Aden Durde became the first British coach to win the Super Bowl on Sunday night and how proud the Londoner should be.
Aden Durde became the first British coach to win the Super Bowl on Sunday night and how proud the Londoner should be.
They say defence wins Championships and after Seattle’s relentless demolition of New England that maxim now can never be doubted.
Durde is the defensive co-ordinator of the Seahawks and rarely will any coach see his work so emphatically rewarded as the west coast franchise savoured their second Super Bowl triumph.
It is a long way from Enfield to California and an ever longer trip from the Scottish Claymores to the biggest show of all. But Durde, 46, has proven what is possible and so opened up a pathway few in his homeland would have believed was possible.
Durde’s “dark side” unit was a study in sporting frugality as they suffocated the spirit and competitive life out of the Patriots’ offence and made this a nightmare experience for their poor quarterback.
At 23, Drake Maye was the second youngest quarter-back ever to play in the Super Bowl and was attempting to go one better than Dan Marino by becoming the youngest ever to win it. Yet his dream was smashed to smithereens as he was sacked six times and saw the ball turned over on three occasions.
Seattle's defense is turning up big time ‼️
— Sky Sports NFL (@SkySportsNFL) February 9, 2026
Drake Maye is sacked for a fourth time. pic.twitter.com/3cni1uEFhi
It was a brutal lesson for Maye and indeed for anybody tuning in expecting to see high-scoring drama. There were no touchdowns until the last quarter as the Seattle “Legion of Boom” blew the Pats apart.
As Maye struggled to lead any counter-attack – and with the Seahawks kicker Jason Myers carving a piece of Super Bowl history for himself with five field goals – this was definitely one for the purists.
In truth, “Yawn in the USA” would have been an appropriate soundtrack for the uninitiated as gridiron became grind-iron, but never mind how tempting it was to call this “The Stupor Bowl” it was impossible not to admire the Seattle resistance.
This was one of the greatest defence performances ever seen and Durde’s stock should, as a result, soar so majestically that it will surely only be a matter of the time before he becomes the first British head coach in the NFL.
Together with Mike Macdonald they have forged a powerhouse that, if their offence can begin to match the might of their defence, could begin a term of dominance.
Yet, of course in these starlit times, the MVP award went to a member of the offence, and in fairness, Kenneth Walker III was exceptional in helping the Seahawks pull clear of their rivals. The Pats’ defence was also heroic, limiting the Sam Darnold attack to just the four field goals until the clock ticked into its deciding passage.
Walker was a threat throughout, picking up first downs as if they were personal milestones, although it was Arnold’s 16-yard pass to AJ Barner that eventually saw the touchdown deadlock broken.
AJ Barner finally gets the opening touchdown of Super Bowl 60 💥
— Sky Sports NFL (@SkySportsNFL) February 9, 2026
Surely that is game over for New England? pic.twitter.com/1KZf9scdKD
Maye enjoyed his own brief moment with a 35-yard pass to Mack Hollins, but he followed that with an interception on the next drive. Devon Witherspoon hit Maye as he pulled his arm back to throw and the ball went straight to Uchenna Nwosu, who was granted an interrupted route into the end zone to all but confirm the Seattle glory.
The Seahawks fans outnumbered the Levi’s Stadium – actually 40 miles south of San Francisco in Santa Clara – and the deafening noise was exactly what their team deserved. There was a consolation for New England – and Maye – with a second touchdown late on, but it meant very little.
This was a day for the grafters in the boiler room, not those superstars parading on the upper deck. Durde was to thank for that.
“It is amazing, but I won’t say this is something I could never have dreamed of,” Durde said. “You have to aim high.” And he plainly has the acumen to go even higher. Not to mention the Super Bowl ring.
