Super Bowl LIX is getting all the headlines for all the good and not-so-good reasons. Millions are expected to tune in Sunday and see whether Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs can make history. But the build-up to this year’s showpiece event has been marred by calls for a boycott. Yes, this isn’t the first time the NFL has faced such a challenge, but this time around it seems the league has inadvertently given the fans more ammunition to voice their discontent.

For one, there is the matter of the NFL deciding to remove the “End Racism” sign from the end zone at Caesars Superdome and replace it with the “Choose Love” message. There has also been a negative reaction to the NFL  keeping the singing of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” also called the Black National Anthem, prior to the game.

But perhaps the most vociferous opposition has come from fans who simply don’t want to see the Chiefs vs the Eagles square off, given that it is a Super Bowl rematch from two years ago and those who are unhappy with the officiating. Local breweries in California flaunting “No Super Bowl” party, or the faction DMing each other for pirated links just to deprive the NFL of views, or simply confessing to watch the 21st Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet instead became the talking points as a result. If we were to put a number to how many chose to boycott Super Bowl 59, ML Football on X has come up with a report. The number of X users sloganeering can catch you by surprise.

“Approximately 300 THOUSAND #NFL fans have posted on Twitter/X that they will be “BOYCOTTING THE SUPER BOWL” this year, according to Data.  Most of the complaints are regarding the refereeing, but many appear to be tired of having the same matchup. THIS IS CRAZY.” It remains to be seen what the impact of his proposed boycott will be, but FOX’s Erin Andrews isn’t a big fan of this call.

During a conversation with Charissa Thompson on her ‘Calm Down’ podcast Erin Andrews said, “I was asked and have been asked multiple times, ‘have you seen on Twitter that there’s hashtag boycott the Super Bowl because people don’t want to see these two teams play?’

“You know what’s funny are the people in the world that say, you’re a girl, you don’t know much about football. No, you don’t know anything about football. If you don’t appreciate and like what these two teams have accomplished this year, what they’ve gone through this year.

She added, “If you need me to lay out the storylines, you don’t know football. You’re boring. You’ve got the issue. It’s you, it’s you, you’re the problem. It’s you. This Super Bowl is awesome. I don’t care if it’s a rematch. Guess what? How many times have we seen Bills- Chiefs? A ton. How many times did we see Patriots-Chiefs? A ton. ‘Cause they’re good. If you don’t like it, beat them.” 

Remember 2019? The Saints fans marched out in the streets of New Orleans to organize the “Boycott Bowl” after a controversial referring decision cost them the 2019 NFC Championship game against the Rams. Instead of watching the Super Bowl LII, which they had comically dubbed the Super Bowl “LIIIE,” thousands of Saints drank and danced in a parade through the French Quarter as the Rams got bodied by the Patriots.

While we cannot say for certain whether the social media calls for a boycott will lead to similar scenes, members of the Bills Mafia are boycotting the Super Bowl and planning an ‘Escape from the Big Game Party’ hosted by Fattey Beer Co. and 26 Shirts in Kenmore. The party offers an alternative celebration for Buffalo Bills fans still reeling from their team’s AFC Championship loss, which was highlighted by some controversial calls in favor of the Chiefs.

Moreover, according to WIVB News 4 many fans in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Arizona, and Texas won’t also be watching the Chiefs vs Eagles game. It seems the fatigue of seeing the same teams contest for the top prize has been too much for a section of the fans. As the playoffs got underway, there were hopes of a fresh matchup, with the Lions, Bills, and also the Ravens seen as contenders for the Super Bowl game, but once both conferences were done, it was confirmed that it would be a repeat of Super Bowl LVII. But Erin Andrews doesn’t see a problem with that.

The Eagles have one of the top defenses in the league this season and the Chiefs have continued to roll through opponents and have come clutch in big game moments. Yes, the Texans and the Bills fans will have something to say about their run to the Super Bowl, but it is hard to deny that Mahomes and Co. have once again been just the better team on more than one occasion.

There WILL be storylines to follow on Sunday apart from the Chiefs chasing an unprecedented three-peat. The game could be the farewell of Chiefs icon Travis Kelce and it’s hard to imagine a better sendoff than by lifting yet another Lombardi Trophy. There is the story of Saquon Barkley, who won Offensive Player of the Year honors on Thursday and was the engine behind the Eagles’ explosive offense. While he has performed exceptionally well so far, coming away with a Super Bowl ring on Sunday, will surely have the world sit up and take notice.

Not to mention, this will be the chance for the Eagles to exact revenge for their Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs two years ago.

So, there will be plenty of drama on display for those interested to watch the two top teams go at it. As for the boycott calls, there is no denying that a section of fans is riled up against the officiating in the league, particularly in big games, but that is a problem for the NFL to contend with. Notably, there have been calls to boycott the Super Bowl in order to hit the pockets of Roger Goodell and the NFL particularly due to the ad revenue they’re set to rake in.

This year reportedly, an ad space of 30 seconds has been sold for $7 million, with some brands even paying $8 million for commercials. It is hard to gauge the impact such calls will have on the Super Bowl, a game that saw over 123 million people tune in last season, making it the second most-watched TV program in history after the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing.

Meanwhile, replying to boycott comments, Erin Andrews also revealed her plans with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. 

Erin Andrews’s plan with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick

Before the Super Bowl matchup between the Chiefs and the Eagles, Erin Andrews revealed her most important plan with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. For this, the star reporter posted a promo on IG, in which she was discussing pre-rituals of the Super Bowl with the NFL legends Tom Brady and Michael Strahan.

The caption of the Instagram video said, “New Orleans… brings out some stories you don’t want to miss!” And continued, “Catch Tom Brady, Erin Andrews, and Michael Strahan tomorrow on Madden Cruiser Tour: A bayou adventure with Bill Belichick this Super Bowl Sunday at 12 PM ET on FOX.” Moreover, Erin Andrews will be covering Super Bowl LIX, adding to the day’s significance. Despite managing dry eye disease, she continues to deliver top-tier reporting.

Besides this, the most exciting part of the highly anticipated game will be Kevin Burkhardt’s play-by-play commentary and Tom Brady’s analysis. The entire nation—and the world—is eager to watch the Super Bowl. Let’s see what happens!