The Kansas City Chiefs' quest for a historic Super Bowl "three-peat" against the Philadelphia Eagles kicked off on Sunday in front of U.S. President Donald Trump and pop superstar Taylor Swift, who led a crowd of A-listers in New Orleans.
Trump stood in private box seating during the playing of the national anthem, holding his hand to his head in salute, and the crowd booed and cheered when the president appeared briefly on the big screen.
Trump is the first sitting president to attend the NFL's title game.
Swift, who was also in attendance when the Chiefs won the Super Bowl in Las Vegas a year ago, wore a cream-colored blazer as she stood inside a private box at the Superdome.
Other A-list celebrities included Argentine World Cup winner Lionel Messi, hip-hop mogul Jay-Z and comedian Adam Sandler, while actors Jon Hamm and Bradley Cooper introduced the teams.
The two-time defending champion Chiefs won the coin toss and elected to kick off to the Eagles.
Security was tight as police officers and Homeland Security officials shut down several blocks of key thoroughfare Poydras Street to traffic, with the NFL title game kicking off just weeks after a deadly New Year's Day attack in the popular French Quarter neighborhood.
Secret Service searched members of the media and credentialed staff as they entered the stadium.
The big screens inside the stadium read "NOLA Strong," intended to honor the victims of the attack that killed 14 people, as the evening began with a dazzling marching band performance and Mardi Gras performers a half hour before kickoff.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the favored Chiefs are looking to become the first team in league history to win three consecutive Super Bowls while the Eagles hope to exact revenge for their loss to the team in the Big Game two years ago.
Three-time Super Bowl champion Mahomes looked confident as he strolled into the facility in an Eagles-green suit, tie, and sunglasses.
His Eagles counterpart Jalen Hurts entered in an all-purple ensemble as the theme song to the iconic Philadelphia underdog movie "Rocky" blared over the stadium speakers.
Swift is on hand to support her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, just as she was last year when Kansas City triumphed over the 49ers in Las Vegas.
"Go Taylor's boyfriend," was written on banners and t-shirts of the fans she has helped bring into the league.
New Orleans was hosting the game for a record-tying 11th time as fans shelled out to attend, with the average price of tickets sold hovering around $6,500 on resale platform StubHub.
For Chiefs fans, the chance to witness the possibility of history being written was too enticing to pass up.
"We're incredibly excited, coming here hopefully to watch them get the three-peat today. We'll see. We're pretty excited. Anxious but excited," said Clint Benge, 37, an orthopedic surgeon living in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
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