Seattle Seahawks taste Super Bowl glory for a second time 👏 pic.twitter.com/kJplOKUXY6
— Sky Sports NFL (@SkySportsNFL) February 9, 2026
Hear from MVP Kenneth Walker
"It's just a dream come true!" 🤩
— Sky Sports NFL (@SkySportsNFL) February 9, 2026
Kenneth Walker III reacts to winning Super Bowl 60 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/C3DQc1xGUH
The first touchdown
AJ Barner finally gets the opening touchdown of Super Bowl 60 💥
— Sky Sports NFL (@SkySportsNFL) February 9, 2026
Surely that is game over for New England? pic.twitter.com/1KZf9scdKD
A British made victory
Worth mentioning defence co-ordinator for the Seahawks, Aden Durde, is British born and bred!
Kenneth Walker made MVP
MVP goes to running back Kenneth Walker - the first running back to win the award since 1998. He made 135 yards from 27 carries, the rest of his team combined to add 200 to that, 194 from throws. A game defining performance.
As MacDonald accepts the trophy, he and quarterback Sam Darnold are careful to single out the Seahawks defence - it would’ve been harsh to single out one of them for MVP. The Patriots’ points only flowed once the game was effectively won.
Feel good stories
The Seahawks have been led expertly by Mike MacDonald, who started at the Franchise making coffees. They’ve topped the league stats with an average of 17.2 points conceded per game; just the 13 today. 47 sacks over the season, six more today. Drake Maye never looked comfortable at quarterback, at one point going well over a quarter without a first down.
After four field goals quarterback Sam Darnold provided the goods - he’s a real feel good story. At 28-years-old he cycled through four franchises before an impressive season with the Minnesota Vikings prompted a three-year, $100.5m leap of faith with the Seahawks.
Mike MacDonald will now collect the Vince Lombardi trophy, the franchise’s second - the 17th franchise to win numerous titles.
Post-match quotes
The outstanding running back Kenneth Walker:
It’s a dream come true, a lot people play their whole career and never make it this far. I thank Mike Macdonald and the team for sticking together
We went through adversity, stayed together, it’s a brotherhood, it’s special.
The equally outstanding cornerback Devon Witherspoon:
It’s crazy, a one of a kind feeling, we battle every day, believe in each other, believed in coach. Went through a lot, believed, all you doubters don’t know what you’re talking about.
We never got our hopes up, never got complacent, we fought for each other all game ever game. We have a one of a kind fanbase.
Quarterback Sam Darnold, who was written off as a bust after being drafted second in 2018.
Unbelievable. Everything that’s happened in my career, to do it with this team, I wouldn’t want it any other way. I can’t say enough about our defensive and special teams. So happy for everyone.
All my teammates and coaches believed in me, I always believed in myself. As long as you do, everything’s possible.
Seattle Seahawks win!
The Seattle Seahawks win! 38-year-old Head Coach Mike Macdonald becomes the third youngest Super Bowl winning coach and what a job he’s done with defensive co-ordinator Aden Durde!
A procession for the Seahawks: Seahawks 29 Patriots 13
Another sack denied as Nwosu is penalised for offside. Doubt he’ll care, as a Super Bowl touch down scorer.
Maye floored as he ran but another foul by Woolen - potent imagery as an extremely frustrated looking head coach Mike Vrabel picks Maye off the canvas.
One minute remaining: Seahawks 29 Patriots 13
The Australian-born Michael Dickson has punted excellently all match and he pins the Patriots deep into their half once more. Austin Hooper catches for a first down for New England.
Records denied. Seahawks 29 Patriots 13
As Darnold slides down on 2nd down we’re told the Nwosu touchdown did not count as a sack - Witherspoon smashed Maye’s arm but didn’t contact the ball so it’s not a fumble. Seven sacks would tie the Super Bowl record so it’s a shame, this Seahawks defence is deserving of some history.
On the 3rd down Walker dances through once again and it would’ve been an equally well-deserved touchdown for the running back, but it’s disallowed owing to a holding foul in the build-up. That surely would’ve sealed him MVP - someone has the unenviable task of picking one of the Seahawks defence for it instead I’d imagine. My money’s on Devon Witherspoon.
