombardi Trophy for a record third year in a row.
Here’s the latest:
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SCORE UPDATE: Eagles 7, Chiefs 0
The extra point is good and Philadelphia leads 7-0 with 6:15 left in the first quarter.
That 1-yard rush by Hurts made him the fifth player with four Super Bowl rushing touchdowns in a career. Emmitt Smith has the most, with five. Thurman Thomas, Franco Harris, John Elway and now Hurts all have four.
TOUCHDOWN: Hurts opens the scoring at Super Bowl
Philadelphia has struck first in the Super Bowl, with Jalen Hurts — thanks to the Eagles’ famed tush push, where the offensive line just bullies their way into the end zone and Hurts follows the crowd — scoring the game’s first touchdown.
Now it’s the Chiefs fans complaining about the officials
Kansas City appeared to get a third-down stop against Philadelphia, but Trent McDuffie was called for a personal foul for making contact with Dallas Goedert’s face mask.
Tom Brady didn’t like this call, either.
It’s not just Messi at the Super Bowl. He’s with friends
Lionel Messi isn’t the only Inter Miami star at the Super Bowl.
Teammates Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez are there with him, taking a break from the preseason before resuming training in South Florida later this week.
The group famously were all teammates at Barcelona a decade ago, before reuniting to play in MLS with Inter Miami.
Fans inside Superdome boo Taylor Swift, Ice Spice
The fans inside the Superdome booed when Taylor Swift was shown alongside Ice Spice on the big screens during a break in the first quarter.
Swift has drawn the ire of many NFL fans, who say that TV broadcasts show too much of her. She has been dating Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce since early last season.
Swift was shown just after the cameras panned among actors Rob McElhenney, Adam Sandler and Paul Rudd. She gave a bit of a side-eye when she realized she was getting booed on the big screens, and kind of wrinkled her nose a bit.
Dunkin’ snags first ad spot
Dunkin’ snagged the first ad spot of the game — with the Massachusetts-based chain again enlisting Ben Affleck to represent “The DunKings.”
“The DunKings” were introduced at the Super Bowl ad last year, with Affleck and stars like Tom Brady and Matt Damon showing off their Boston (and Dunkin’) pride through a boy-band like performance. But it appears the team has changed some since.
In Dunkin’s ad this year, Affleck’s brother Casey, Bill Belichick and Jeremy Strong are new members of the group.
The first big penalty of the game went in Kansas City’s favor.
The Eagles were going for it on fourth-and-2 from midfield and appeared to convert a 30-yard completion. But a flag came out for Brown putting his hand on cornerback Trent McDuffie’s face, leading to the questionable penalty.
A big topic heading into the game was perceived bias for officials in favor of the Chiefs. Commissioner Roger Goodell called it “ridiculous” but those complaints will only grow louder after that first penalty.
Fox breaks out new scorebug for Super Bowl
It’s a different look showing time and score at the bottom of your screen for the Super Bowl.
And social media isn’t loving what Fox is doing.
Fox has “KC” on one side in red, “PHI” on the other in green, with score in big white numerals. There’s also some different graphic elements than the norm as well.
Chiefs defer, 15th straight Super Bowl to open that way
For the 15th straight Super Bowl, the team that won the opening coin toss of a Super Bowl chose to defer.
Kansas City won the toss and gave Philadelphia the option to start with the ball. The Chiefs will get the ball to begin the second half.
The only team to choose to start a Super Bowl with the ball after winning the opening toss since the defer option was initiated in the 2008 season was the Saints in Super Bowl 44 against Indianapolis.
The coin toss winner: Tails. (Sorry, Eagles fans.)
Travis Kelce called tails. It never fails, as they say.
The Chiefs won the coin toss, in a bad omen for the Eagles.
In Philly’s past Super Bowl appearances, when the coin toss result was tails, they lost.
Trump visits field before heading to suite
Trump spent a few minutes on the field before he headed to his suite to watch the game with lawmakers and family members.
