Jon Hamm’s announcing of the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59 earned the ire of NFL fans on social media on Sunday.
The Mad Men actor, 53, introduced the Chiefs, and TV viewers took to X/Twitter to criticize Hamm for what they said was a cracking voice.
‘That voice crack,’ one user commented with a laughing emoji, while another said, ‘Slight crack in the voice for authenticity.’
The St. Louis, Missouri-born actor sought to inspire his favorite NFL team to win the Lombardi Trophy for a record third year in a row.
One user commented, ‘Jon hamm?! Hand them the L already.’
Hamm was clad in a Kansas City Chiefs jersey as he hyped the reigning Super Bowl winners in an NFL first of using celebrities to announce the teams, with Bradley Cooper announcing the Philadelphia Eagles.
One user commented on the leading men playing a role in the proceedings: ‘bradley cooper and jon hamm??? this game is for the girls #SuperBowl.’
Jon Hamm’s announcing of the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59 earned the ire of NFL fans on social media on Sunday
The Mad Men actor introduced the Chiefs, and TV viewers took to X/ Twitter to criticize Hamm for what they said was a cracking voice as the Missouri native sought to inspire his favorite NFL team
Another user added, ‘Jon Hamm Squeaked so Bradley Cooper could Squawk! #SuperBowl.’
One fan noted of the Emmy-winning actor, ‘Jon Hamm has to be pissed about that voice crack,’ while another said, ‘Jon Hamm voice squeak gives me so much hope in life.’
One fan joked that the league should strive to get the A-list actors even more involved in the game: ‘The Chiefs and Eagles should be required to put in Jon Hamm and Bradley Cooper for one snap just to see what happens.’
NFL superstars Patrick Mahomes and Saquon Barkley met with Fox reporters Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi after the teams took the field for the Super Bowl.
Said Mahomes: ‘Just enjoying it with the team. It´s always special.’
Read More Jason Kelce hosts New Heights house party as Brianna Chickenfry and Jon Hamm attend Super Bowl event 
Added Barkley: ‘It´s no accident why we´re here. … It´s go time.’
There was a heavily pro-Eagles crowd inside the Superdome to watch Philadelphia try to dethrone the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs.
The Chiefs were booed loudly during pregame introductions, and the crowed revved up when Bradley Cooper appeared with a mic to introduce Philadelphia.
It had been evident all week that Eagles fans had come in droves, while perhaps a bit of Super Bowl fatigue had set in among Kansas City fans, who thought the big game was a once-in-a-lifetime trip but has now happened three straight years.
It´s a good bet that a lot of otherwise neutral fans were rooting for the Eagles, too. The Chiefs have become the juggernaut that everybody loves to hate.
Paul McCartney is here. Messi in a white sweatsuit. Bradley Cooper is on the field in his green Eagles jacket. Taylor Swift is in a suite with Ice Spice. Jay-Z with his daughters Blue Ivy and Rumi were on the field earlier.
New Orleans legend Harry Connick Jr. has welcomed the crowd, and the worldwide television audience, to the Super Bowl.
Hamm was clad in a Kansas City Chiefs jersey as he hyped the reigning Super Bowl winners
Social media users were critical of the Hollywood star’s announcement on Sunday
With live marching bands, dancing and song, Connick led a Mardi Gras-themed welcome.
‘How y´all feeling, baby? Let´s celebrate some New Orleans music and culture at Super Bowl 59,’ Connick said as the performance was beginning.
Lady Gaga sang ‘Hold My Hand,’ her 2022 tribute to resilience, in a pre-recorded performance on Bourbon Street that was aired in the run-up to kickoff.
Before the song, a solemn group that included Tom Brady, Michael Strahan and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell walked up the street together to honor the victims of recent tragedies including the Jan. 1 New Orleans truck attack and recent Los Angeles wildfires.
Philadelphia Eagles players warm up before the NFL Super Bowl 59 football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP PH๏τo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Brady praised ‘the American spirit of courage, generosity and unity.’
Gaga wore all white and sat at a piano in the middle of the street in the performance that was taped at 4 a.m. on Thursday.
Inside the Superdome, fans were given bracelets that lit up in an otherwise darkened stadium, creating a twinkling nighttime effect.
When Trombone Shorty invited Daigle months ago to join him for ‘America the Beautiful’ at the Super Bowl, she didn´t hesitate. Now, as she prepares to take the stage, she calls the moment an honor – one that carries deep meaning in her home state of Louisiana.
‘There´s a sense of pride in the air. It´s palpable,’ said Daigle, a two-time Grammy winner known for her 2018 breakout hit ‘You Say.’ She sees the NFL´s presence as a much-needed uplift for New Orleans, a city still healing from the New Year´s terrorist attack and past hardships like Hurricane Katrina.