Touchdown Patriots!
With the game dead and buried the pressure is off Drake Maye and he starts completing his throws. Soon enough they’re within a handful of yards and Maye runs himself before throwing to Rhamondre Stevenson in a wealth of space. The pass is poor and to epitomise his night he looks away helmet in hands without realising that Stevenson actually picked it off the shoelaces to score.
They miss the two point conversion, 29-13 Seahawks.
Fruits of the defence’s labour.
Witherspoon danced through the Patriots line untouched, they’ve given themselves license to really attack Maye and Witherspoon expertly targeted the quarterback’s arm. The ball popped up perfectly into Nwosu’s arms and he ran in the touchdown on behalf of his whole defensive team.
Aside from two anomolistic throws by Maye for the touchdown, the Seahawks defence has been faultless. They’ve made mincemeat of the Patriots offensive line.
Turnover touchdown! Seahawks 29 Patriots 7
A sixth sack as Maye’s night of misery continues, made worse by the fact he’s only playing a four man rush.
And now a seventh courtesy of Devon Witherspoon and outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu emerges with the ball to coast into the endzone!
A well-deserved touchdown for the outstanding Seahawks defensive line. It’s been their night.
4th and 4 SEA: Seahawks 22 Patriots 7
Another yard for Walker, 3rd down with the line of scrimmage 11 away. Marcus Jones tackles well and the Seahawks primed for a field goal. Record beckoning for Jason Myers.
And he obliges! A fifth field goal, he’s the first man ever to do it in a Super Bowl. It also takes his full season points tally to 205, a new record with the slight caveat that seasons have two more games than in previous decades.
Back to a three score game with six minutes to go.
2nd and 8 SEA: Seahawks 19 Patriots 7
On the first down Kenneth Walker, who was the main man when this game was a bit cagier in the first half, reappears to make two more first downs. He has so much time on the ball, just waits and picks his moment. A superb performance. 156 yards so far.
Intercept! Seahawks 19 Patriots 7
Maye with a much too speculative throw and Julian Love collects some catching practice before returning it to the Patriots 40. Could that be the match sealing moment?
Patriots escape pressure: Seahawks 19 Patriots 7
Darnold goes long to Rashid Shaheed but it’s just beyond the wide receivers finger tips. On comes the specials team and Dickson finds turf with his punt and it’s kept in play to pin the Patriots just 2 yards out.
Two poor throws either side of an under-pressure first down gains Patriots some territory before Maye scrambles straight through the rush to release the pressure valve. Entertaining stuff here.
Touchdown Patriots!
Where’s that come from!? Maye threads the needle to make 25 yards down the centre of the field to Mack Hollins and from the consequent first down the two combine again from 35 yards for the touchdown! Excellent catch under pressure by the wide receiver, whose feet land just inside the end zone before he’s tackled by Tariq Woolen - perfection from the depths of despair to reignite this Super Bowl. Extra point taken
Throw, catch, throw, catch. Simple game really.
1st down and 10: Seahawks 19 Patriots 0
It’s a long way back for the Patriots, who have made just 78 yards in the match. Drake Maye has been given a big talking to by Mike Vrabel, the Patriots head coach who had dreams of becoming the first man to win a super bowl as a player and coach. It was his turnover, of course, that led to the Seahawks score.
Maye runs and we’re going to 2nd and 4, before a scrap breaks out in which Josh Jobe lands a punch while a spectator runs onto the pitch. No foul called amid the chaos, it’s busy!
Touchdown! Seattle lead comprehensively
AJ Barner with the first touch down of Super Bowl LX! Barner in tonnes of space in the end zone and Darnold finds him with ease. Myers adds the extras and the Seahawks extend a well-deserved 19-0 lead!!
1st down and 10: Seahawks 12 Patriots 0
Sam Darnold looks for Cooper Kupp just a few yards from the end zone but Craig Woodson bats it away. Darnold and Kupp combine for another first down, setting the line of scrimmage just 16 yards out. Feels ominous for the Patriots here.
