A sibling rivalry? This Super Bowl will be one to watch

Everyone loves a good sibling rivalry; there’s something very relatable about it. From Michael Jordan claiming his brother’s dominance over him made him a better player to Liam Gallagher smashing a tambourine over his brother Noel’s head at a gig in 1994, we feel all sorts of ways about our siblings. That’s why Super Bowl LVII will be a particularly fun spectacle to watch.

After clinching their respective conferences, few are surprised the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles are matching up on the game’s biggest stage. Coach Andy Reid, QB Patrick Mahomes, and the Chiefs are inching closer and closer to dynasty status with their eighth consecutive playoff appearance (six that have included Mahomes), while Philly, still relatively fresh off a Super Bowl win in 2018, has since reloaded with MVP-candidate QB Jalen Hurts, star running back Miles Sanders, and head coach Nick Sirianni, among others. While it’s a different lineup in terms of flash, the nuts and bolts remain the same, particularly the line which includes stars like Lane Johnson, Fletcher Cox, and Jason Kelce.

Ordinarily, Andy Reid, who famously coached a highly successful slew of Eagles teams in the 2000s, would be the biggest storyline in this year’s game. While he’s now clad in a different color, and a time zone west, the love affair between the city of Philadelphia and “Big Red” still burns strong. In 2018, still without a Super Bowl ring himself, Reid lauded the city, team, and its fans saying he “enjoy(ed) every minute” of the Birds’ championship win. Hence why it makes sense that in 2020 when the Chiefs won the Super Bowl, Philadelphia fans were entirely over the moon.

While Eagles fans still have unconditional love for Reid, they obviously won’t have a difficult time choosing which team to root for on Super Bowl Sunday. But a few fans in attendance might, and their names are Donna and Ed Kelce. Why? Because Kansas City has another star who’s been integral to their success all these years, and his name is Travis Kelce.

Of course, Jason of the Eagles and Travis of the Chiefs are related. They aren’t just brothers, they’re each other’s biggest fans and best friends. And while pro sports have had their fair share of blockbuster sibling matchups, like Serena and Venus Williams’ nine Grand Slam finals or Scott and Rob Nierdermayer going head-to-head for the Stanley Cup in 2003, the Kelce brothers’ pending bout offers even more character to the anticipated clash.

For starters, it’s the first time in Super Bowl history that two brothers will play against each other. Peyton and Eli Manning, who have each won two Super Bowls, have matched up three times, but never in the big game. Then in 2013 the Harbaugh brothers, Jim and John, coached their respective teams to a Super Bowl, but alas, they were wearing the headsets, not the pads.

On top of that though, the Kelce brothers are pretty much cartoon characters. When the Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2018, Jason Kelce, dressed as a Mummer nonetheless, arguably put even Sylvester Stalone to shame with his speech on the iconic Philadelphia Art Museum steps. Just this week Travis, after knocking off the Cincinnati Bengals, trophy in hand, called the mayor of Cincinnati a “jabroni” to a packed stadium of screaming fans.

These guys are walking soundbites, and it appears they know it. At the beginning of this NFL season, the Kelce boys launched the New Heights podcast, a title that nods to their hometown Cleveland Heights. The show is a lighthearted but grounded affair, where the two brothers talk about everything from their takes on the NFL’s culture to their go-to dishes at Waffle House.

On any given episode you can see Jason donning a Chiefs jersey, or Travis showing support for the Eagles Autism Foundation. It’s a unique look into the brothers’ special relationship, and its existence serves to remind us all - it’s just a game. Players are just people, and performing is their job. The off-kilter yet authentic brand the Kelces have come to exude is a further testament to the beauty of the podcasting era, where conversation runs wild. In a space like pro sports, where press conferences and interviews are often relegated to being banalities, it’s even quite refreshing.

That’s another reason why this Super Bowl is unique. Likely before, and definitely after, fans will get an unfiltered, all-inclusive perspective on what goes through the mind of the athlete on such a massive stage. But the kinship siblings share, especially Jason and Travis, makes it special. Not to mention, they will likely have their parents, or possibly even teammates on the show as well. There’s a whole off-season of possibilities.

With Andy Reid versus Philly, Eagles fans acting like wild animals, and the overall quality of football to be expected, there’s a lot to be excited about as this NFL season comes to a close. And while Travis certainly won’t be cracking Jason over the head with a tambourine (can you imagine the Gallagher brothers on a football field?) this year’s Super Bowl Sunday should be nothing short of ridiculously entertaining.