Daigle and Trombone Shorty began rehearsals at the Superdome on Friday after first working on the song together in the studio.
As for pre-show jitters? She welcomes them.’Nerves are part of the experience,’ she said. ‘You just have to let them fly.’
Lionel Messi is at the Super Bowl, an intersection of futbol and football.
The eight-time Ballon d´Or winner as soccer´s best player is at the Superdome, arriving one day after he and Inter Miami played a preseason game at Honduras.
Messi is the reigning MLS MVP.
The NBA and NHL had games today, but all were scheduled early enough to be done before the start of the Super Bowl.
That said, one team probably isn´t very happy right now.
The Philadelphia 76ers played at Milwaukee — and the team was flying back to Philly after the game, with a flight plan that has them airborne during kickoff.
It´s about a 90-minute flight between Milwaukee and Philly, and the 76ers are scheduled to land around 7:30 p.m. That would be roughly the end of the first quarter.
South Carolina women´s basketball coach Dawn Staley stayed true to her Philly roots.
Staley rocked a Super Bowl LIX sweatshirt and green sneakers when the Gamecocks played Sunday at Texas. Staley represents her favorite Philly teams as much as she can, and the city loves her back. In 2017, Philadelphia proclaimed a Dawn Staley Day and renamed a street right where she grew up as Dawn Staley Lane.
Philadelphia residents Ed White and Giiselle Burnett drove more than 1,200 miles overnight – an 18-hour drive – to arrive in Bourbon street in time for the Super Bowl.
Despite the overnight drive they were bursting with energy, dancing down the street blowing whistles and shouting cheers to other Eagles fans.
They had already adorned green Mardi Gras beads over their Eagles shirts.
‘We got to come out here and represent for our birds,’ White said. ‘Chiefs get outta here – it´s not happening!’
Ledisi performs ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ before the NFL Super Bowl 59 football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP PH๏τo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Ledisi was backed by a choir of local high school students as she sang ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ – the song widely regarded as the Black national anthem.
The R&B singer stood spot-lit on a pedestal clad all in angelic white, with the students all in gold robes behind her as she delivered a soaring rendition of the song. It opened a series of pregame performances that will include the U.S. national anthem sung by Jon Batiste.
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs heard loud boos as they ran on the field for warmups. The early-arriving crowd was overwhelmingly filled with Eagles fans. Though Philadelphians are known for their boorish behavior, the Eagles are fan favorites against the Chiefs. A few Saints fans were heard screaming ‘Go Birds!’ and one Jets fan joined Eagles fans in singing ‘Fly! Eagles! Fly!’ on the stadium concourse.
Taylor Swift has arrived at the Super Bowl to cheer on her boyfriend Travis Kelce and the Chiefs.
The pop superstar was spotted in her suite at the Superdome, wearing a simple white ensemble, about an hour before kickoff.
Swift and Kelce have been the sports-and-entertainment power couple since early last season, when the four-time All-Pro тιԍнт end invited the 14-time Grammy winner to watch him play in a matchup with the Bears.
Swift made an around-the-world trip from her concert in Tokyo to Las Vegas last year to watch the Chiefs beat the 49ers in the Super Bowl.
The cost of a 30-second ad during the Super Bowl reportedly cost up to a record $8 million this year; and that´s just the media buy – production can cost millions more.
Why spend so much? The Super Bowl reaches more than 120 million viewers who tune in not only to watch the game, but are primed to watch the ads as well.
An estimated 123.7 million viewers tuned in for Super Bowl in 2024, according to Nielsen. By contrast, about 19.5 million people tuned in to the Oscars in 2024 and about 18.6 million watched the final game of the World Series in October, according to Nielsen.
At the entrance to Bourbon Street, many paused to pay their respects to the 14 people had lost their lives in the Jan. 1 truck attack.
A group of young Eagles fans removed green beads from around their necks and placed them on the memorial beside a mᴀss of flowers and other offerings from tourists and locals alike.
‘I´ve seen it on the news but it´s my first time seeing it in person,’ said Baton Rouge resident Chester Matthews, 35, as he stood beside the memorial, taking it in. ‘People lost their lives on the same streets we´re walking on. I just had to take a moment to reflect on that.’
Famous mustaches help deliver Pringles. Bad Bunny is all smiles in Ritz´s ‘salty club.’ And Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal´s ‘When Harry Met Sally’ characters reunite in Katz´s Deli, with the help of Hellmann´s mayonnaise.
It´s Super Bowl Sunday – and, as always, there´s a vast roster of advertisers ready to vie for fans´ attention during game breaks.
