Kickoff is only days away for the 58th Superbowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada and questions and predictions have been swirling around: Will the Kansas City Chiefs or the San Francisco 49ers win? Will Usher top Rihanna’s 2023 halftime performance? And the obvious question: how much will Taylor Swift be shown on screen?
Roger Williams students were surveyed about what they expect from the Super Bowl. The majority of those interviewed seemed to place their faith in the Chiefs to take home the trophy this year, even if it was begrudgingly.
“Who’s playing in the Superbowl again? Oh, the 49ers and the Chiefs… I guess I’ll take the Chiefs, if I have to pick one,” Freshman Will Desantos said.
“I don’t know one player on the San Francisco team, so Chiefs it is!” Freshman Baden Dickson said.
“I think the Chiefs will win because they’ve already won like three [Super Bowls] in the past five years,” Freshman Lauren Kuchar said.
Kansas City seems to be the first choice for a winner. After all, the Chiefs played the 49ers four years ago in 2020 and beat San Francisco with a final score of 31-20. Also, the Chiefs won last year’s Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles. However, not all hope is lost for the 49ers. San Francisco is the 4th team in the NFL with the most Superbowl wins, with five wins, while the Chiefs are in 10th place, with three wins.
“I’m so excited. I think the 49ers will win, I just want them to,” Freshman Jack Maguire said.
While some fans are placing their bets on who will win based on statistics and probability, some fans have their own opinions on why their team will be victorious.
“I like the 49ers jerseys more. The red isn’t so in-your-face,” Kuchar said.
“I’ve heard the Kansas City Chiefs are good. I don’t watch football, I don’t pay attention to it,
I just consume media,” Dickson said.
While the two teams are facing off, arguably the most important part of the game will take place midway through, the Pepsi Halftime Show. R&B singer and producer Usher will be taking on the show this year. Pop and R&B artist, Rihanna, was 2023’s halftime show, and her performance impressed many fans and was highly rated. RWU students hope Usher can live up to their expectations.
“He [Usher] has such a tough act to follow after Rihanna,” Kuchar said.
“I’m kind of surprised he’s the only one headlining, I was expecting another collaborator. I’m excited to see if we’ll have a surprise guest,” Dickson said.
We may not know if Usher will bring out a surprise act, however, we can be sure that there will be a highly debated celebrity appearance – Taylor Swift. Football fans and Swifties have been butting heads since Taylor’s latest romance with Chief’s tight end, Travis Kelce. Taylor has made frequent appearances at Kansas City Chiefs games and the television broadcasters often show Taylor on camera. Some NFL fans argue that she is taking attention away from the game.
“She [Taylor Swift] is just existing. People love to watch her and she can’t do anything about that, take it up with the source,” Dickson said.
“It’s not even her that wants to be on the TV. The NFL is pushing the fact that now all her fans are watching,” Kuchar said. “You can’t be mad when the NFL’s revenue is up because of Taylor.”
No matter who you’re rooting for or who you’re anticipating to see at the game, all Super Bowl forecasts will be answered this Sunday, February 11 at 6:30, EST.