After entering through a tunnel near the Chiefs’ end of the field, he greeted first responders and victims of the New Year’s Day attack in the French Quarter.
He was greeted with a mix of cheers and boos from fans.
Batiste brings accents of New Orleans and a long last note to anthem
Jon Batiste sang the U.S. national anthem while playing a wildly multicolored piano. He started out soft and only sprinkled only a few accents from his native New Orleans but got increasingly jazzy as he went, holding and riffing on the last note for a long time.
The telecast cut to a saluting President Donald Trump during the performance. The 2 minutes, 2 seconds the seven-time Grammy winner took to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” was about average for a Super Bowl anthem.
It was the exact same length as Chris Stapleton two years ago but a lot slower than Reba McEntire, who brought it in at 1:30 last year.
Eli declared victorious over Peyton in ‘Kick of Destiny’
Eli Manning was declared victorious over his brother Peyton in FanDuel’s third annual “Kick of Destiny,” a pregame promotion from the gambling site held hours before Super Bowl kickoff on Sunday.
That means fans who betted for Team Eli are set to win a share of $10,000,000 in FanDuel Bonus Bets.
A very Louisiana ‘America the Beautiful’
Trombone Shorty, left, and Lauren Daigle, center, perform “America The Beautiful” before the NFL Super Bowl 59 football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Trombone Shorty and Lauren Daigle added some serious Big Easy swing to their rendition of “America the Beautiful.”
Shorty played his signature instrument during the verses and then sang along with Daigle on the choruses.
The last word from Mahomes, Barkley
Patrick Mahomes and Saquon Barkley met with Fox reporters Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi after the teams took the field for the Super Bowl.
Said Mahomes: “Just enjoying it with the team. It’s always special.”
Added Barkley: “It’s no accident why we’re here. … It’s go time.”
It’s a pro-Eagles crowd at the Super Bowl
There was a heavily pro-Eagles crowd inside the Superdome to watch Philadelphia try to dethrone the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs.
The Chiefs were booed loudly during pregame introductions, and the crowed revved up when Bradley Cooper appeared with a mic to introduce Philadelphia.
It had been evident all week that Eagles fans had come in droves, while perhaps a bit of Super Bowl fatigue had set in among Kansas City fans, who thought the big game was a once-in-a-lifetime trip but has now happened three straight years.
It’s a good bet that a lot of otherwise neutral fans were rooting for the Eagles, too. The Chiefs have become the juggernaut that everybody loves to hate.
Celebrities are ready for kickoff, too
Paul McCartney is here. Messi in a white sweatsuit. Bradley Cooper is on the field in his green Eagles jacket. Taylor Swift is in a suite with Ice Spice. Jay-Z with his daughters Blue Ivy and Rumi were on the field earlier.
Harry Connick Jr. welcomes the crowd — and the world — to the Super Bowl
New Orleans legend Harry Connick Jr. has welcomed the crowd, and the worldwide television audience, to the Super Bowl.
With live marching bands, dancing and song, Connick led a Mardi Gras-themed welcome.
“How y’all feeling, baby? Let’s celebrate some New Orleans music and culture at Super Bowl 59,” Connick said as the performance was beginning.
Lady Gaga, Tom Brady honor Americans’ resilience to tragedy
Lady Gaga sang “Hold My Hand,” her 2022 tribute to resilience, in a pre-recorded performance on Bourbon Street that was aired in the run-up to kickoff.
Before the song, a solemn group that included Tom Brady, Michael Strahan and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell walked up the street together to honor the victims of recent tragedies including the Jan. 1 New Orleans truck attack and recent Los Angeles wildfires.
Brady praised “the American spirit of courage, generosity and unity.”
Gaga wore all white and sat at a piano in the middle of the street in the performance that was taped at 4 a.m. on Thursday.
Inside the Superdome, fans were given bracelets that lit up in an otherwise darkened stadium, creating a twinkling nighttime effect.
