For the second time in four years, the Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl Champions. The Chiefs behind the gimp ankle and golden arm of Patrick Mahomes ralled from a 10-point halftime deficit to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles on a field goal with just 8 seconds left. Final score: 38-35. 

The Eagles could hang their heads high. Given a skimpy defensive holding penalty near the end of the game and the reputation of Philly fans, though, I might want extra security around the refs for a while. Kudos to Eagles defensive back James Bradberry. He cops to the penalty. That makes him a winner regardless of the score.

James Bradberry: “It was a holding. I tugged his jersey. I was hoping they would let it slide."

Wow…

pic.twitter.com/i1R0HpXct9

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) February 13, 2023

Eagles QB Jalen Hurts set a Super Bowl record with three rushing touchdowns, most ever by a quarterback. Their offense spent so much time on the field in the first half Mahomes could have gone off and shot another State Farm commercial. But even on a re-injured ankle Mahomes was able to lead his Chiefs in a furious second half charge. 

After the Eagles tied the score at 35, the Chiefs made one final drive, ran down the clock, and with eight seconds on the clock, Nicholas Butker split the uprights. And the Vince Lombardi Trophy comes back to Kansas City. 

Mahomes was named Super Bowl MVP. 

Of course, the sporting event is but one part of America’s biggest secular holiday. 

Two National Anthems?

Not only did we have the National Anthem from the great Chris Stapleton, but for the third year in the row, the Super Bowl decided to also include the so-called “Black National Anthem,” “Lift Up Your Voice and Sing.” Emmy-winner Sheryl Lee Ralph did the honors. 

Darrell B. Harrison spoke for many.

A few years back Rep. James Clyburn had an idea. Make “Lift Up Your Voice and Sing” the National Hymn. Choose unity over division. But when have the woke and race hustlers ever been interested in that?

We did get treated in the pregame to Johnny Cash’s classic “Ragged Old Flag” moshed with an adorable choir of kids singing the folk ballad “Shenandoah.” Babyfaced followed with a sweet rendition of “America the Beautiful.” 

As for Stapleton, only he could make “The Star Spangled Banner” sound like 2 a.m. at a honky tonk and turns Francis Scott Key into Hank Williams. Did it beat Whitney Houston’s “National Anthem” in 1991? Wouldn’t that make an interesting poll in the morning. 

.@ChrisStapleton brings the house down with his performance of the National Anthem! #SBLVII pic.twitter.com/iiRzjVcByW

— NFL (@NFL) February 12, 2023

Regardless, Stapleton’s rendition left Eagles coach Nick Siriani in tears. And not just Siriani. 

Emotional. #SBLVII pic.twitter.com/gWLzaHKu8a

— NFL (@NFL) February 12, 2023

Yeah, there is crying in football.

Rihanna’s Half Time Show: The Good and the Bad

I don’t want to say halftime act Rihanna was boring, but it would have been more entertaining watching the ground crew repaint hash marks.

The singer had not performed live in several years, and it showed. In fact, I am not positive she performed live last night. And I’m not talking about the lip-synching.

Rihanna started out her set so high in the sky she could have popped a Chinese spy balloon with a fingernail. She could only go down from there.

Yes she’s put on weight. In fact, after the performance her reps confirmed the singer is pregnant. Congratulations there. But did she have to dress like a red bounce house? Gyrate and grope like her water was about to break? And her lyrics? It was almost enough to make you miss the wholesome efforts of Madonna.

Still, the critique is nothing compared to the wonderful point made by Evan Kilgore on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/EvanAKilgore/status/1624963880131649536

Compared to Rihanna choosing life, we can let slide her choice in fashion.

Of course, it’s not the Super Bowl unless you’re talking about the Super Bowl Ads.

Super Bowl Ads

So what was your favorite Super Bowl Ad?

The Christian “He Gets Us” campaign offered two powerful spots. The campaign’s actual biblical faithfulness is a question for another day. The first showed a black and white montage of adorable children being loving and supportive. The tag: “Jesus didn’t tell us to act like adults.” The second offered a searing series of face-to-face protests and confrontations. The tag? Well, watch.

 

“Jesus loved the people you hate”? Should it be “loves”?

The @NFL is making a huge mistake, in my humble opinion, by having "Lift Every Voice and Sing," what has traditionally been referred to as the "black national anthem," sung at the #SuperBowl. What more divisive message could be sent than to suggest we're a nation of two anthems.

— Darrell B. Harrison (@D_B_Harrison) February 9, 2023

The Bible made another appearance. Sort of. A commercial for avocados speculates what would have happened in the Garden of Eden had Eve eating an avocado after taking that bite of apple. Apparently, there’d be no shame as in our day nudity rules … even the Statue of Liberty is in the buff.

Not exactly scriptural, is it?

Good chuckles were to be had with Kia’s #BinkyDad commercial about a father who forgets his baby’s binky. Also, T-Mobile’s spot purportedly showing actor Bradley Cooper trying and “failing” to make a commercial with his wise-cracking mother. T-Mobile scored a second winner with John Travolta performing a spoof of the Grease hit “Summer Nights” with Scrubs alumni Zack Braff and Donald Faison.

And you know you’ve got to have a commercial that makes you sniffle. This year’s winner goes to “Forever” from The Farmer’s Dog.

And from the real life turns into art category, actor Ben Affleck has become something of a meme and TMZ fixture for his love of Dunkin’ Donuts. So Dunkin’ had the bright idea to have him working the drive-thru at a Boston location. He was certainly more cheery than he was at the Grammys. (Perhaps because donuts are better than Satan worship? Just a guess.)

And the ending twist is endearing. Wife Jennifer Lopez rolls up, asking “So this is where you are when you say you’re going to work.”  (I’m surprised they didn’t call this spot “Good Will Dunkin’.”)

DUNKIN' | Turning Ben Affleck's meme-ified devotion to Dunkin' into a full-blown campaign was a smart move. And the final cameo from Jennifer Lopez is a truly delicious kicker.#BigGameReviews @SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/AQfiMIokj2

— Adweek (@Adweek) February 12, 2023

Adweek has a run-down of the Super Bowl ads if you missed them.

So, remember that talk in recent years of turning the Monday after the Super Bowl into a national holiday so Americans can recover? Hey, Congress, is it too late for this year?

 

Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream, chief barista for The Brew and co-author, with John Zmirak, of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration. You can follow him at @StreamingAl at GETTR, Gab, Parler, and now at TRUTH Social.