In The Athletic, the sports activities service from The New York Occasions Firm, Mike Jones outlines the highest story traces to observe forward of the large sport. Listed below are three:
Eagles-Chiefs rematch
Two years after they met in Arizona for Tremendous Bowl LVII, the Eagles and Chiefs face one another once more.
Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts delivered a blinding efficiency in his Tremendous Bowl debut, passing for 304 yards and a landing whereas dashing for 70 yards and three extra touchdowns. His Eagles held a 27-21 lead getting into the fourth quarter earlier than the Chiefs scored back-to-back touchdowns to take a 35-27 lead with 9:22 left to play. Hurts and the Eagles responded with one other landing drive, however within the closing 5 minutes of motion, Patrick Mahomes marched his crew downfield for a 27-yard Harrison Butker discipline aim with eight seconds left for the 38-35 victory.
Chiefs’ pursuit of historical past
With three Tremendous Bowl victories in 5 years, the Chiefs have already got achieved dynasty standing. However they’re not completed but. They’ve their sights set on further historic feats.
A victory Sunday would make the Chiefs the primary crew to win three Tremendous Bowls in a row. Kansas Metropolis additionally would be a part of the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers as groups with 5 Lombardi Trophies, trailing solely the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers, who’ve six.
Mahomes has a private legacy so as to add to. If he wins Sunday, he’ll tie Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana for the second-most Tremendous Bowl victories by a quarterback, with 4. Tom Brady leads the checklist with seven rings.
Officiating beneath the microscope
… Officiating got here beneath scrutiny once more on this 12 months’s AFC Championship Recreation due to two controversial performs. On one, Chiefs receiver Xavier Worthy was awarded a catch regardless that Payments security Cole Bishop additionally appeared to own the ball, which additionally appeared to hit the bottom (however didn’t transfer). On one other, the Chiefs had been deemed to have stopped Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen on a fourth-and-1 sneak try, regardless that some digital camera angles appeared to indicate Allen crossing the road to realize a primary down. Replay evaluate upheld each calls, however that hasn’t quieted skeptics, who consider the Chiefs obtain favorable remedy from sport officers.
The Chiefs, Eagles, their followers and the N.F.L. as an entire can solely hope this Tremendous Bowl isn’t determined by any controversial calls.
Are there different Tremendous Bowl tales it’s possible you’ll be following?
Maybe you could have been noticing the rise in modern soccer attire:
Nearly precisely a 12 months in the past, Kristin Juszczyk, the spouse of the San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who had been fortunately D.I.Y.-ing her personal game-day merch, grew to become the Cinderella of her personal vogue fairy story when Taylor Swift wore considered one of Ms. Juszczyk’s custom-made jackets to look at her new boyfriend, Travis Kelce, play soccer. Earlier than you possibly can say landing, she had 1.2 million Instagram followers, a licensing take care of the N.F.L. and was chosen to make a jacket for the winner of the Indy 500.
… or you could have been wanting ahead to Kendrick Lamar’s halftime efficiency:
After sweeping the Grammys on Sunday, Lamar’s ubiquitous Drake diss could possibly be the centerpiece of the halftime present. That, it bears mentioning, is fairly unusual.
… or you could have been following the information that the N.F.L. may take away the “Finish Racism” messaging ultimately zones forward of Sunday’s sport:
At his annual Tremendous Bowl information convention Monday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell strongly supported the league’s insurance policies designed to advertise range on the club-employment degree and stated they’d proceed.
However throughout Tremendous Bowl LIX, and with President Donald Trump apparently planning to attend on Sunday, the NFL is perhaps making one other sort of assertion on the Caesars Superdome discipline itself. In accordance with two league sources, who spoke on situation of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions, league officers just lately modified one of many slogans anticipated to be stenciled behind an finish zone from “Finish Racism” to “Select Love.”
College students, learn a number of of the articles above, after which inform us:
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Are you planning to look at Tremendous Bowl LIX? If that’s the case, what are you most wanting ahead to — the sport, the commercials, the events, the halftime present or one thing else? Should you’re not planning to look at, why not?
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Should you’re a soccer fan, what do you consider the matchup between Kansas Metropolis and Philadelphia? Which aspect are you rooting for? What crew do you assume will win? Which gamers do you assume will stand out and why?
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Which Tremendous Bowl story has been most compelling to you? Is it one of many tales talked about above or one other that you just’ve been following by yourself? No matter it’s, inform us why it has your consideration.
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What do you consider the selection of Kendrick Lamar because the halftime performer? Should you might see anybody carry out on the Tremendous Bowl, who would it not be, and why?
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What predictions do you could have concerning the sport or anything associated to it, corresponding to which approach the coin toss will go, how lengthy Jon Batiste will sing the nationwide anthem or whether or not Travis Kelce will suggest to Taylor Swift after the sport? (Sure, these are all actual bets followers are making forward of this 12 months’s sport.)
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Why do you assume the Tremendous Bowl is such an enormous deal in American tradition? Is it greater than only a sport? What do you assume it means culturally, and why?