Lauren Daigle embraces hometown pride ahead of Super Bowl pregame performance
When Trombone Shorty invited Daigle months ago to join him for “America the Beautiful” at the Super Bowl, she didn’t hesitate. Now, as she prepares to take the stage, she calls the moment an honor — one that carries deep meaning in her home state of Louisiana.
“There’s a sense of pride in the air. It’s palpable,” said Daigle, a two-time Grammy winner known for her 2018 breakout hit “You Say.” She sees the NFL’s presence as a much-needed uplift for New Orleans, a city still healing from the New Year’s terrorist attack and past hardships like Hurricane Katrina.
Daigle and Trombone Shorty began rehearsals at the Superdome on Friday after first working on the song together in the studio.
As for pre-show jitters? She welcomes them.“Nerves are part of the experience,” she said. “You just have to let them fly.”
The futbol GOAT has arrived at football’s biggest game
Lionel Messi is at the Super Bowl, an intersection of futbol and football.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner as soccer’s best player is at the Superdome, arriving one day after he and Inter Miami played a preseason game at Honduras.
Messi is the reigning MLS MVP.
NBA and NHL clear schedules, but 76ers will be airborne for Super Bowl’s start
The NBA and NHL had games today, but all were scheduled early enough to be done before the start of the Super Bowl.
That said, one team probably isn’t very happy right now.
The Philadelphia 76ers played at Milwaukee — and the team was flying back to Philly after the game, with a flight plan that has them airborne during kickoff.
It’s about a 90-minute flight between Milwaukee and Philly, and the 76ers are scheduled to land around 7:30 p.m. That would be roughly the end of the first quarter.
Dawn Staley’s supporting the Eagles
South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley stayed true to her Philly roots.
Staley rocked a Super Bowl LIX sweatshirt and green sneakers when the Gamecocks played Sunday at Texas. Staley represents her favorite Philly teams as much as she can, and the city loves her back. In 2017, Philadelphia proclaimed a Dawn Staley Day and renamed a street right where she grew up as Dawn Staley Lane.
A 1,200-mile, 18-hour drive through the night
Philadelphia residents Ed White and Giiselle Burnett drove more than 1,200 miles overnight — an 18-hour drive — to arrive in Bourbon street in time for the Super Bowl.
Despite the overnight drive they were bursting with energy, dancing down the street blowing whistles and shouting cheers to other Eagles fans.
They had already adorned green Mardi Gras beads over their Eagles shirts.
“We got to come out here and represent for our birds,” White said. “Chiefs get outta here — it’s not happening!”
Ledisi keeps it local with a soaring ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’
Ledisi performs “Lift Every Voice and Sing” before the NFL Super Bowl 59 football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Ledisi was backed by a choir of local high school students as she sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing” — the song widely regarded as the Black national anthem.
The R&B singer stood spot-lit on a pedestal clad all in angelic white, with the students all in gold robes behind her as she delivered a soaring rendition of the song. It opened a series of pregame performances that will include the U.S. national anthem sung by Jon Batiste.
Chiefs heard loud boos
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs heard loud boos as they ran on the field for warmups. The early-arriving crowd was overwhelmingly filled with Eagles fans. Though Philadelphians are known for their boorish behavior, the Eagles are fan favorites against the Chiefs. A few Saints fans were heard screaming “Go Birds!” and one Jets fan joined Eagles fans in singing “Fly! Eagles! Fly!” on the stadium concourse.
Taylor Swift arrives at the Super Bowl
Taylor Swift has arrived at the Super Bowl to cheer on her boyfriend Travis Kelce and the Chiefs.
The pop superstar was spotted in her suite at the Superdome, wearing a simple white ensemble, about an hour before kickoff.
Swift and Kelce have been the sports-and-entertainment power couple since early last season, when the four-time All-Pro tight end invited the 14-time Grammy winner to watch him play in a matchup with the Bears.
