Super Bowl week opened on Monday night with a sensory-overload spectacle at the Las Vegas Allegiant Stadium, and a sprinkling of Taylor Swift.
Bellowing announcers, thumping music, dancers, drummers and painted men flooded the infield while more than 23,000 paying fans filled the stands of the arena, waving flags and placards while howling at the master of ceremonies and jeering the Kansas City Chiefs.
Never known for understatement, Vegas certainly put on a show to launch the city’s first Super Bowl. The defending Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday for the cherished Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Photo: AFP
“Now you’re firing me up, making me want to play right now, baby,” laughed tight end Travis Kelce as boos rained down from the stands. “Whooooooo... I love the boos more than I love the cheers, keep ‘em coming Niners gang, keep ‘em coming.”
Kelce and pop superstar girlfriend Taylor Swift bring even more glitz to this Vegas Super Bowl as their relationship is on everybody’s lips.
“I’ve never seen a Super Bowl opening like this,” Kelce smiled. “It feels like Christmas,” he laughed, as a female journalist threw a Mexican wrestling mask at him.”
Photo: AFP
Soon afterward a man tossed him a red-and-white striped soccer shirt. Questions ranged from queries about the weight he bench presses to how his faith and family have fueled his success.
The 34-year-old fielded increasingly bizarre questions — many relating to Swift — from a tiny podium with journalists a dozen deep jostling and shouting.
It is still not known whether Swift will attend Sunday’s blockbuster.
A regular at Chiefs games all season, she could miss the biggest game of all due to scheduling conflicts with her “Eras Tour” which has her performing in Tokyo on Feb. 10, the night before the Super Bowl.
Earlier on Monday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has been less than five minutes into his annual state of football address when he was talking about Swift.
In the bowels of the Allegiant Stadium, Goodell allowed himself a smile as the invitation-only media briefing was hijacked by the pop superstar.
Swift’s burgeoning romance with Kelce has been cited by right-wing critics as evidence of a plot to rig the Super Bowl and help get US President Joe Biden re-elected.
Goodell was having none of it as he addressed reporters.
“Anybody in society in a public position is subject to criticism,” Goodell said of the conspiracy theories.
“But I think the idea that this is within a script, this is pre-planned, is just nonsense,” he said. “It’s frankly not even worth talking about.”
For one thing, “I’m not that good a scripter,” he said.
Goodell, though, was effusive about the impact Swift’s relationship with Kelce has had on the US’ favorite sport.
“Having the Taylor Swift effect is a positive,” Goodell said. “They’re — both Travis and Taylor — are wonderful people and they seem very happy. She knows great entertainment and I think it is great to have her a part of it.”
“Obviously it creates a buzz ... another group of young fans that are interested and saying: ‘Why is she going to this game?’” he said.
Additional reporting by AFP
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