Welcome to the First Things podcast.

On this episode, we'll talk about Super Bowl 59, why we watched, who tried to rig the outcome, and what Taylor Swift will do next.

Then we'll talk J.D. Vance, Pope Francis, and the Ordo O'Morris.

I'm joined by Deputy Editor Vicky Clark, Assistant Editor Virginia Abram, and editor Rusty

Reno, and I'm Senior Editor Julia Yost.

So on Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles played the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59.

The Chiefs were favored by one and a half points.

They had a chance to make history by winning a third consecutive Super Bowl 59. The Chiefs were favored by one and a half points. They had a chance to make history by winning a third consecutive Super Bowl and by providing a pop star with a strapping husband.

Alas, on both counts, Vicky and Virginia, let's break it down. That's right, three women to break

down the Super Bowl. Start with Patrick Mahomes, the Chief's quarterback,

subject of much greatest of all time talk. That is now on ice because he had a horrible game

until it was too late, six to 14 for 33 yards and two interceptions at the half. More important is the

failure of Chief's tight end, Travis Kelsey. So pop music correspondent Vicki Clark,

I was told that if I watched the Super Bowl, I would see Travis Kelsey proposed to Taylor Swift,

who was in the stands. Now, that became unthinkable when they were trailing 24 to nothing at

halftime. So what now? Is there a ring? I noticed she was wearing white. Give us the intel.

Yeah, I did see some speculation that her outfit choice was because of a potential engagement

that would have been perfect if the chiefs had won. It would have been a story that a lot of people

could have enjoyed, unified around, but I think it became

very clear from the beginning when she was, I think, the first time she was shown on television

that she got booed pretty badly, that showing her was not going to be a good thing.

So I think they pulled back from doing that as compared to last year Super Bowl.

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