Into the final quarter
That was the end of the quarter, and with Drake Maye’s head down it seems a genuine possibility that we could have the first nilling in Super Bowl history.
Turnover for Seattle!
A missed throw, a minimal game and then a fumble from Maye, forced by a sack from offensive linebacker Derick Hall. Turnover!
Maye is having a nightmare, he’s being thrown under the physically significant Seahawks bus by his offensive line. He slams the floor in frustration and to make matters worse AJ Barner steals a first down with some resolute footwork for the Seahawks.
Feels as though the writing is on the wall here.
Foul gives Patriots a first down, at last: Seahawks 12 Patriots 0
Jaxon Smith-Njigba has picked up an injury on his right leg so has disappeared down the tunnel. His team, meanwhile, fail to make another first down and the Patriots will play from 13 yards inside their own half.
Mayes runs himself and his hauled down short but Devon Witherspoon, the so-far flawless cornerback, has been penalised and the Patriots by virtue finally have another first down.
3rd down and 4 NEP: Seahawks 12 Patriots 0
Drake Maye really struggling, it’s becoming a tough watch. He takes all the time in the world to pick a throw but his receivers are well covered and he’s sacked for the fourth time. 19th sack in the post-season. He’s bang out of form.
He rushes the next throw and asks far too much of Kayshon Boutte. The Patriots haven’t had a first down since the first quarter.
Frustration for the Patriots: Seahawks 12 Patriots 0
A first sack on Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold. Strong attacking position coming as Dickson punts on his own 5 yard line to Marcus Jones who does make yardage after evading the first tackle but an illegal block in the midfield limits progress to midfield.
Patriots struggling: Seahawks 12 Patriots 0
Another miss from Drake Maye who is now six from 14 on throw completions, well below his league leading average of 72 per cent that saw him miss out on league MVP by just one vote. He’s struggled all through the play offs and cuts a frustrated figure right now.
There were reports of a minor injury problem for the youngster in the week - perhaps having an impact now? The Patriots go to their seventh punt, which, by the way, they’ve been poorer at than Seattle’s Michael Dickson.
Seahawks bringing the physicality. Seahawks 12 Patriots 0
Huge collision on the Patriots 32 yard line by Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight and Drake Maye will have to attack from deep.
Seahawks go 12 clear
First incomplete pass of the quarter for Darnold on 2nd down. 3rd down is incomplete too but Jason Myers is well within range for a field goal. That makes him tied for the most in a Super Bowl, but the third to do it in as many years.
Battle between Myers and Kenneth Walker for MVP at the moment. Or Seahawks defensive co-ordinator Aden Durde if that was possible.
2nd and 9 SEA: Seahawks 6 Patriots 0
Kenneth Walker surpasses 100 yards for the game as he creeps over the first down marker for Seattle’s fifth first down of the quarter. Time to turn it to points.
Seahawks dominating: Seahawks 9 Patriots 0
Darnold goes to his man Kenneth Walker again and they’re eight out before Darnold gets one away to Rashid Shaheed for a second first down.
And then a third first down as Jaxon Smith-Njigba is found in plenty of space.
Darnold then playing Drake Maye at his own game with a run past the marker to take the Seahawks to the Patriots’ 45 yard line. Emphatic start by the Seahawks.
Second half under way
Patriots have possession and the Seahawks defence continues to dominate. Josh Jones blocks the pass and the Patriots punt safely to the Seattle 10 yard line.
Plenty of appearances
Cameos from rapper Cardi B (who dates Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs), actress Jessica Alba, Lady Gaga, actor Pedro Pascal and fellow Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin. Nothing controversial, what was all the fuss about!
Here’s why everyone was so concerned: ICE vs the NFL: Welcome to the most fraught Super Bowl in history
‘God Bless America’
Bad Bunny, real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio is now on a platform on a telephone pole - the Puerto Rican flag he was holding didn’t make it up there.