Swift made an around-the-world trip from her concert in Tokyo to Las Vegas last year to watch the Chiefs beat the 49ers in the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl ads hit record price, cost up to $8M
The cost of a 30-second ad during the Super Bowl reportedly cost up to a record $8 million this year; and that’s just the media buy — production can cost millions more.
Why spend so much? The Super Bowl reaches more than 120 million viewers who tune in not only to watch the game, but are primed to watch the ads as well.
An estimated 123.7 million viewers tuned in for Super Bowl in 2024, according to Nielsen. By contrast, about 19.5 million people tuned in to the Oscars in 2024 and about 18.6 million watched the final game of the World Series in October, according to Nielsen.
Fans pay their respects to truck attack victims
At the entrance to Bourbon Street, many paused to pay their respects to the 14 people had lost their lives in the Jan. 1 truck attack.
A group of young Eagles fans removed green beads from around their necks and placed them on the memorial beside a mass of flowers and other offerings from tourists and locals alike.
“I’ve seen it on the news but it’s my first time seeing it in person,” said Baton Rouge resident Chester Matthews, 35, as he stood beside the memorial, taking it in. “People lost their lives on the same streets we’re walking on. I just had to take a moment to reflect on that.”
A vast roster of Super Bowl ads
Famous mustaches help deliver Pringles. Bad Bunny is all smiles in Ritz’s “salty club.” And Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal’s “When Harry Met Sally” characters reunite in Katz’s Deli, with the help of Hellmann’s mayonnaise.
It’s Super Bowl Sunday — and, as always, there’s a vast roster of advertisers ready to vie for fans’ attention during game breaks.
The commercials will pull out all the stops. Viewers can expect to see the biggest actors, dazzling special effects and plenty of nostalgia (coupled with a frenzied mix of silliness) fill their screen.
‘Puppy Bowl’: Team Fluff beats Team Ruff
Team Fluff clawed its way to victory to defeat Team Ruff at the 21st annual “Puppy Bowl.”
With a final score of 68-66, the adorable piece of Super Bowl counterprogramming came down to the very last play.
A Labrador retriever mix named “Paws Allen” scored a touchdown in the final seconds of the game — taking matters into his own famous paws and securing the Lombarky Trophy for Team Fluff.
This year’s Most Valuable Puppy Award went to Team Ruff’s “Foxtrot,” a border collie mix who scored the first two touchdowns and added another in the fourth quarter.
This year’s ‘Puppy Bowl’ was set to feature 142 rescue puppies from 80 shelters across 40 states — as well as one from Nicaragua.
Chiefs, Eagles inactive lists announced
There were no big surprises when the inactive lists were released 90 minutes prior to kickoff.
The Eagles inactives were offensive linemen Darian Kinnard and Trevor Keegan, wide receiver Ainias Smith and defensive backs Eli Ricks, Lewis Cine and Bryce Huff.
The Chiefs inactives were defensive backs Steven Nelson and Keith Taylor, linebacker Josh Uche, defensive end Malik Herring and offensive linemen C.J. Hanson, Ethan Driskell and Wanya Morris.
Trump arrives in New Orleans
Donald Trump has arrived in New Orleans.
The president arrived on Air Force One with family members and a long list of lawmakers.
Eagles fans feel safe on Bourbon Street
Diehard fans Daryl Flowers and Cheryl Williams, decked out in Eagles green, had flown in from Philadelphia and said they felt safe visiting Bourbon Street to watch the game from a bar.
“This is one of the greatest cities in America,” Flowers said. “Bourbon street is always a fun time — there was never any trepidation about coming down here.”
Eagles’ Brandon Graham cleared for Super Bowl
Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham has been activated for the Super Bowl a day after he was taken off the injured-reserve list, where he had been recovering from a torn triceps sustained 11 weeks ago.
The 36-year-old Graham was thought to be done for the season after he was hurt Nov. 24 against the Rams. But as the Eagles kept winning, Graham started to hint he could put on his No. 55 jersey in the Super Bowl.
