By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer
NEW ORLEANS — Saquon Barkley got his first taste of Super Bowl opening night. Nick Sirianni received letters, and a kiss from Chad Johnson. Jalen Hurts even cracked a smile or two.
Before Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs take on Hurts, Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl, they had to tackle the media in waves.
The wild week kicked off at the Superdome on Monday night with the annual extravaganza that could overwhelm teams that aren’t used to the circus atmosphere.
Barkley wasn’t here two years ago when the Eagles lost to the Chiefs, 38-35. He left the rival New York Giants to join a winning team and did his part with a historic season.
“That’s why me and my family made the decision to come to Philadelphia, to have an opportunity to play in the Super Bowl. And here we are,” Barkley said.
The Chiefs have been here five times in the past six years and the Eagles are back after nearly beating Kansas City in 2023.
Both teams have plenty of new players but the Eagles weren’t fazed by the strange questions or odd requests that have become far too common at this media spectacle.
Players were asked their favorite foods, colors, Kendrick Lamar songs and more. A Mexican television reporter gave Coach Sirianni a stack of letters from fans. He also got a kiss on the head from Johnson, the former Cincinnati Bengals star also known as Ochocinco. The usually stoic Hurts cracked up laughing when someone tossed him a cookie – it was an errant throw. Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston, working for a television network, fired questions at Eagles defensive back Darius Slay before telling him to eat a “W.”
The Eagles went first, spending an hour talking to thousands of reporters from across the globe. The Chiefs came later.
Media day has evolved from a daytime event on Tuesdays to a live, ticketed, prime-time showcase on national television. More than 6,000 media members from 26 countries were accredited to cover the first Super Bowl in Las Vegas last year.
Yes, this is where a female reporter showed up in a wedding dress and veil and proposed to Tom Brady in Arizona in 2008. He politely declined.
Football’s X’s and O’s take a back seat for the first night.
The Big Easy is hosting its 11th big game and first since the Baltimore Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers in the Harbaugh Brothers Bowl in February 2013.
The Chiefs are chasing history, aiming to become the first NFL team to three-peat in the Super Bowl era. The Eagles are seeking the franchise’s second Vince Lombardi trophy.
“We’re obsessed with winning,” owner Jeffrey Lurie said.
Both teams arrived Sunday and every player and coach was available to the media for one hour on Monday night. A select group of players, including head coaches and quarterbacks, also have media sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Due to the hectic schedule, most of the preparation was completed last week. Game plans were installed and both teams held normal practices because this week won’t be routine.
“Most of that work gets done this week,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said last week. “I know it’s a two-week period before the game but once you get down to New Orleans it’s a bit chaotic, so you want to make sure you take care of business now.”
Sirianni said he’s making adjustments after his first Super Bowl trip but he wouldn’t explain specifics.
“We have notes that we’re going through and that we’ve been going through,” he said. “Couple tweaks here and there of what we will do differently, and a couple things that will stay the same. Of course, any time you go through any situation like that, you take notes like that and you try to get better from each circumstance you go through.”
One person who’ll be under the microscope this week is Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who is a frontrunner to become the head coach of the Saints. Moore can’t accept the job until after the Super Bowl but he has to be preparing to assemble a coaching staff while focusing on the task at hand.
Staying focused will be a priority for everyone on both teams. Avoiding distractions, especially the first night, could set the tone for winning it all Sunday.
NOT EVERY TIGHT END IS A SWIFTIE
Philadelphia’s Dallas Goedert won’t be going 1-on-1 with Kansas City’s Travis Kelce in the Super Bowl. They’re both tight ends. They both play offense.
But if they cross paths, we think we know what might come up in conversation.
Turns out, Goedert doesn’t know much about Taylor Swift – Kelce’s girlfriend and one of the most famous singers on the planet.
“Does she sing ‘Don’t go chasing waterfalls?’ She doesn’t? Man,” Goedert said, referencing a single by TLC that was released in 1995 – when Swift was 5 years old. “She’s an incredible artist, but she ain’t on my playlist.”
Dude. Come on.
Goedert says he listens to Philly icons like Meek Mill, and has been listening to plenty of Kendrick Lamar – the Super Bowl halftime show performer this year.
KELCE SHOUTS OUT CHIEFS FANS
Kelce has famously told Kansas City fans – they call themselves Chiefs Kingdom – a few times over the years that “you’ve got to fight for your right to party,” referencing an old Beastie Boys hit.
He had a chance to address the fans at opening night on Monday. Evidently, he knows they are already partying.
“The loudest fan base in the world, baby,” Kelce said. “Yeaaaah, Chiefs Kingdom. “We’re ready, baby. Let’s get this thing going.”
EAGLES DE GRAHAM EXPECTS TO PLAY
Super Bowl 52 hero Brandon Graham is ready to return less than three months after tearing his triceps.
The Eagles defensive end said his first two practices went well and that he will play Sunday as long as he has no setbacks this week.
Graham’s strip-sack helped seal Philadelphia’s win in the Super Bowl against New England seven years ago.
