The Super Bowl is this Sunday, and even if you're not a football fan, you’re still pretty much required to watch the showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. Super Bowl Sunday has become as much of a U.S. tradition as the Fourth of July.
Whether you're a die-hard fan or someone who actively avoids the sport, we've got you covered with a cheat sheet to help you follow along. From the star players to the halftime show and all the online buzz, here’s everything you need to know.
Super Bowl LIX: The facts
The Kansas City Chiefs will take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 59. There are a few basic facts you should know to understand the stakes of the big game:
The game kicks off at around 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday. It's being played in New Orleans and will air on Fox.
The Chiefs are going for an unprecedented three Super Bowl wins in a row. And when we say unprecedented, we mean it literally. No team has ever won three Super Bowls in a row.
The game is a rematch of Super Bowl 57. The Chiefs (obviously) won that match-up two years ago in a close game, 38-35.
The Chiefs are considered slight favorites by sportsbooks, but the vast majority of experts are backing them to win — and that’s largely thanks to the brilliance of one player. This brings us to our next section...
The football stars you need to know
The magic of the Super Bowl is that unlikely heroes often make the big play. It's impossible to predict who that could be. But we can at least share the biggest names you should know heading into the Big Game.
Patrick Mahomes: The undisputed best football player alive and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback. As mentioned in the last section, his excellence may be why most people have picked the Chiefs to win. His stats are difficult to comprehend, but he's likely already had the second-best career of any quarterback in history before turning 30. You've probably also seen him in many commercials.
Jalen Hurts: The Eagles quarterback. He's not Mahomes good, but he has won many games.
Travis Kelce: Taylor Swift's boyfriend, guy in every commercial, and perhaps the best tight end in NFL history.
Andy Reid: The Chiefs coach, who was also the Eagles coach back in the day. One of the best of all time. The big, mustached man you might've seen in commercials.
Saquon Barkley: The new Eagles running back who used to play for their rivals, the New York Giants. He's in the midst of perhaps the best season for a running back in history.
Chris Jones: The best Chiefs defender. He's nearly unstoppable and plays on the defensive line.
Jalen Carter: The best Eagles defender. He's nearly unstoppable and plays on the defensive line.
This game has so many other great football players, but this is a cheat sheet, not a textbook.
The other names you need to know
Let's be honest: The Super Bowl is about so much more than football. Here are some of the people not playing in the game that you need to know.
Taylor Swift: Duh. You can expect to see her at the game, cheering on her boyfriend in Chiefs red.
Kendrick Lamar: He's performing the halftime show and is expected to perform songs dissing his rival...
Drake: Said rival.
Tom Brady: The greatest quarterback of all time and the person whose legacy Mahomes is chasing. And he just happens to be announcing the game for Fox.
Jason Kelce: Retired Eagle and Travis' brother. You'll likely see him on the broadcast, and you've probably seen him in commercials, too.
The online discourse, gossip, and memes
The storylines are half the fun of the Super Bowl. It's as much about the drama as it is about football. Before the Big Game, here's what you should know about the memes, online discourse, and major stories.
The Kelce of it all
Travis Kelce is 35 years old. That's young, in general, but kinda ancient for an NFL tight end. Folks have speculated Kelce could retire after the game, perhaps riding off into the sunset with an unprecedented third-straight championship. He's indicated, however, that he will not quit after the game. That doesn't stop folks from wondering.
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Also, expect many TV shots of Jason Kelce, his wife (and fellow celeb) Kylie Kelce, and Swift. There will be lots of talk about their divided loyalties since all are close to Travis and have ties to the Eagles. (Never forget Swift is a Philly girl.)
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The Trump of it all
President Donald Trump has indicated he plans to attend the Super Bowl. It became a bigger story when Kelce told reporters that it was "pretty cool" and "a great honor" that Trump was attending, even after the president had previously said he hated Swift. Some folks were not happy with Kelce's answer.
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The big questions about the halftime show
There are two big questions about Kendrick Lamar's halftime show. First: Will he go after Drake? We covered this question in detail at Mashable, but it seems likely he'll at least perform "Not Like Us," the uber-popular Drake diss track that won five Grammys last weekend.
The second question about the halftime show is who Lamar will bring onstage. Again, Mashable has covered the potential guest performers in detail, but we know that at least longtime collaborator SZA will join Lamar. And if you want to know which songs he'll be performing, Mashable has covered that, too. (Of course, it's all just speculation until the Big Game.)
The ref memes, jokes, and conspiracies
Lots of NFL fans have grown tired of the Chiefs consistently winning. In the wake of those feelings, the online discourse has turned to jokes (and not-joking conspiracies) about the refs helping Mahomes and Kansas City win. And, to be fair, there have been multiple instances where the Chiefs seem to get the exact penalty they need at just the right time — including the previous Super Bowl between Kansas City and Philly.
An analysis at The Ringer found that the Chiefs haven't received extra calls overall, but they have received far more calls in the playoffs. So, anyway, (likely bitter) NFL fans have taken to both joking about KC getting all the calls and really believing it.
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The Super Bowl commercials
The commercials are a huge part of the Super Bowl. We don't know all of the ads that will run, but many of the big spots have already debuted online. Some of the early favorites from fans seem to be a spot from Bud Light with Post Malone and Jeremy Strong as the newest DunKing for Dunkin'.
So, if you're looking to watch only for the ads, you're off to a strong start.
There are, of course, endless bits of info, stats, and stories surrounding the Super Bowl. But this cheat sheet should be enough to get you through the game with a decent understanding of what's happening. And, when in doubt, go refill on snacks.
