A beginner’s guide to Super Bowl 2023

Welcome, friends!

The Kansas City Chiefs (white jerseys; red and gold main colors) and the Philadelphia Eagles (green jerseys; green, black and white main colors) are squaring off in the Super Bowl this weekend, and you’re here because you need information. You know it’s the biggest TV event of the year, but maybe that’s all you know about The Big Game, so we’re here to help.

Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes (jersey No. 15) is a name even novice fans know thanks to his early success and presence in national TV commercials. On the other side is Jalen Hurts (jersey No. 1) of the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s the first time in NFL history that two Black quarterbacks have led their teams to the Super Bowl in the same season.

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) and Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) led their team in touchdowns, along with Eagles running back Miles Sanders (26). Chiefs running backs are led my Jerick McKinnon (1). Kelce and running back Isaiah Pacheco (“puh-CHEH-koh”) are the go-to players when the Chiefs get close to the goal line, while Hurts and the QB sneak have been deadly for Philadelphia.

For the first time in history, a pair of brothers are on opposite sides of the Super Bowl with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) and Eagles center Jason Kelce (62). They are Pro Bowlers and All-Pros and both playing at a very high level. Their mother, Donna, has been an unexpected star of the week, bringing cookies to the Opening Night media event and asking the first question of league commissioner Roger Goodell at his press conference. She’s wearing a split jersey featuring Travis on the front and Jason on the back and a new jacket, split in half to represent both teams.

The Chiefs are returning to the Super Bowl for the third time in four years while the Eagles have a new head coach (Nick Sirianni and not Doug Pederson) and starting quarterback (Jalen Hurts replaces Nick Foles) since their last in February of 2018. The Eagles won that year and the Chiefs won in February of 2020, so no long drought will be broken this weekend.

Current Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has taken Kansas City to three Super Bowls, but he also went to the Super Bowl as coach of the Eagles. He was in Philly from 1999 to 2012 and is the longest-tenured and winningest coach in Eagles history.

The halftime show has taken on a life of its own over the last couple decades, as the NFL elongated their traditional time limit between the second and third quarters. This year, Rihanna makes her triumphant return to the stage. We don’t have any details about possible guest performances.

Before the game, country singer Chris Stapleton is performing the “Star-Spangled Banner” while it’s signed in American Sign Language by Oscar winner Troy Kotsur from the movie CODA. R&B singer Babyface is performing “America the Beautiful”. “Lift Every Voice and Sing” is being performed by Sheryl Lee Ralph.

Food could be the main draw of your Super Bowl party. We have you covered here:

While the food may be the main draw for you at the party, you also might be into the commercials. We already know there will be a lot of movie trailers, a Zoolander return for Ben Stiller, Alicia Silverstone returning to Clueless, and a Breaking Bad reunion, and there are sure to be some surprises in store. And what’s going on with those “woke” M&Ms in the culture wars?