Iñako Díaz-Guerra
Updated Monday, February 12, 2024-07:09
Reportage. From Taylor Swift to Shakira: why so many fans hate athletes' wives
What happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas. Unless it's in a
Super Bowl
. In that case, what happens in Las Vegas is seen by the entire planet and, since there is nothing in that extraterrestrial redoubt in the middle of the desert that makes much sense, the night becomes an outdated, absurd, surreal and, in its own way, strange comedy. way, memorable.
Everything happened. (Half) America's girlfriend booed while downing a beer in one gulp, (Half) America's boyfriend shaking his venerable coach, a serious injury from jogging onto the field, a singer on skates and showing nipples just because (in some forgotten living room,
Janet Jackson
poured herself another whiskey thinking: "Now we are, eh? Now we are"), a receiver giving the only
touchdown
pass of the first half, spontaneous events, absurd errors, circus plays, an overtime and, in amid the chaos, a point of logic:
Patrick Mahomes
won . It is the third ring in five years for Kansas City, a dynasty with no signs of ending. Even in their darkest season, they ended up lifting the trophy. If Mahomes retired today, he would already be among the three or four greatest in history. He is only 28 years old. The world is yours.
Patrick Mahomes lifts the champions trophy.AFP
Let's go by parts. The Chiefs should not have made it to halftime alive. San Francisco's defense, which during the season had not performed at the level that the sum of its brilliant parts predicted, got serious on D-Day. Putting pressure on Mahomes again and again, without needing to launch extra players in his search. , and impeccable in his primary plan, stopping
Travis Kelce
, he left his attack on a plate, the one that brings together more individual talent than any other, to put an insurmountable distance very soon.
He did not succeed because his two best players, running back
Christian McCaffrey
and the leader of the offensive line,
Trent Williams
, made inappropriate errors in the first two Californian attacks. A turnover by the former (he had only committed four in his previous 97 games) and two consecutive penalties by the latter allowed the Chiefs to remain within striking distance, but the feeling of desperation was tremendous.
It got to such a point that Kelce, even knowing that the entire planet is watching him since he began his relationship with
Taylor Swift
, lost his mind and shook his own coach, the incomparable
Andy Reid
, demanding more prominence from him. If it turns out to be another game, he sends him to the locker room and doesn't play another second, but it was a Super Bowl and Kelce, a star. It would end up being decisive.
Kelce faces his coach, Andy Reid.AFP
It was not the only incident that the couple suffered at the time. Swift arrived on time for her concert in Tokyo and tried, even during the final celebration, to remain in the background. She did not monopolize excessive screen time, much less in an event where focusing on celebrities is a fundamental part of the show.
Leo DiCaprio
,
Beyoncé
,
Lady Gaga
,
Paul McCartney
,
LeBron James
... They all showed up to receive her applause, but the only one who got a boo when she appeared on the video scoreboard was the singer. She responded by downing a beer in one gulp and slamming the glass on the table. Queen.
We said that the 49ers should have settled the matter, but only a genius from the playbook of
Kyle Shanahan
, a magician who will be marked again for falling short in the last meeting (they go three, but he will win it) allowed them to leave with an advantage to the break (10-3). A trick play ended with a touchdown pass from a receiver,
Jauan Jennings
, to McCaffrey. Little reward and dark signs were already arriving:
Dre Greenlaw
, one of his defensive pillars, broke his Achilles alone while jogging onto the field. Unusual.
The halftime show, hosted by
Usher
, was a kind of deleted scene from
Barbie
with the singer playing Ken: glitter, gestures, choreography surrounded by colleagues and a display of pecs that no one understood. He even sang on roller skates. Since he went from less to more and was accompanied by Alicia Keys and HER, we will give him a high approval.
In his three Super Bowl victories, Mahomes has come back from 10-point deficits and that was on San Francisco's mind when he returned to the field, although in none of them was he as alone as in this one. The Californians had a
match ball
right at the start, when the MVP forced a shot and was intercepted. It is very difficult to do magic when everyone knows that you are obliged to do it and is watching you at every moment looking for the trick. They caught him this time. Not one more.
The 49ers attack stagnated and forgot about the run, Kelce went back to being Kelce and adding yard after yard and, suddenly, Kansas City entered the fourth quarter ahead (13-16). San Francisco reacted well with the best actions of the night from
Brock Purdy
, its
quarterback
, whose rise from last pick in the 2022 draft (262nd place) to star is one of the stories of the decade. The Super Bowl didn't end his Cinderella story, but it didn't turn him into a pumpkin either. The end of it is not yet written.
After taking the lead with a
touchdown
from Jennings, the 49ers missed the subsequent kick and gave away a point that would end up being decisive for the Chiefs to force overtime. Once there, what we all suspected was going to happen happened. Purdy led a great attack, but did not finish, adding only three points from a
field goal
. That gave Mahomes the decisive bullet: a
touchdown
ended the game. Ten minutes later, he lifted the trophy.
Anything can happen in Las Vegas except one thing: you lose your bankroll. Patrick Mahomes is the bench.