Super Bowl

Ben Collins
BBC Sport journalist in New Orleans

Now Super Bowl week is under way, a host of events are planned for the world's media to speak to the guys who will be playing in arguably the biggest annual game in world sport on Sunday.

They were all available for an hour at Opening Night and the very next morning nine players from each team were available again at their team hotel, along with the head coach.

Half an hour before Jalen Hurts was due to appear, a media scrum had already been formed by those desperate to hear from the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback.

The same reporters may well be here on Wednesday and Thursday, such is the demand for content during the build-up to Super Bowl 59.

Ben Collins
BBC Sport journalist in New Orleans

Super Bowl week got off to a wild start on Monday at the New Orleans Superdome, where the Kansas City Chiefs will face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Media from all around the world - including one guy dressed as genie - get to ask the players all kinds of questions.

Guillermo is a regular at Opening Night for the Jimmy Kimmel chat show and he got the Chiefs' back-up quarterback Carson Wentz to throw Mexican snacks into his mouth.

He also got Chiefs receiver DeAndre Hopkins thinking about his future with a fortune-telling football then offered him a shot from a hip flask which was disguised as a microphone.

NFL quarterback Jameis Winston, who is now a free agent after being released by Cleveland, was even part of the media crew and asked several players to 'eat his W'.

A bemused Jordan Mailata said 'eat your what?' before Winston threw a W-shaped biscuit at the Eagles' offensive lineman. Welcome to Super Bowl week!!

Image source, Getty Images

Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni is using the pain of losing the Super Bowl two seasons ago to the Kansas City Chiefs as motivation this week as he prepares his team for Sunday's rematch.

The Chiefs beat the Eagles 38-35 in the Super Bowl in February 2023 and Sirianni say his team, led by quarterback Jalen Hurts, probably wouldn't be here without the pain of that defeat.

"Adversity does something to you. If you embrace adversity it can shape you to who you are," Sirianni said. "Obviously that's been the case with Jalen and through his career. This game is not easy. This game has it's ups and downs.

"Nobody in the NFL pitches a perfect game. That doesn't exist in the NFL. You're going to have bad plays. You're going to have good plays. It's about focusing on the next.

"Going back to the 2023 season, we're grateful for that. We're thankful for that. As bad as it [stunk], I'm grateful for that."

We all know Taylor Swift as the world's most famous Kansas City Chiefs fan these days, and according to Travis Kelce she will very much remain that way despite some big family ties to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Including her dad.

It must be said though that despite being a lifelone Eagles fan, Scott Swift has been spotted wearing Chiefs gear and attending Chiefs games cheering on Kelce alongside his daughter.

And asked who his maybe future father-in-law will be supporting on Sunday, Kelce replied: "I'll have to ask Scott himself, we haven't had that conversation yet. But I think he'll be wearing red."

Image source, Getty Images

Travis Kelce admits that retirement thoughts have crossed his mind, but the 35-year-old has no plans to call it a day - even if he wins a fourth Super Bowl on Sunday and achieves the three-peat.

"I've thought about it, but I still love what I do. I love coming into work every day," Kelce said at the Super Bowl Opening Night media session in New Orleans.

"The month that we just had in the play-offs that makes me feel like I could play this game forever.

"I feel like I still have a lot of good football left in me. We'll see what happens. I know I've been setting myself up for other opportunities in my life.

"That's always been the goal knowing football only lasts for so long."

As luck would have it, Saquon Barkley could cap one of the best seasons in NFL history with a Super Bowl success on Sunday - which just so happens to be his brithday.

The Philadelphia Eagles running back will turn 28 on Sunday lifting the Lombardi Trophy would be a dream way to celebrate.

And he is not the only one hoping for a ring for his birthday, as Eagles rookie cornerback Cooper DeJean will celebrate his 22nd birthday on Sunday too.

Image source, Getty Images

Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid said that Andy Reid's team will be among the best of all-time if they can clinch a third straight NFL championship on Sunday.

The Chiefs will face the Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl 59 and are aiming to become the first team to win a Super Bowl three-peat.

Speaking at Opening Night on Monday, Reid said: "To be put on the Mount Rushmore of greatest teams across any sport, ever, it's a tremendous opportunity to do something that's never been done before.

"It's something the whole city will be proud of and remember for the rest of their lives."

In the major US sports leagues, a three-peat has been done five times in both the NBA and NHL, and four times in MLB. The last team to do it was the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers from 2000-2002.

"I don't think I understand truly the weight that this has, what this moment means," said Kansas City cornerback Trent McDuffie.

"I'm trying to live in the moment, taking each day as I can, and making sure I'm thankful for having this opportunity."

The Chiefs' defensive tackle Chris Jones added: "It's a fortunate opportunity that we have, not only to be at a Super Bowl but to be in a position to make a lot of history.