“God Bless America” he says, before blessing a collection of South and Central American countries and Canada before making his way off. No dramas!
The camera does cut to Lewis Hamilton stood motionless next to Kim Kardashian. The bloke next to him was having a great time.
Lady Gaga performs
Tití Me Preguntó is the first song, which details a conversation with his auntie about his love life.
He brings out Lady Gaga next, hidden behind a wedding scene, for a good old English sing along.
Bad Bunny begins
Not exactly one for the crowd, who could have paid anywhere between $4,000 and $30,000 for tickets as Bad Bunny’s performance begins in some makeshift cornfields before he makes his way to a stage.
Seahawks go 9-0 up
Darnold makes the touchdown play, looking for Jaxon Smith-Njigba who is in the end zone but it’s another diving save by Christian Gonzalez, who has dug his side out a few holes now.
It’s a win win play for the Seahawks, who slot the field goal from 41 yards to take a 9-0 lead with 11 seconds remaining.
1st down and 10 SEA: Seahawks 6 Patriots 0
Do Seahawks play safe and set up the field goal? No, but they’re caught 3 yards behind the first down marker before Cooper Kupp juggles a catch past the line. It’s called incomplete to begin with and a review concurs. With just 20 seconds remaining we’re on 3rd down.
2nd and 9 SEA: Seahawks 6 Patriots 0
No luck for Walker on the next first down, before Darnold and George Holani make 7 yards on the 2nd down. That gives Holani the platform to crawl over the first down marker and earn back possession. Patriots call a time out with 32 seconds remaining.
2 mins left of the quarter SEA: Seahawks 6 Patriots 0
Kenneth Walker earns his side yet another first down, he’s exposing quite a big gulf in quality between the Patriots defensive line and the Seahawks’. Rhamondre Stevenson finding nothing but bodies on the Patriots’ offense and Walker nothing but space it seems.
4th down and 12 NEP: Seahawks 6 Patriots 0
Stevenson makes another 3 before Maye finds himself under pressure by outside linebacker Boye Mafe.
The first yellow flag of the game sends them back five yards and Maye goes long but it’s incomplete so they’ll punt from inside their own end zone.
Seattle to attack from half way.
3rd and 7 NEP: Seahawks 6 Patriots 0
Maye throws an incomplete pass just past the first down marker. Has to be said he’s cutting a timid figure at the moment but he’s rescued by his wide receiver DeMario Douglas who takes a low catch to give the Patriots another first down.
Seattle call time out NEP: Seahawks 6 Patriots 0
Stevenson makes three yards with the first down, a pragmatic approach to take the Patriots up the field before Seattle call time out to reorganise their defence.
3rd down and 5 SEA: Seahawks 6 Patriots 0
First mistake of the match by Kenneth Walker, fumbling a pass in space. A tough chance with his back facing the first down marker.
The consequent punt is a good one, Patriots will have the ball 3 yards from their own end zone. A good time for Drake Maye to find his first long pass.
First down and 10 SEA: Seahawks 6 Patriots 0
This battle between Patriots cornerback Cristian Gonzalez and Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker has been gripping. Walker has made 89 yards so far in the match and Gonzalez has been the only man to thwart him.
Darnold escapes a first sack but his throw is incomplete before Marcus Jones reads the next play to take us to a third down.
3rd down and 2 and Darnold spins out of another sack attempt to find that man Walker. 2 yard gain but another first down.
Maye sacked again: Seahawks 6 Patriots 0
The Patriots have only made 39 yards so far, and they won’t make much more if Maye keeps being sacked. Rylie Mills is the linebacker to catch him this time, snagging the quarterback with one arm while carrying the 141kg guard Jared Wilson in the other. Serious physicality. Another inconsequential run and the Patriots will punt as the Seahawks celebrate.