Iowa farm town gathers to watch native son DeJean
In the tiny farm town of Odebolt, Iowa, (population 920), a Super Bowl watch party was underway for native son Cooper DeJean.
Green and black balloons adorned the town’s community building, where Odebolt resident Jenny Sorensen was popping popcorn, which will be given away free during the game.
The Eagles’ DeJean “always takes time for the little kids who look up to him so much,” Sorensen said. “He’ll always take time to say hi to them, pat them on the back, sign something for them.”
Jimmy Johnson gets Super Bowl pregame tribute from Fox
Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson just got about a 10-minute tribute from Fox, chronicling his life in football from college playing to college coaching to NFL coaching to broadcasting.
Johnson said he hadn’t seen the tribute until it aired live, and he teared up as he discussed the piece.
“I’ve got to thank my family for allowing me the time to accomplish some of those things,” Johnson said. “And I was blessed to have great players, great assistant coaches and great friends.”
But what did it mean?
There were definitely some hints at retirement, especially when he was asked by NFL on Fox pregame host Curt Menefee, “Was that good-bye?”
“One day at a time, Curt,” Johnson said. “One day at a time.”
‘Puppy Bowl’ wrangler
If you tuned into the “Puppy Bowl,” you likely saw a key person’s influence — even if you didn’t actually see her.
Victoria Schade is a dog trainer and novelist who’s the show’s lead puppy trainer and wrangler. She was the one making sure the shelter pups had a conflict-free contest and that they were captured at their most adorable — all from off-camera.
Black Masking culture of New Orleans
Artist Tahj “Queen Tahj” Williams is responsible for the Super Bowl theme art and logo that have been featured almost everywhere, such as digital game tickets, the official program cover, the team jerseys, the game ball and the exterior of a hotel in New Orleans.
Williams’ design was a tribute to Black Masking culture, which was rooted in the 1800s. It blends African and Native American heritage.
The elaborate, hand-sewn suits — adorned with intricate beadwork and feathers — are highlighted with bold and colorful designs to pay homage to their ancestral influence.
The NFL said Williams’ work honors the cultural roots of New Orleans, calling her the “perfect artist.”
Batiste gets ready to sing US national anthem
Jon Batiste is getting ready to bring it home.
He’s set to take the Super Bowl field to sing the US national anthem at approximately 5:24 p.m. CST.
The multi-talented musician from Louisiana will look to put his own spin on “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the piano, all while thinking of his late grandfather, a veteran who recently died.
Actor Stephanie Nogueras will perform the anthem in American sign language.
Bourbon Street is packed, with thousands of officers on guard
Bourbon Street is packed with festive Eagles and Chiefs fans clutching drinks and grabbing Mardi Gras beads tossed down from balconies amid blasting bar music.
There’s more than 2,000 law enforcement officers on hand in the city keeping a watchful eye on the crowds and a host of new security measures in place after a truck attack struck the city’s most famous thoroughfare on Jan. 1.
While it remains relatively easy for pedestrians to get into the city’s historic French Quarter, metal barriers have been erected and raised around Bourbon street to block vehicles from entering and armed National Guardsmen are stationed at every intersection, along with federal agents. New bollards — steel columns — have been installed by the city throughout the most popular blocks of Bourbon Street.
Trombone Shorty, Lauren Daigle teaming up for ‘America The Beautiful’
Trombone Shorty will perform “America The Beautiful” with Christian singer-songwriter Lauren Daigle before kickoff.
Trombone Shorty was raised in the New Orleans jazz scene. Daigle is from Lake Charles, Louisiana.
They’ll take to the field at approximately 5:22 p.m. CST, just before the US national anthem.
It’s a Super Bowl birthday for Barkley and DeJean
Saquon Barkley and Cooper DeJean are hoping for a bigger reason to celebrate besides their birthdays.
