Las Vegas, Nevada – The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas Metropolis Chiefs had been hours away from a blockbuster Tremendous Bowl showdown right here Sunday as Las Vegas phases the American sporting showpiece for the primary time.
The neon-lit playing capital within the Nevada desert has reached a fever pitch of anticipation for the NFL championship recreation that has topped even the same old outsized ranges of hype.
The romance between pop megastar Taylor Swift and the Chiefs’ charismatic Travis Kelce is simply one of many storylines of a recreation that’s anticipated to smash U.S. tv viewing data.
Swift dashed again to the USA from the most recent leg of her international tour in Tokyo on Saturday and will probably be amongst a slew of celebrities and VIPs packed into the 65,000-seat Allegiant Stadium to see if Kelce and the Chiefs can win a 3rd Tremendous Bowl crown in 5 seasons.
The Federal Aviation Administration says a fleet of round 500 non-public jets has swept into Las Vegas for the sport, which kicks off at 3.30pm native time (2330 UTC).
The galaxy of VIPS is a part of an invasion of greater than 300,000 guests who’ve descended on town for the Tremendous Bowl weekend, pumping an estimated $600- $700 million into the native financial system, in line with metropolis officers.
The horde of vacationers has flocked to nightclubs and celebrity-hosted events and eve-of-game concert events that includes stars equivalent to U2, Adele, Christina Aguilera and Inexperienced Day.
These followers fortunate sufficient to have a ticket for the sport, the place R&B star Usher headlines the half-time present, have paid handsomely for the privilege.
Ticket bonanza
The most cost effective seats obtainable on resale ticketing web site Stubhub on Sunday got here with a hefty $5,713 price ticket, with the costliest listed at a staggering $196,875.
The American Gaming Affiliation, in the meantime, tasks {that a} report 67.8 million Individuals — round 1 / 4 of the nation’s grownup inhabitants — will place a guess on the Tremendous Bowl, producing an estimated $23.1 billion.
This yr’s Tremendous Bowl, in the meantime, has taken on political overtones attributable to Swift’s relationship with Kelce, with right-wing conspiracy theorists seeing it as proof of a plot to affect the result of this yr’s U.S. presidential election if the singer endorses Joe Biden.
FILE – A normal view of the taking part in subject for this yr’s Tremendous Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, Dec. 23, 2023.
Former President Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner, took goal on the singer on Sunday, claiming any endorsement of Biden by Swift can be ‘disloyal’ provided that his administration handed copyright laws in 2018 broadly seen as benefiting artists and performers.
‘Joe Biden did not do something for Taylor, and by no means will,’ Trump wrote on Reality Social.
‘There is not any means she may endorse Crooked Joe Biden, the worst and most corrupt President within the Historical past of our Nation, and be disloyal to the person who made her a lot cash.
‘In addition to that, I like her boyfriend, Travis, although he could also be a Liberal, and possibly cannot stand me!’
Chiefs eye dynasty
The sporting dimension of the event, in the meantime, has all of the elements of a basic.
The Chiefs are taking part in of their fourth Tremendous Bowl in 5 seasons, hoping to cement their dynasty standing with a 3rd Vince Lombardi Trophy after wins in 2020 and 2023.
The franchise would even be the primary staff for the reason that New England Patriots in 2003 and 2004 to win back-to-back Tremendous Bowls.
The Chiefs performed a closing coaching walkthrough on Saturday which left head coach Andy Reid glad that his staff is primed to defend their title.
‘I used to be happy with what I noticed,’ Reid stated after the exercise. ‘I believe they’re able to go play.’
The 49ers camp was equally buoyant after their closing exercise. ‘Our guys are able to go,’ head coach Kyle Shanahan stated. ‘They’re relaxed.’
Sunday’s recreation is a repeat of the 2020 Tremendous Bowl, when Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes led a stirring fourth-quarter comeback with 21 unanswered factors to beat San Francisco 31-20.
The 49ers, in the meantime, are chasing a sixth Tremendous Bowl and their first since 1994-1995.
San Francisco emerged from the common season with the most effective report within the NFC however survived nerve-shredding playoff video games in opposition to the Inexperienced Bay Packers and Detroit Lions to e book their ticket to Las Vegas.
San Francisco head coach Shanahan, in the meantime, is aiming to finish his lengthy wait to lastly get his palms on the Vince Lombardi Trophy in his third Tremendous Bowl.
In addition to the loss to Kansas Metropolis in 2020, Shanahan was the offensive coordinator when the Atlanta Falcons blew a 28-3 lead within the 2017 Tremendous Bowl earlier than dropping to New England.
