The Kansas City Chiefs look to win their third Championship in a row, a feat not seen in the Superbowl era. The only thing that stands in their way are the Philadelphia Eagles, who you could argue, on paper, look like one of the finest NFL teams ever assembled.
On the 9th of February, we could see history; a team looking to become the greatest dynasty in the history of the sport, but their toughest foe yet stands in their way.
It should be viewed as one of the most anticipated Superbowls in recent memory, so why is there a sense of apathy around it?
Bad Guy Versus Bad Guy
When the regular season ended and the playoff bracket was set, the Eagles versus the Chiefs would have been seen as the matchup we would have wanted least. The problem with this Superbowl is that neither of the participating teams are all that likeable.
Chiefs
In the Kansas City Chiefs case, it’s obvious. They’re too successful. They’re the Goliath to the NFL’s David.
Back in 2020 when they won their first Superbowl, teams were happy for them. They were the league’s most exciting offence, Andy Reid finally got over the hump and Patrick Mahomes was clearly a talent worthy of winning the league’s biggest prize.
Now, five years later, things are very different as too much success can make you unlikeable. Not only are they going to their fifth Superbowl in the last six years, they’ve gotten to the AFC Championship game in every season that Patrick Mahomes has started. During this time their worst performance is losing in overtime while being amongst the final four teams remaining.
This is an incredible feat for an NFL to accomplish this as the league itself is designed for parity. However, it all comes across as a little boring.
Not only has the general fan of the NFL grown fatigued with their success, but the Chiefs have become a duller team to watch. When Mahomes first entered the league he
Immediately looked like the most talented quarterback ever. Paired with Andy Reid while throwing to future Hall of Famers Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill made Mahomes and this offence look like the greatest show on turf 2.0.
But since winning that first Superbowl and tasting that whiff of success this team has become much more pragmatic. Their offence has become more meticulous, the explosive plays are mostly gone, and Mahomes looks like an elite game manager.
You can’t argue with the results but you can find them hard to watch.
On top of that they appear to benefit from something a lot of successful teams in every sport do; the refs whistle. Now realistically, officials don’t have meetings before games and decide that they’re going to favour one team over another. But the Chiefs being reffed favourably has been a complaint from NFL fans for a few seasons now.
These complaints have come into focus following several dubious calls made in the Chiefs divisional round game against the Houston Texans. In this game the Chiefs had several drives extended by roughing the passer calls for tackles on Mahomes. Viewers complained that these were calls that only Mahomes would benefit from and that the NFL was protecting their most popular player.
On top of all that, this was meant to be the year that the Chiefs fell off. Their performances throughout the season haven’t been what you would expect from a Superbowl contender. They were constantly playing down to their opponents level and each week they were participating in one score games. But they just kept winning, and when they got to the playoffs, they just kept winning there as well.
So whether it be their constant success, their fortuitous nature, or dozens of camera shots of Taylor Swift during their games, people are sick of the Chiefs. The potential of winning a three-peat is something that NFL fans should be excited around, but it feels like everyone just wants them to get it over with.
Eagles
You’d think the level of disinterest that people have in seeing the Chiefs win would mean that their opponents must have the backing of the NFL neutral. For any other team aside from possibly the Cleveland Browns, then that would be the case, but the Philadelphia Eagles aren’t exactly loved.
A major reason for this is that this is simply a repeat of the Superbowl two years ago. To many, the Eagles have had their chance already and this rematch is of no interest.
In general, Philadelphia isn’t a well-loved team, while also having a reputation for having a noxious fanbase. It’s one thing to create a toxic environment for the opposing team, but when you’re physically assaulting opposing fan bases or throwing glass bottles at kids, you don’t endear yourself.
However, the main reason for people don't want the Eagles to win the Superbowl will be tracked directly back to their head coach Nick Sirianni. Many saw the ugly side of Nick Sirianni last season, with his antics during his side's initial winning streak. Whether it mean-mugging the camera, goading opposing fans or openly mocking the other team's head coach, he embodied Philadelphia.
This may have endeared him to the city of brotherly love, but to everyone else he was an embarrassment to the league. The Eagles end of season collapse may have gone a long way in humbling Sirianni as he has been a lot quieter this year, but viewers haven’t forgotten.
Conclusion
It’s not that deep to be honest. Every year the Superbowl draws larger viewing figures, and I imagine this will be no different. A lot of casual viewers will tune in for their chance to see history, while others will commence a hate watch hoping the Chiefs fumble the three-peat.
It’s just a shame that it had to be these Eagles. There were a lot of likable stories going through the NFC playoffs this season that would’ve made for better viewing. The Detroit Lions finally making the Superbowl, rookie Jayden Daniels, the Sam Darnold redemption. Plenty of exciting possibilities.
But no, instead we’ve gotten these Philadelphia Eagles. The same Eagles who were hard counting the tush push at the one yard line in a blowout win over the Commanders.
