By Pierre Ratte
It’s an American game: gridiron football. This little tyke from the 1950s is gearing up. Super Bowl LIX (59) is almost upon us. Chiefs vs. Eagles. Three-peat on the line. A rematch for Philadelphia after losing to Kansas City two years ago, when the Chiefs scored 17 points in the fourth quarter kicking a 27-yard field goal with 8 seconds left to win the game. The Eagles were a slight favorite to win two years ago; the Chiefs are slightly favored this year.
The 2023 match lived up to its hype. Jalen Hurts completed 27 of 38 passes for 304 yards, while running 15 times for 70 yards, scoring 3 touchdowns and a 2-point conversion in a losing effort. The combined score, totaling 73 points, was the highest ever. Both teams had a 14-3 winning record in 2023. In 2025, the Eagles’ win-loss record is 14-3 versus 15-2 for the Chiefs. Pro-Football Reference stats shows Patrick Mahomes with six out of seven postseason, fourth-quarter comebacks. Pop your popcorn, smush your avocados, ice your beer, this weekend’s game might be a doozie.
Fun facts: The first Super Bowl took place in 1967. The Packers beat the Chiefs 35-10. There were 32,000 unsold seats; tickets cost about $11. This year’s average ticket price tops $8,000. Super Bowl I reached 50 million viewers. In 2023, a viewing record was set with 115 million, which was broken in 2024 when KC and SF played and 124 million watched. Fox Sports is broadcasting the game this year, and two Spanish-language broadcasts will air for the first time in Super Bowl history. In 2025 30-second ads cost $8 million; the same ad cost less than $40,000 during the first Super Bowl.
The designated home team rotates between the NFC and AFC every other year, so this year like two years ago, Philadelphia is the designated home team. The largest score differential occurred in 1990 when Joe Montana and 49ers beat the Broncos 55-10, while the narrowest margin occurred the following year in 1991 with the Giants beating the Bills 20-19.