The commercials will pull out all the stops. Viewers can expect to see the biggest actors, dazzling special effects and plenty of nostalgia (coupled with a frenzied mix of silliness) fill their screen.
Read more here
Team Fluff clawed its way to victory to defeat Team Ruff at the 21st annual ‘Puppy Bowl.’
With a final score of 68-66, the adorable piece of Super Bowl counterprogramming came down to the very last play.
A Labrador retriever mix named ‘Paws Allen’ scored a touchdown in the final seconds of the game – taking matters into his own famous paws and securing the Lombarky Trophy for Team Fluff.
This year´s Most Valuable Puppy Award went to Team Ruff´s ‘Foxtrot,’ a border collie mix who scored the first two touchdowns and added another in the fourth quarter.
This year´s `Puppy Bowl´ was set to feature 142 rescue puppies from 80 shelters across 40 states – as well as one from Nicaragua.
There were no big surprises when the inactive lists were released 90 minutes prior to kickoff.
The Eagles inactives were offensive linemen Darian Kinnard and Trevor Keegan, wide receiver Ainias Smith and defensive backs Eli Ricks, Lewis Cine and Bryce Huff.
The Chiefs inactives were defensive backs Steven Nelson and Keith Taylor, linebacker Josh Uche, defensive end Malik Herring and offensive linemen C.J. Hanson, Ethan Driskell and Wanya Morris.
Donald Trump has arrived in New Orleans.
The president arrived on Air Force One with family members and a long list of lawmakers.
Diehard fans Daryl Flowers and Cheryl Williams, decked out in Eagles green, had flown in from Philadelphia and said they felt safe visiting Bourbon Street to watch the game from a bar.
‘This is one of the greatest cities in America,’ Flowers said. ‘Bourbon street is always a fun time – there was never any trepidation about coming down here.’
Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham has been activated for the Super Bowl a day after he was taken off the injured-reserve list, where he had been recovering from a torn triceps sustained 11 weeks ago.
The 36-year-old Graham was thought to be done for the season after he was hurt Nov. 24 against the Rams. But as the Eagles kept winning, Graham started to hint he could put on his No. 55 jersey in the Super Bowl.
In the tiny farm town of Odebolt, Iowa, (population 920), a Super Bowl watch party was underway for native son Cooper DeJean.
Green and black balloons adorned the town´s community building, where Odebolt resident Jenny Sorensen was popping popcorn, which will be given away free during the game.
The Eagles´ DeJean ‘always takes time for the little kids who look up to him so much,’ Sorensen said. ‘He´ll always take time to say hi to them, pat them on the back, sign something for them.’
Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson just got about a 10-minute tribute from Fox, chronicling his life in football from college playing to college coaching to NFL coaching to broadcasting.
Johnson said he hadn´t seen the tribute until it aired live, and he teared up as he discussed the piece.
‘I´ve got to thank my family for allowing me the time to accomplish some of those things,’ Johnson said. ‘And I was blessed to have great players, great ᴀssistant coaches and great friends.’
But what did it mean?
There were definitely some hints at retirement, especially when he was asked by NFL on Fox pregame host Curt Menefee, ‘Was that good-bye?’
‘One day at a time, Curt,’ Johnson said. ‘One day at a time.’
If you tuned into the ‘Puppy Bowl,’ you likely saw a key person´s influence – even if you didn´t actually see her.
Victoria Schade is a dog trainer and novelist who´s the show´s lead puppy trainer and wrangler. She was the one making sure the shelter pups had a conflict-free contest and that they were captured at their most adorable – all from off-camera.
Artist Tahj ‘Queen Tahj’ Williams is responsible for the Super Bowl theme art and logo that have been featured almost everywhere, such as digital game tickets, the official program cover, the team jerseys, the game ball and the exterior of a H๏τel in New Orleans.
Williams´ design was a tribute to Black Masking culture, which was rooted in the 1800s. It blends African and Native American heritage.
The elaborate, hand-sewn suits – adorned with intricate beadwork and feathers – are highlighted with bold and colorful designs to pay homage to their ancestral influence.
The NFL said Williams´ work honors the cultural roots of New Orleans, calling her the ‘perfect artist.’
Jon Batiste is getting ready to bring it home.
He´s set to take the Super Bowl field to sing the US national anthem at approximately 5:24 p.m. CST.
The multi-talented musician from Louisiana will look to put his own spin on ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ at the piano, all while thinking of his late grandfather, a veteran who recently died.
Actor Stephanie Nogueras will perform the anthem in American sign language.
Bourbon Street is packed with festive Eagles and Chiefs fans clutching drinks and grabbing Mardi Gras beads tossed down from balconies amid blasting bar music.