4th down and 12: Seahawks 6 Patriots 0
Darnold is sacked mid-throw and after throwing it straight into his own guard there’s a moment of panic but the play is deemed incomplete. An inconsequential run follows and Jason Myers will kick from 39 out.
Myers nails it, and the Seahawks take a well-deserved 6-0 lead.
2nd down and 12 SEA: Seahawks 3 Patriots 0
Walker makes another 29 yards on 2nd down, darting straight through the scrimmage line!
He’s caught on the next play but poses a real threat anytime he runs.
1st down and 10 SEA: Seahawks 3 Patriots 0
Seahawks with the first real attacking play, Darnold going long but it’s magnificently batted away by Christian Gonzalez at full-stretch.
On 2nd down Kenneth Walker runs and finds some space down the left to go past half way!
3rd down and 5 NEP: Seahawks 3 Patriots 0
Third time in Super Bowl history that both head coaches are called Mike, for any statisticians out there.
Maye does find his man on his next throw and finds tightend Hunter Henry, but the ball is fumbled before Henry is folded in half! Patriots will punt, frustrating.
2nd down and 5 PAT: Seahawks 3 Patriots 0
Patriots run it into the crowd and that’s the end of the first quarter. The Seahawks have the best defence in the league and no one knows that better than Drake Maye at the moment.
4th down and 15 SEA: Seahawks 3 Patriots 0
That second first down is wasted, two incomplete passes and Michael Dixon will punt on Seattle’s 25. All eyes on Drake Maye now.
1st down and 10 SEA: Seahawks 3 Patriots 0
AJ Barner takes the catch just short of the first down marker and spins out of a tackle brilliantly to earn his side another first down.
2nd down and 8 SEA: Seahawks 3 Patriots 0
Kenneth Walker runs twice but can’t make any progress past the line of scrimmage.
3rd down and 15
Maye is sacked! Devon Witherspoon has had Maye under pressure all game and Maye is sacked for the second time, 17th time in total over the play offs. Mixed start for the 23-year-old.
1st down and 10 NEP: Seahawks 3 Patriots 0
21 yard pass by Meye to Kayshon Boutte to bring the Patriots into Seahawks territory for the first time.
On the 2nd down he finds Henderson but he’s tackled short.
4th down SEA: Seahawks 3 Patriots 0
Darnold takes his time on the third down and looks for wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Smith-Njigba is the league’s leader in receiving yards this season but this one is too speculative and the Seahawks will surrender possession.
3rd and 6 SEA: Seahawks 3 Patriots 0
Incomplete pass to start meaning Darnold has gone nought for three since making his first two.
He makes his pass on the third down but the Seahawks are still 6 yards short of the first down marker.
2nd down and NEP: Seahawks 3 Patriots 0
Meye sacked by Hill! Patriots set back 10 yards. Meye makes some headway with his next run but is sacked 15 yards short of making another first down.
On 3rd down Meye looks to find space under pressure but the pass is incomplete so the Patriots will punt.
2nd down and 2 NEP: Seahawks 3 Patriots 0
Maye looking settled with a second completion before Stevenson runs again, bundling past the scrimmage line to earn another first down.
3rd down and 1 NEP: Seahawks 3 Patriots 0
Drake Maye hits his first throw, finding Rhamondre Stevenson down the left side - first down!
1st down and 10 NEP: Seahawks 3 Patriots 0
Patriots run back the restart to 30 out but their next couple of carries are fruitless.
Seahawks 3 Patriots 0
A breathless first drive, Seahawks controlling the tempo - the Super Bowl is so much longer (four hours) than a usual NFL game so the teams can test their fitness levels.
4th down and 10 SEA: SEA 3 NEP 0
A 33 yard kick for Jason Myers and it’s straightforward. Seahawks on the board. Positives for both sides.
3rd down and 8: SEA: SEA 0 NEP 0
Darnold finds his man again but two incomplete throws follow and the Seahawks are on fourth down.
2nd down and 10 SEA: SEA 0 NEP 0
Sam Darnold throws and finds AJ Barner!
