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| USA TODAY Sports |
Super Bowl week opened on Monday night with a sensory-overload spectacle at the Las Vegas Allegiant Stadium, and a sprinkling of Taylor Swift.
Bellowing announcers, thumping music, dancers, drummers and painted men flooded the in-field while more than 23,000 paying fans filled the stands of the arena, waving flags and placards while howling at the master of ceremonies and jeering the Kansas City Chiefs.
Never known for understatement, Vegas certainly put on a show to kick-start the city’s first Super Bowl. The defending Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday for the cherished Vince Lombardi Trophy.
“Now you’re firing me up, making me want to play right now, baby,” laughed tight end Travis Kelce as boos rained down from the stands. “Whooooooo... I love the boos more than I love the cheers, keep ‘em coming Niners gang, keep ‘em coming.”
Kelce and pop superstar girlfriend Taylor Swift bring even more glitz to this Vegas Super Bowl as their relationship is on everybody’s lips.
“I’ve never seen a Super Bowl opening like this,” Kelce smiled. “It feels like Christmas,” he laughed, as a female journalist threw a Mexican wrestling mask at him.
Soon afterwards a man tossed him a red-and-white striped soccer shirt. Questions ranged from queries about the weight he bench presses to how his faith and family have fuelled his success.
To 'football star' add 'diplomat' as the 34-year-old fielded increasingly bizarre questions — many relating to Swift — from a tiny podium with journalists a dozen deep jostling and shouting.
Swift set another record on Sunday, winning the Grammy award for album of the year for an unprecedented fourth time.
“She’s unbelievable,” Kelce said. “She’s rewriting the history books. I told her I’ll have to hold up my end of the bargain and come home (with) some hardware, too.”