There´s more than 2,000 law enforcement officers on hand in the city keeping a watchful eye on the crowds and a host of new security measures in place after a truck attack struck the city´s most famous thoroughfare on Jan. 1.
While it remains relatively easy for pedestrians to get into the city´s historic French Quarter, metal barriers have been erected and raised around Bourbon street to block vehicles from entering and armed National Guardsmen are stationed at every intersection, along with federal agents. New bollards – steel columns – have been installed by the city throughout the most popular blocks of Bourbon Street.
Trombone Shorty will perform ‘America The Beautiful’ with Christian singer-songwriter Lauren Daigle before kickoff.
Trombone Shorty was raised in the New Orleans jazz scene. Daigle is from Lake Charles, Louisiana.
They´ll take to the field at approximately 5:22 p.m. CST, just before the US national anthem.
Saquon Barkley and Cooper DeJean are hoping for a bigger reason to celebrate besides their birthdays.
The two Eagles will become the 15th and 16th players to appear in a Super Bowl on their birthday and the first teammates to do it since Green Bay´s Travis Williams and Ron Kostelnik in a Super Bowl 2 win over Oakland.
No one has ever scored a touchdown or intercepted a pᴀss in the Super Bowl on their birthdays. Although Randy White did share the MVP with Dallas teammate Harvey Martin after beating Denver on his 25th birthday in Super Bowl 12.
R&B singer Ledisi is set to perform ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing,’ a song regarded as the Black national anthem.
Ledisi, who is from New Orleans, will perform at approximately 4:46 p.m. CST.
Heads is on a coin-toss roll right now, having been the result of the pregame flip in three of the last four Super Bowls.
The most supersтιтious of Eagles fans might want to see that trend continue.
This is Philadelphia´s fifth Super Bowl. In the previous four, tails has been the coin-toss result three times; the Eagles are 0-3 in those games. The one time the coin-toss result was heads, Philly prevailed.
Kendrick Lamar is almost certain to rap at least part of ‘Not Like Us’ when he performs with guest star SZA and possibly others. It´s an odd fit for the Super Bowl, though.
The incendiary sH๏τs the song takes at Lamar´s rival Drake drove Drake to sue their shared record label for defamation.
President Donald Trump said he´s looking forward to the game as he prepared to board Air Force One en route to New Orleans.
Trump said he´ll be cheering on ‘two great teams-the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles’ in a statement released by the White House. He says that, ‘The coaches, players, and team staff on the field tonight represent the best of the best in professional football’ and ’embody the best of the American Dream.’
He also acknowledged those who were killed and injured during the New Years attack in the French Quarter. Upon arriving at the Caesars Superdome, Trump is expected to participate in a meet-and-greet with this year´s honorary coin toss participants, including victims´ family members, members of the New Orleans Police Department and other emergency personnel.
AP NFL Writer Rob Maaddi predicted the Eagles would beat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl before the season began and he´s sticking with it, taking Philadelphia to win 31-30.
Maaddi accurately selected winners in 70.7% of games this season in Pro Picks, going 201-83.
Kendrick Lamar said viewers can expect storytelling above all from his Super Bowl halftime show.
He comes into the headlining gig after winning five Grammys a week ago, including record of the year and song of the year, for ‘Not Like Us.’
The artist who is from Compton, California, said he´s riding ‘L.A. Energy’ into Louisiana.
Jon Batiste will headline a pregame parade of local Louisiana performers when he sings the national anthem in New Orleans shortly before kickoff.
Batiste, the multi-instrumentalist, singer and former TV bandleader whose music has blended R&B, hip-hop, swing, jazz, pop and classical sounds says he´ll perform ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ at the piano.
The seven-time Grammy winner comes from a legacy New Orleans musical family. Batiste told The ᴀssociated Press he´ll be thinking of his veteran grandfather who died recently when he performs.
R&B singer Ledisi, a native of the city, will perform ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing,’ a song regarded as the Black national anthem.
Trombone Shorty, who was raised in the New Orleans jazz scene, will perform ‘America The Beautiful’ with Christian singer-songwriter Lauren Daigle, who is from Lake Charles.
The Chiefs (17-2) will try to become the first team to win three straight Super Bowls when they face the Eagles (17-3) in the Superdome.
It´s a rematch from two years ago when Jalen Hurts nearly led Philadelphia to a championship only to watch Patrick Mahomes snatch it away by rallying Kansas City to a 38-35 win.
Mahomes lifted the Chiefs to an overtime win against San Francisco in another Super Bowl rematch last year. Now, they´re poised for a three-peat.