1st down and 10 SEA: SEA 0 NEP 0
Seahawks warm into it well with a run into the 40. They have another first down and run down 9 yards
Kick off imminent
Pressure on the Seahawks to make the most of the first offensive opportunity. Will the Patriots make history? Will the Seahawks cause an upset? Stay tuned
Coin toss
The captains are out - all ten of them - alongside honourary captains Lynn Swann, Peyton Manning and Joe Montana for the coin toss. Referee Shawn Smith is using a coin designed by Benjamin Franklin, better than the 50p that Anthony Taylor probably uses.
Apparently this is one of the most bet on bits of US sport!
Patriots win the toss and defer, so the teams switch end and the Seahawks will receive.
Pre-match songs under way
Brandi Carlile up first to sing America the Beautiful. She has spoken out against Trump before but there is not too much opportunity for political statement in this ballad.
Charlie Puth next with Star Spangled Banner, and kick off is imminent!
No dramas from the Green Day performance.
An ELECTRIC atmosphere ahead of Super Bowl LX! ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/SndwpEJSdO
— Sky Sports NFL (@SkySportsNFL) February 8, 2026
Will Bad Bunny speak out?
The players are preparing emerging onto the field, so here’s one last, crucial bit of reading to get stuck into.
All indications suggest Bad Bunny’s planning a maximum-impact strategy during Sunday’s 12-minute half-time show slot. US gossip website Radar Onlinequoted a source saying that he plans to perform in a dress – you know, just to really cheer up those Maga viewers – although another “production source” told gossip site TMZ that this wasn’t the case. Ocasio “loves controversy” and “loves to push envelopes”, the source told Radar, adding that the show will be a “political thunderbolt disguised as couture… The NFL has no idea what’s coming. Zero”. He’s also expected to sing entirely in Spanish. Bad Bunny’s team was approached for comment.
Trump has slammed the choice of artists. “I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible,” he told the New York Post last month. Unlike last year, Trump won’t be attending (“Too far away”, he claims).
And last Sunday, Bad Bunny, more on whom later, doubled down on his anti-Trump stance when picking up the Grammy award for album of the year. “ICE out,” he said from the stage at his moment of triumph. Viewers should be braced for similar sentiments this weekend.
Read the full article here.
See more of the Telegraph’s journalism
Want to choose which publishers appear in your search results? You can now add The Telegraph as a “preferred source” on Google, which means you’ll see more of the journalism that you know and trust. It’s quick and easy to do – just click here to get started.
Before Bad Bunny, it’s Green Day
Green Day are performing now, nothing controversial so far but they aren’t afraid to make a statement. They’ve been known to change the lyrics of Jesus of Suburbia from “Am I retarded or just overjoyed?” to “Am I retarded or am I just JD Vance”. Lead singer Billy Joe Armstrong, who has facetiously said he’d renounce his citizenship, has also changed the lyrics in American Idiot from “I’m not a part of a redneck agenda” to “I’m not a part of a Maga agenda”.
California catwalk
Do away with the team tracksuits and gucci bags on the walk into the stadium. One of the many aspects of the Super Bowl that pushes kick off further down the agenda is the preceding fashion show.
The league as a whole has now embraced fashion, so much so that the NFL now employs a fashion editor, Kyle Smith, appointed in late 2024. Smith worked as a stylist for Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, then used his connections in the fashion industry to have Burrow and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson participate at the Vogue World fashion show in Paris.
Read more from Thom Gibbs here: Arriving at the Super Bowl has become like walking down the catwalk
The Tom Brady show
Football fans of all varieties are familiar with Tom Brady nowadays. In a development that no one would’ve predicted when Brady won his sixth ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021, he’s been embroiled in public spats with Wayne Rooney over his running of Birmingham City Football Club.
I’d highly recommend Ben Rumsby’s feature on Brady’s Super Bowl legacy, turbulent media career, The Roast of Tom Brady,cloning his dead dog and his bizarre Birmingham venture, all culminating in his instantly infamous “no dog in the fight” comment.