"I think everyone's aware of the opportunity and what's up for grabs, but for us it's just another game."

Image source, Getty Images

Opening Night is seen as the official start of Super Bowl week.

It takes place on the Monday before the NFL's championship game and kicks off a week of events building up to Super Bowl Sunday.

It is the first time fans and media hear from the two teams that will contest the Super Bowl after they have arrived in the host city.

All players from each team are available for media from all around the world who ask all sorts of questions.

The leading players and head coaches sit by plinths answering questions for an hour, while their team-mates mingle with media and pose for pictures or sign autographs for fans.

The Philadelphia Eagles face back-to-back champions the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans and after landing in Louisiana on Sunday, both teams appeared in the Superdome for this year's Opening Night on Monday.

Some of the more random questions were which player would you have a voodoo doll of and what is your favourite Taylor Swift song? Some players were even asked to sing.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell brushed off claims the Kansas City Chiefs receive preferential treatment from league referees.

The Chiefs' journey to Sunday's Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans has been against the backdrop of persistent claims from rival fans that the defending champions have benefited from a string of generous officiating decisions - including two contentious calls in the AFC Championship win over the Buffalo Bills.

Goodell, speaking to media in his traditional pre-Super Bowl address, called the idea "ridiculous".

"This sort of reminds me a little bit of 'the script', right? That I write the script for the entire season," Goodell said.

"A lot of these theories are things that happen in social media and get life.

"I think it reflects a lot of the fans passion, and I think it's also is a reminder for us how important officiating is.

"I think the men and women that officiate in the NFL are outstanding. They have the highest possible standards. It's a ridiculous theory for anyone who might take it seriously."

In the major US sports leagues, a three-peat is when a team becomes national champions three years running.

It has been done five times in both the NBA and NHL, and four times in MLB.

The Green Bay Packers have achieved two three-peats in the NFL, with the latter coming as they won the final championship game before the Super Bowl era in 1966, followed by the first two Super Bowls.

No team has ever won three straight Super Bowls, but the Kansas City Chiefs have the chance of clinching a three-peat in Super Bowl 59 on Sunday, 9 February.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes looked focused as the teams arrived in New Orleans on Sunday.

Which quarterback will boss things in the Super Bowl?

Image source, Getty Images

Both teams touched down in New Orleans on Sunday for Super Bowl week.

Player arrival pictures before big games are usually good for some bold fashion choices but getting off their respective planes, it looks like most players chose comfort over style.

Even so, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce still stood out in this bold tracksuit combo.

What are we calling this colour? Dark mustard? Hot dog brown? Either way, Taylor Swift's boyfriend has certainly got Style...

Image source, BBC Sport

Julian Edelman is sick of accusations that the league or the referees are biased towards Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

A three-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots as they dominated the NFL - he knows success often brings jealousy.

"It's apparent when you're on top everyone wants to try and bring you down," he told the Rich Eisen Podcast. "It's a bunch of baloney that the league is helping the Kansas City Chiefs

"If you've got a problem with it – go beat them. The refs aren't involved when you throw interceptions, when you fumble the ball, when you jump offsides, when you don't convert third down or fourth down. They can't control that.

"If you want to beat them go beat them. Don't just talk about it, do do it. I'm so sick and tired of hearing people say that about the Chiefs.

"These whole graphics about they get the calls off the refs - it's because they're coached better."

Super Bowl 59 will take place at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The stadium hosted its first Super Bowl in 1978 and has staged the NFL's championship game more times than any other stadium (seven).

This year will be the first time since 2013 that the game has been played in New Orleans and the 11th overall - a joint record with Miami - which is why the locals like to call it the 'city of Super Bowls'.

Home to the New Orleans Saints, the Superdome opened in 1975 so this year's Super Bowl coincides with the stadium's 50th anniversary.

It has a capacity of about 75,000 and underwent a five-year renovation costing $560m (£458.7m), which was completed in time for this season.

Image source, Getty Images

Philadelphia Eagles standout right tackle Lane Johnson is clear Super Bowl 59 will not be his final game.

"I'm definitely not retiring after this game, win or lose," said Johnson, 34, who is playing in his 12th NFL season.

"I'm definitely playing next year. That's really how you take it, I guess, when you get up in age, is take it one year at a time.

"But physically, I feel a lot better than I have the past, probably, couple years."

Johnson was chosen for his sixth Pro Bowl this season after being part of a standout line that helped running back Saquon Barkley top 2,000 rushing yards.

He won Super Bowl in 2017 with the Eagles and Johnson wants to make up for the 2022 defeat against the Kansas City Chiefs when the two teams face off again on Sunday in New Orleans.

"We didn't finish what we started a couple years ago," Johnson said. "We have a big chance to go play well [on Sunday] and do something special."