The Super Bowl is a game played between the remaining two teams in the National Football League and is played annually between the champions of the National Football Conference and the American Football Conference. The first Super Bowl was held on January 15, 1967, played by the Kansas City Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers. The game ended with a final score of 35-10, with the Packers ultimately defeating the Chiefs. This year, the Kansas City Chiefs will go against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Chiefs have won four Super Bowls, starting in 1970 against the Vikings, with Len Dawson earning MVP. That was only three years after the Chiefs lost in the first-ever Super Bowl, which was then known as the AFL-NFL World Championship. The Eagles have only won one Super Bowl in 2018, led by improbable backup quarterback Nick Foles, against the New England Patriots with a score of 41-33.

The Chiefs played as the Dallas Texans from 1960 to 1962 until their owner, Lamar Hunt, moved the team to Kansas City in 1963 and renamed it the Chiefs. In the 1960s, the Chiefs won three AFL championships, becoming the team with the most championships in the short-lived AFL. They won their first Super Bowl in 1970 when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings 23-7.  In the 2017 NFL Draft, the Chiefs drafted quarterback Patrick Mahomes. They claimed their second Super Bowl title in 2020 after defeating the San Francisco 49ers, 31-20. Their third was in 2023 after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-35. Finally, in 2024, they beat the San Francisco 49ers with a score of 25-22. Conversely, in 1978, the Eagles had an improbable win against the New York Giants after the Giants fumbled the ball in the final seconds while attempting to run out the clock. The game was labeled “The Miracle at the Meadowlands.” That game also popularized the “quarterback kneel” and the “victory formation.” The Eagles won their first Super Bowl in 2018, defeating the New England Patriots, 41-33, in Super Bowl LII. Quarterback Nick Foles, playing in place of injured starter Carson Wentz, was named Super Bowl MVP.

The path to the Super Bowl was difficult for both teams. The Eagles recently had to face rookie QB Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in the NFC championship game. This was an easy task for them due to their offseason addition of Saquon Barkley, who had a 60-yard rushing touchdown on the first play. This ultimately set the tone and secured their Super Bowl LIX appearance. On the other hand, the Chiefs had 15 wins in the regular season, giving them a first-round bye and making their road to the AFC Conference championship game much more manageable. In a game against the Buffalo Bills, the Chiefs claimed the win with a score of 32-29, advancing to the Super Bowl. Many took the media by storm following the game to discuss controversial calls made by the referees. Before the Super Bowl game, many expressed their concerns for the Eagles and didn’t believe they would win. They also claimed that the Chiefs would most likely win because of recent statistics and probabilities. By the end of the game’s first three quarters, the Eagles had a 28-point lead, leaving the Chiefs and certain people wondering what happened. To begin, Jalen Hurts made a touchdown with six minutes and fifteen seconds left of the first quarter, and by the second, they already had twenty-four points. The Chiefs made their first points in the third quarter by Xavier Worthy. He received a 24-yard Touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes with only thirty-four seconds left for the third quarter. Bryce Glenn is a Freshman at St. Pete High School and believed the Eagles would win because they “have done well this season.” On the contrary, Jessica Grasso, a senior at SPHS, claimed that she believed the Chiefs would win because their “defensive coordination is good.” Despite much debate, the game ended with a score of 40-22, with a win from the Eagles.

Although most eyes are toward the players and the score, the game also consists of an elaborate and exciting performance during halftime. All Super Bowls since the first have been sellouts and consistent TV-ratings leaders, with many Super Bowls among the highest-rated televised sporting events of all time. As a result, commercial time during the game is the most expensive of the year. Since the 1980s, media scrutiny of and public interest in Super Bowl commercials has nearly matched that accorded the game itself. The first celebrity Super Bowl Halftime show was in 1970. The show included Marguerite Piazza, Doc Severinsen, Al Hirt, Lionel Hampton, and the Southern University Marching Band. Since then, a variety of other artists have performed at this event. From Michael Jackson in 1993 to, more recently, Usher, Alicia Keys, will.i.am, Lil Jon, and Ludacris in 2024. This year, Kendrick Lamar performed with SZA. Their performance arose many questions about Lamar’s abilities as a singer and performer. Although this occurred, many still enjoyed their performance and believed it was an amazing sight.