The two Eagles will become the 15th and 16th players to appear in a Super Bowl on their birthday and the first teammates to do it since Green Bay’s Travis Williams and Ron Kostelnik in a Super Bowl 2 win over Oakland.
No one has ever scored a touchdown or intercepted a pass in the Super Bowl on their birthdays. Although Randy White did share the MVP with Dallas teammate Harvey Martin after beating Denver on his 25th birthday in Super Bowl 12.
Ledisi to perform ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’
R&B singer Ledisi is set to perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a song regarded as the Black national anthem.
Ledisi, who is from New Orleans, will perform at approximately 4:46 p.m. CST.
If you’re an Eagles fan, here’s what you root for: Heads
Heads is on a coin-toss roll right now, having been the result of the pregame flip in three of the last four Super Bowls.
The most superstitious of Eagles fans might want to see that trend continue.
This is Philadelphia’s fifth Super Bowl. In the previous four, tails has been the coin-toss result three times; the Eagles are 0-3 in those games. The one time the coin-toss result was heads, Philly prevailed.
Will Kendrick perform ‘Not Like Us’ at his halftime show?
Kendrick Lamar is almost certain to rap at least part of “Not Like Us” when he performs with guest star SZA and possibly others. It’s an odd fit for the Super Bowl, though.
The incendiary shots the song takes at Lamar’s rival Drake drove Drake to sue their shared record label for defamation.
Trump is en route to the Super Bowl
President Donald Trump said he’s looking forward to the game as he prepared to board Air Force One en route to New Orleans.
Trump said he’ll be cheering on “two great teams—the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles” in a statement released by the White House. He says that, “The coaches, players, and team staff on the field tonight represent the best of the best in professional football” and “embody the best of the American Dream.”
He also acknowledged those who were killed and injured during the New Years attack in the French Quarter. Upon arriving at the Caesars Superdome, Trump is expected to participate in a meet-and-greet with this year’s honorary coin toss participants, including victims’ family members, members of the New Orleans Police Department and other emergency personnel.
AP NFL writer takes Eagles over Chiefs 31-30
AP NFL Writer Rob Maaddi predicted the Eagles would beat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl before the season began and he’s sticking with it, taking Philadelphia to win 31-30.
Maaddi accurately selected winners in 70.7% of games this season in Pro Picks, going 201-83.
Kendrick Lamar says to expect storytelling in halftime show
Kendrick Lamar said viewers can expect storytelling above all from his Super Bowl halftime show.
He comes into the headlining gig after winning five Grammys a week ago, including record of the year and song of the year, for “Not Like Us.”
The artist who is from Compton, California, said he’s riding “L.A. Energy” into Louisiana.
Here’s a lineup of the Super Bowl’s pregame performances
Jon Batiste will headline a pregame parade of local Louisiana performers when he sings the national anthem in New Orleans shortly before kickoff.
Batiste, the multi-instrumentalist, singer and former TV bandleader whose music has blended R&B, hip-hop, swing, jazz, pop and classical sounds says he’ll perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the piano.
The seven-time Grammy winner comes from a legacy New Orleans musical family. Batiste told The Associated Press he’ll be thinking of his veteran grandfather who died recently when he performs.
R&B singer Ledisi, a native of the city, will perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a song regarded as the Black national anthem.
Trombone Shorty, who was raised in the New Orleans jazz scene, will perform “America The Beautiful” with Christian singer-songwriter Lauren Daigle, who is from Lake Charles.
Chiefs are going for first Super Bowl three-peat
The Chiefs (17-2) will try to become the first team to win three straight Super Bowls when they face the Eagles (17-3) in the Superdome.
It’s a rematch from two years ago when Jalen Hurts nearly led Philadelphia to a championship only to watch Patrick Mahomes snatch it away by rallying Kansas City to a 38-35 win.
Mahomes lifted the Chiefs to an overtime win against San Francisco in another Super Bowl rematch last year. Now, they’re poised for a three-peat.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL
The Associated Press
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