Tom Brady is retired but remains NFL’s biggest star at the Super Bowl
Routes to the Super Bowl: Seattle Seahawks
Meanwhile, the Seahawks’ journey is said to be the 11th toughest in the Super Bowl’s 60-year ranking. This is because their placement of 2nd in NFC West generated a harder fixture schedule this season, as opposed to the Patriots’ bottom seeding after last year.
Regular season: 14-3
Wild card: bye
Divisional: Seahawks 41-6 San Francisco 49ers
NFC Championship: Seahawks 31-27 Los Angeles Rams
Routes to the Super Bowl: New England Patriots
Opta estimate that the Patriots’ journey to the Super Bowl was the second easiest of all time.
Regular season: 14-3 (a reversal of their 4-13 season in 2024)
Wild card: Patriots 16-3 Los Angeles Chargers
Divisional: Patriots 28-16 Houston Texans
AFC Championship: Denver Broncos 7-10 Patriots
Monoculture, lightning rod or sporting event?
“It is one of the last true instances of the monoculture in American society.”
So says sports historian Michael MacCambridge of the Super Bowl. The final of the NFL transcends sport and, according to Donald Trump, embodies the “best of the American dream”. That sentiment is sure to be tested tonight, with discourse on whether the Seattle Seahawks can prevent the New England Patriots from a record seventh title entirely secondary to that of the evening’s entertainment.
Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican rapper, will perform the coveted half-time show, after rock band Green Day and folk singer Brandi Carlile help to open the event. All three are staunchly anti-Trump, with Bad Bunny garnering particular attention as a Spanish-singing performer with a long history of Trump dissent. Despite a considerable US fanbase – he was the top streamed artist on Spotify last year – he refused to tour America for fear of ICE raids on his Latino fans, and called for “ICE out” as he collected his Grammy for album of the year last week. American outlets have reported that Bad Bunny, real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is planning to make as strong a statement as possible.
Green Day, the American Idiot singers playing the opening ceremony, are perhaps even more inflammatory. Their country genre may suggest they’d be a safer pair of hands, but they frequently change lyrics to attack the Trump administration. Carlile will sing America the Beautiful before the match, and has previously penned songs criticising Trump’s use of religion in his politics.
Donald Trump has slammed the choice of artists, telling the New York Post: “I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible.” Last year, he became the first ever US President to attend the Super Bowl while in office, and was cheered when shown on the screen just three weeks after second inauguration. This year, he’ll be hosting a watching party over 2500 miles from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California in his Mar-a-Lago residence, no doubt keeping a close eye on whether the US can unite behind its sporting crown jewel as it did last year.
Lurking behind the Bad Bunny shaped solar eclipse over this event, storylines have strayed from the on-field action, such is the nature of what the Super Bowl has become. Tom Brady, for instance, has become a dressing room pin-up for the Patriots, with whom he won five Super Bowls, but for all the wrong reasons. The legendary quarter back has refused to support his former side, much to their chagrin, but he was of course guaranteed conversation given it is the Patriots’ first shot at the Vince Lombardi trophy since he left in 2019.
After some years in the abyss the Patriots have rebuilt with Drake Maye in his second season as an NFL quarterback, and Brady’s former teammate Mike Vrabel in his first season as head coach. Their biggest concern is that Maye’s passing completion has dropped from a regular season average of 72 per cent to 55 per cent in the play offs.
Standing between them and a record-breaking title are Seattle Seahawks, who the Patriots defeated in Super Bowl XLIX in 2015 thanks to a Malcolm Butler intercept in the dying embers. They’re chasing a second Super Bowl title after winning in 2014, and boast the best defence in the league this year, averaging a lowly 17.2 points concede per game.
Stay tuned for all the action, both ball and mic in hand. It’s set to be an entertaining evening either way.
Category: General Sports
