New Orleans (AFP) – The Philadelphia Eagles soared to a crushing 40-22 Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, shattering their opponents’ bid for a historic hat-trick of NFL titles in a rout watched by President Donald Trump. Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another as the Eagles avenged their agonizing Super Bowl defeat to the Chiefs two years ago in emphatic style at New Orleans’ Superdome.
“I’ve been able to use every experience and learn from it — the good, the bad, all of it — to pursue my own greatness,” Hurts said. “But I couldn’t do any of these things without the guys around me. We had a special group this year — we were able to learn from the past, get some nice new pieces and get over that hump.”
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The Chiefs had been bidding to become the first team in history to win three consecutive Vince Lombardi trophies following Super Bowl victories in 2023 and 2024. But Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes — who was sacked six times and threw two interceptions — never looked like leading his team to glory as the Eagles’ iron defense and clinical offense dominated throughout.
“Credit to the Eagles, they played better than us from start to finish,” Mahomes said. “Obviously the turnovers hurt, and I take all the blame for that. I just didn’t play to my standard and I have to be better next time.”
The Eagles effectively had the game won by half-time, powering into a 24-0 lead at the break after three unanswered touchdowns from Hurts, Cooper DeJean, and A.J. Brown. They extended the lead to 34-0 late in the third quarter before Kansas City finally grabbed three late consolation touchdowns. Eagles kicker Jake Elliott bagged four field goals.
– Trump applause, Gaza protest –
Sunday’s extravaganza was watched by a star-studded 65,719 crowd bristling with celebrities and VIPs headed by Trump, who became the first sitting US President to attend the Super Bowl after jetting into New Orleans from Florida on Air Force One earlier in the day following a round of golf with Tiger Woods.
Trump has had an uneasy relationship with the NFL over the years, triggering uproar in 2017 after attacking players for kneeling in protest against racial injustice during renditions of the US national anthem. But the US leader was given a broadly positive reception at the Superdome after arriving at the venue shortly before kick-off.
Soon after arriving, Trump met with first responders and family members of victims of the January 1 attack in New Orleans that left 14 people dead and dozens wounded. Later, loud cheering could be heard among the crowd when the Superdome’s giant screen showed Trump saluting during the national anthem.
That warm applause was in stark contrast to the booing that rang around the venue early in the first quarter when the same screen showed pop icon Taylor Swift sitting in the VIP seats. Swift, watching boyfriend and Chiefs ace Travis Kelce, was among a galaxy of stars crowded into the venue, with the likes of Beatles legend Paul McCartney rubbing shoulders with Hollywood actors Kevin Costner, Paul Rudd, and Anne Hathaway and soccer star Lionel Messi.
The catcalls for Swift — who backed Trump’s opponent Kamala Harris in last year’s election — were not lost on the US President. Trump later shared a post on his TruthSocial network which read: “Trump gets massive cheers at the Super Bowl while Taylor Swift gets booed – the world is healing!”
The star wattage meanwhile was ramped up before kick-off with singer Lady Gaga making a surprise performance in New Orleans’ famous Bourbon Street in a segment paying tribute to victims of recent tragedies around the US.
Trump meanwhile expressed hope the nation could come together for the Super Bowl, which is by far the biggest annual event on the American sporting calendar. “Football is America’s most popular sport — for good reason — it fosters a sense of national unity, bringing families, friends, and fans together and strengthening communities,” Trump said in a statement released by the White House. “This annual tradition transcends our differences and personifies our shared patriotic values of family, faith, and freedom,” he added.
Trump left the stadium early in the third quarter after a half-time concert headlined by rapper Kendrick Lamar that included a cameo appearance from singer-songwriter SZA while tennis legend Serena Williams was also seen bopping along with dancers on a makeshift stage. Security intervened swiftly during Lamar’s half-time show, tackling a protester who ran onto the field waving a Palestinian flag with “Gaza” and “Sudan” written on it.
© 2024 AFP
