Super Bowl LIX hit the screens Feb. 9 and though many were unhappy with the Kansas City Chiefs returning to play the Philadelphia Eagles again, others saw this game as a second chance.
Junior Amelia Mordan’s family has lived in Philadelphia for generations and her dad has held season tickets to the Eagles’ games since she was born. The Eagles were in the Super Bowl the year Mordan was born, but did not return until 2018.
“There is nothing like Philly pride, and we supported them through thick and thin,” Mordan said. “It’s truly the best city ever and the fan base is so awesome and so fun that it didn’t really matter that we were losing — we just loved the atmosphere that the games brought.”
Though Mordan spends most of the year in Malibu, she said she goes to as many Eagles games as she can while she’s home. The last time the Eagles were in the Super Bowl in 2023, Mordan flew home to watch the big game with her family. But this year, she had other plans.
“The last time that the Eagles were in the Super Bowl, I actually flew home,” Mordan said. “Since that Super Bowl didn’t end up how we wanted it to and we are superstitious, I am actually staying in Malibu for the Super Bowl and having my sister fly to me.”
Mordan said she and her sister planned to band together with other Eagles fans at Pepperdine. According to Mordan, there’s a large population of students from Philadelphia, which she said makes it feel homey, especially when it comes to games like these.
“I think everybody’s really just rallying around [the Eagles] now more than ever and hopefully we see them beat the Chiefs,” Mordan said. “I think we’ve always kind of been the underdogs, but I think that’s the best part about our team. The fanbase and the players and all of those things really show how awesome our team is.”
However, not everyone was part of this majority rooting for the underdogs. Junior Andrew Braun grew up in Kansas City, and wanted to see his team be the first to win three Super Bowls in a row.
“As a fan, it’s an all-time feeling having my team in the Super Bowl,” Braun said. “This Super Bowl is very significant because the Chiefs could be the first team in the NFL to win three consecutively. You always hope your team wins, but if the Chiefs do not, then I’ll have past years to look back on.”
Braun said though he has always been a Chiefs fan, his family was never into sports while he was growing up.
“My mom tells me she is surprised how I turned out loving sports,” Braun said. “Since the Chiefs have been a Super Bowl-winning team, [my family] has paid more attention.”
Braun planned to watch the game with friends, and accepted the fact that he would not be rooting for the same team his friends were.
“Most will be Eagles fans and I’ll probably be the lone wolf,” Braun said. “The Chiefs aren’t liked nowadays — they’re hated.”
Braun said he sees the common hatred of the Chiefs as a nod to the New England Patriots, in which Tom Brady ran the NFL for 20 years. He said Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce can be considered a modern-day version of this dynasty, leading many to dislike the team.
“The new narrative is that the Chiefs get treatment from the refs — it’s Kelce and [Taylor] Swift, it’s Pat’s wife and brother being annoying,” Braun said.
Though Super Bowl LIX is an intense battle between hometown teams for many, for others it is a day of celebration and being among the presence of others.
Waves Church Lead Minister Taylor Walling said he would be celebrating this year’s Super Bowl among the Pepperdine community. Last year, the Waves Church team realized their service, which is on Sundays at 5 p.m., would conflict with the Super Bowl.
“Last year was our first spring semester, and we realized we hadn’t factored in the Super Bowl being at the same time as service,” Walling said. “We decided to see it as an opportunity rather than an obstacle, and we were so grateful that the Gashes, who are faithful attendees at Waves Church, were willing to open up their home.”
For this year’s matchup, Waves Church had another celebration for the big game. They had a worship service at 2 p.m. in Stauffer Chapel and at 3 p.m. a shuttle began transporting students up to the Brock House. The celebration featured an In-N-Out food truck, a Mister Softee Ice Cream truck and lawn games.
Walling said he encouraged students to join the celebration, whether they actually cared about football or not.
The big game ended with a win for the Eagles, with a final score of 40-22. Eagles fans across the country, including Mordan, celebrated the win for Philadelphia.
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Contact Amanda Monahan via email: amanda.monahan@pepperdine.edu
