The Japan Times - Kelce aiming to match Swift's Grammy glut with Super Bowl win

The final countdown to the biggest event in the American sporting calendar got under way in Las Vegas on Monday with the traditional opening night media circus.

An estimated 30,000 fans packed into Allegiant Stadium -- venue for Sunday's showpiece between Kelce's Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers -- to salute players from both teams during staggered two-hour media sessions.

Unsurprisingly, it was Kelce, the Chiefs' larger-than-life tight end whose relationship with pop icon Swift has captivated the NFL this season, who found himself center stage, surrounded by a large scrum of media from around the world.

Twenty-four hours earlier, Swift had made history by winning her fourth Album of the Year award at the Grammys, a record tally that saw her pull clear of icons such as Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder.

Kelce -- who could win a third Super Bowl crown on Sunday -- quipped that he was now under pressure to match his pop icon partner's achievements.

"She's unbelievable," a relaxed Kelce said of Swift. "She's rewriting the history books.

"I told her I need to hold up my end of the bargain and bring home some hardware, too.

"Taylor has an unbelievable fan base that follows her and supports her throughout her life and it has been fun to gather the Swifties and the Chiefs Kingdom and open them to the football world and sports world and it has been cool to just experience that."

- On a mission -

Kelce, meanwhile, admitted he is on a mission to clinch back-to-back Super Bowls with Kansas City following last year's win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Kelce and the Chiefs missed the chance to repeat in 2021 when they were beaten by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a year after downing the 49ers in Miami.

"That has motivated me to get back to this point right here," Kelce said of the 2021 defeat. "You'll hear me say this a lot -- but I've wanted this more than I've ever wanted to win a Super Bowl in my life.

"That tier of teams who have won it (back-to-back) have gone down as some of the greats."

Las Vegas is hosting the Super Bowl for the first time on Sunday and the Nevada gambling hub has clearly embraced the occasion judging by Monday's opening extravaganza.

"They're the Mecca of the world for entertainment," Kelce said. "To be a part of the first one ever is pretty historical. I'm definitely I'm enjoying this right now."

On the next podium, a similar-sized crowd of media thronged around Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who like Kelce could win his third Vince Lombardi Trophy with a victory this weekend.

The 28-year-old, regarded as the finest quarterback of his generation, pushed back at being mentioned in the same breath as NFL great Tom Brady, insisting comparisons to the seven-time Super Bowl winner were premature.

"I'm not even close to halfway, so I haven't put a lot of thought into it," Mahomes said of comparisons to Brady. "If you ask me that question in like 15 years, I'll see if I can get close to seven. But seven seems like a long ways away still."

While Mahomes eyes a possible third Super Bowl title, San Francisco counterpart Brock Purdy is playing in the NFL championship game for the first time.

Purdy has reached the pinnacle of his sport despite being chosen with the 262nd and final pick of the NFL Draft in 2022, earning him the "Mr. Irrelevant" nickname.

"Do I think it's time to pick a new nickname? I'm okay with Mr. Irrelevant, it's all good," Purdy said.

Purdy, meanwhile, says he will have no hesitation in ruining the script for Kelce and Swift on Sunday.

Asked if he was prepared to leave Taylor Swift disappointed, he replied simply: "Yes."

K.Tanaka--JT