Drama mounted as the Kansas City Chiefs aimed to win the championship for the third year in a row, a feat unmatched since the inception of the Super Bowl, and the Eagles squared up for a rematch on the biggest stage. Students of the University were quite passionate in their reactions to the big game, and this appreciation for the gravity of the Super Bowl transcended the typical NFL audience.
Many students tuned in just to root against the two-time defending champ, like Caden Smith, a freshman majoring in music.
“I feel like the Eagles were just smoking the Chiefs the whole time,” Smith said. “The Chiefs didn’t put up a good performance.”
Some students expressed disappointment at the quality of the game. Smith said that he was underwhelmed by the performance of star Chiefs players like tight end Travis Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes and started to get bored as the game went on. Still, the Super Bowl had all the elements that he ultimately cared about.
“I was happy they didn’t show Taylor Swift the whole time, the halftime show was heat and the Eagles did win,” Smith said. “So I’m happy about that.”
Freshman music composition major Noah Kissinger was also enthusiastic about Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show. He said that it was one of the best he’d ever seen, particularly the performance of “Not Like Us.”
Other students were more focused on seeing the success of Alabama alums. Freshman operations management major Tyler Needham said that he was most excited to see Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who played for Alabama from 2016-18, try for his chance at a ring.
“It was cool to watch Jalen Hurts get that,” Needham said. “He was actually able to win this time, and then he went to Disney World.”
Needham also praised the performance of Eagles wideout DeVonta Smith, whose third quarter touchdown grab was the first by any former Alabama player in the history of the Super Bowl. Smith’s electrifying play sealed the deal for Philadelphia’s victory, putting the team up almost 30 points late in the game.
Super Bowl commercials were also on the minds of many students, who were surprised by some of the more eccentric elements. Kissinger vividly recalled seeing a commercial where an actor hurdled over someone in a stunt reminiscent of Eagles running back Saquon Barkley’s famous backward vault.
Still, other students were more focused on other matters, like the Chief’s choice in team aesthetics.
“They don’t have pretty colors,” said Zoey Putman, a sophomore majoring in criminology. “They look like McDonald’s.”
Putman also enjoyed the spectacle of the big game and thought that too many older people were bashing Lamar’s halftime performance. Above all, to her, was team loyalty.
“Go Eagles!” Putman said.
