Superbowl LVIII: One of the Worst Matchups to Date?

On February 11, 2024, the 58th Super Bowl is taking place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. The final 2 teams competing are the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. This matchup garners little support among the NFL fanbase as many hoped for other teams such as the Detroit Lions who haven’t made it to a Super Bowl to advance. While many teams in the playoffs including the Lions, the Baltimore Ravens, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Houston Texans received mass support from the NFL community, they all fell short of reaching the coveted Super Bowl matchup, leaving many fans distraught and uninterested in what the rest of the postseason had to offer. For the Chiefs, their success with star quarterback Patrick Mahomes has, of course, caused many fans to detest them solely for being so dominant the past few years. The unexpected relationship between Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift earlier in the season has also caused some to believe that the constant media publication about Swift and their relationship is taking away from the actual football experience. For the 49ers, many feel that quarterback Brock Purdy hasn’t truly proven himself to be an elite playmaker; they propose that he is instead a product of the skillful players that surround him and that almost any quarterback in the NFL could have the same level of success on this team. Both of these teams seem to be abhorred by many fans, bringing into question whether or not this is one of the least desirable Super Bowl matchups in history. After having a somewhat underwhelming regular season performance, many fans paid little attention to the Chiefs and assumed that they would be first-round exits in the playoffs. After the blowout win by the Ravens against the 49ers in week 16, many doubted the capabilities of Brock Purdy and his team to find their way to a Super Bowl appearance. For the Ravens, however, they were viewed as the best team in the NFL going into the playoffs while also being led by MVP candidate Lamar Jackson. The Lions also had the support of the NFL fanbase as they showed promise of potentially winning their first Super Bowl in franchise history. Most people want to see something more unique and entertaining such as a Lions and Ravens Super Bowl than just a rematch of what happened 4 years prior. Throughout the 2023 season, many began to feel suspicious and angry about the officiating that occurred. There were dozens of missed calls, questionable penalties, questionable ball placements, and more. Just like in years past when the Patriots dominated, many seemed to notice a considerably larger disparity when watching Chiefs games. While many may just be jealous of the Chiefs’ success in recent years, it does pose the question of whether teams such as these receive favorable treatment from officiators. Although the Super Bowl will still have millions of viewers, there is likely to be less interest among NFL fans. Many wanted to see exhilarating matchups this year, but it is well understood by many speculators that the NFL will do whatever it can to make some extra cash. Therefore, if potentially cementing the Chiefs as a dynasty or getting Mr. Irrelevant (Brock Purdy) a Super Bowl ring will put more money in the pockets of these greedy owners, then it will surely be done.