The Super Bowl has long been the most anticipated athletic event in the US, thanks to its flashing lights, well-known performers, and halftime displays.
However, this year’s Super Bowl was extremely different from previous ones, even by Super Bowl standards.
More people than ever tuned in to witness Super Bowl LVIII, thanks to the narratives both on and off the field, including Taylor Swift and her entourage of famous friends in the stands.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ victory over the San Francisco 49ers drew an average viewership of over 123.4 million, making it the most watched US television event since the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969.
The 2023 season saw the NFL achieve new heights, even for a sport that has long dominated the US sporting industry.
A fresh group of listeners
The NFL has long sought to reach a wider audience, whether it is through player engagement initiatives, social media campaigns, or specialized game coverage for younger fans.
But nobody at the NFL could have foreseen the season-long gift that kept on giving: the influx of “Swifties.”
Through her orbit in the NFL cosmos, Taylor Swift attracted a new audience of admirers who may not have been football enthusiasts at all.
Her connection to the tight end for the Chiefs Whether fans liked it or not, Travis Kelce was one of the primary talking points at Super Bowl LVIII. Her trip from Japan, her appearance at Allegiant Stadium, her entourage, cutaways to her in the stands, and her post-game celebration on the field all drew a lot of media attention.
And the Super Bowl viewing numbers demonstrate how Swift’s unexpected engagement with the Chiefs, along with this year’s thrilling postseason matchups, has taken the NFL to new heights. This is, of course, the name of Kelce and his brother Jason’s popular podcast.
There is a dynasty
Amidst the discourse around the “Swifties,” there is also speculation about a new NFL dynasty.
A single team’s prolonged dominance has come to define an era, from the New England Patriots’ run in the 2000s to the Green Bay Packers’ in the 1960s. And the Kansas City dynasty was cemented in the 2023 season.
They defeated the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII to earn their third championship in five years, making history as the first team to do it since the Patriots in 2003 and 2004.
An indicator of a team’s long-term success is frequently observed in the way rival supporters respond to their victories.
Thanks to their winning ways, the Patriots started off as an up-and-coming underdog before eventually becoming a club that most people despised and were cheering against.
Additionally, the Chiefs saw this opposition for the first time from the larger NFL fan base this season, with many fans feeling discouraged by yet another Kansas City Super Bowl triumph.
Fans lamenting the Chiefs winning the Vince Lombardi Trophy repeatedly can be seen in the reactions to each social media post regarding their festivities.
Although they want to attempt an unprecedented three-peat in 2024, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, head coach Andy Reid, and center Jason Kelce’s legacy have already been ingrained in NFL history.
A period coming to an end
The Chiefs dynasty is only getting started, but in Massachusetts in 2023, the remaining remnants of another one were discovered.
After a trophy-filled tenure with the franchise, Bill Belichick’s season as head coach of the New England Patriots was his last.
One of the best head coaching streaks in NFL history came to an end in January when the six-time Super Bowl winner and the Patriots parted ways after 24 seasons.
During his tenure at Foxborough, Belichick had a record of 266-121 in the regular season and 30-12 in the postseason. In nine Super Bowl appearances, he won six of them.
Belichick is the second-greatest head coach of all time with 333 victories (regular and postseason), trailing only Hall of Fame coach Don Shula’s 347.
In addition, the 71-year-old is tied for the most defeats in franchise history with Hall of Fame head coach Tom Landry, with 178 overall losses (including postseason losses).
Belichick hasn’t indicated that he will be leaving the NFL; in fact, he conducted two interviews for the head coaching position with the Atlanta Falcons, which has since been filled.
So the question still stands: where will Belichick next be found lurking along the touchline?
Resurrection tales
For his late-season stint with the Cleveland Browns, Joe Flacco was named the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year, but this NFL season will also be remembered for another inspirational tale.
After experiencing a heart arrest in January of last year, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin underwent an incredible recuperation and is expected to return to NFL activity in 2023.
After completing a tackle and taking a bullet to the head and chest, Hamlin passed out in January 2023. When his pulse stopped and resuscitation and defibrillation were required to revive him, medical personnel administered CPR. He was in a Cincinnati hospital for over a week, on a ventilator for days at a time.
It was eventually discovered that commotio cordis, which can happen when significant chest trauma throws off the heart’s electrical charge and results in deadly fibrillations (or irregular heartbeats), was the cause of Hamlin’s cardiac arrest.
In April, Hamlin received the all-clear to start playing football again. He was fully involved in preseason games by August, and he did well. In his limited playing time, he recorded three tackles, including a fourth-down tackle that forced a down turnover in the team’s opening preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Although the 25-year-old Hamlin was on the inactive list for the first three games of the Bills’ season, he participated in Buffalo’s three preseason games.
He participated in the opening kickoff of the Bills’ Week 4 game against the Miami Dolphins, making his first appearance of the NFL season.
Even though Hamlin only appeared in five games for the Bills during the season, his ability to recover and return to the field is a remarkable display of fortitude and character.
Demons being driven out
The Detroit Lions have experienced every kind of suffering available in the NFL. Their supporters have seen it all, from draft busts to the first club in league history to go winless throughout a 16-game season.
However, for those tainted supporters, this season has been a clean slate.
The Lions, who qualified for the NFC Championship Game despite narrowly losing to the 49ers, were among the greatest teams in the NFL this season.
Despite missing out on their first-ever Super Bowl, Detroit’s fervent supporters are once again supporting them, thanks to head coach Dan Campbell’s charisma and their young roster.
Furthermore, the old term that Detroit’s supporters have long used to characterize the team’s current struggles—”SOL,” or “same old Lions”—appears to have been put on hold for the time being.
Letdown
There were other clubs whose seasons ended in disappointment, as opposed to the Lions.
The New York Jets were the most optimistic of all, having signed quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the summer.
However, Rodgers’ season-ending Achilles injury, sustained just four plays into his start, all but dashed those hopes, and the team was left with disastrous quarterback performances as they missed the playoffs.
In an attempt to turn around the struggling team, Aaron Rodgers has announced that he will play for the Jets again in East Rutherford. However, with Rodgers turning 40 this season and head coach Robert Saleh coming under more criticism, the team will be under even more pressure to succeed.
Numerous more franchises saw their year come to an end with disappointment, rage, or dismay. However, their supporters can always count on them and consider the timeless sports adage, “There’s always next year.”
