News Flash
NEW YORK, Feb 10, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Philadelphia's 40-22 Super Bowl victory on
Sunday was marked by the presence of President Donald Trump, crowds booing
Taylor Swift, and Kansas City's crushing loss.
Here are some highlights from the 59th Super Bowl.
- Donald Trump in the house
The first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl took a small lap of the
field before settling into his box to watch the game.
Although First Lady Melania was absent, he was accompanied by other members
of the Trump clan -- including his daughter Ivanka and son Eric.
His appearance on the giant screens during the national anthem was met with
applause, but he left before the end of the game.
- Boo Taylor Swift
The queen of pop was booed when she appeared on the Caesars Superdome screens
during a break in play.
The singer turned her head to face the camera with a slightly embarrassed
smile.
Swift, who is from Pennsylvania, home of the Eagles, had come to support her
partner Travis Kelce, playing for Kansas City.
- Hip-hop touchdown
Kendrick Lamar becomes the first hip-hop artist to solo the halftime concert.
Basking in the 15 minutes of glory, he performed his classic hits "Humble"
and "DNA", as well as tracks from his latest album "GNX", such as "Peekaboo"
or "Squabble Up".
Some were expecting a rant against Trump. He may have touched upon the topic
when he said: "The revolution will be televised, you chose the right time,
but not the right guy".
- A Palestinian flag
During Lamar's performance an individual dressed like one of the show's
dancers climbed onto the rapper's car and waved a banner with intertwined
Sudanese and Palestinian flags. He ran across the field for a few seconds
before being caught.
In a statement, the NFL said the activist was hired as an extra for the show
and hid the flag on him until the choreography began.
- Adverts steal the show
The Super Bowl adverts were once again teaming with stars, from Meg Ryan --
who re-enacted the famous restaurant scene in "When Harry Met Sally" for a
mayonnaise brand -- to Matt Damon, who pretended to be David Beckham's
brother in a beer commercial.
Companies shelled out $8 million for 30 seconds of air time on Fox, which is
owned by the Murdoch family.
The message of unity was a noticeable theme in adverts featuring rap legend
Snoop Dogg and football star Tom Brady -- as well as Harrison Ford, who
explained "our differences can be our strength" in an commercial for Jeep.
- Artificial Intelligence
AI start-up star OpenAI also purchased a spot during the broadcast. The
minimalist clip was focused on aesthetic rather than content, attracting a
lot of comments on social media, not all positive.
Google on the other hand tugged on people's heartstrings, showing a stay-at-
home dad preparing for a job interview with the help of the AI assistant
Gemini.