Maritimers prepare for Super Bowl Sunday

Maritimers countdown to football's biggest showdown.

The sign out front of the Steel City Sports Bar & Steakhouse says in Sydney, N.S. says, “Home of Sydney’s largest Super Bowl party.” It’s one of the largest sporting events of the year and the Cape Breton Eagles of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League are hosting a tailgate party before the big game.

“It will be tough to get a seat here, so you have to get here early”, said Joey Haddad, business operations manager for the Cape Breton Eagles and part of the Steel City’s ownership. “And that’s really what makes the kickoff party, the tailgate party such a good thing.”

This year’s game could be one of the biggest ever. The Kansas City Chiefs have a chance to make history and become the first team in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in a row Sunday night. The victory would cement the team led by Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce as one of sport’s all-time great dynasties.

But some Maritimers hope the Chiefs come up short.

“Eagles baby, Eagles,” said Donnie Vaters of Glace Bay, N.S., a Philadelphia Eagles fan since he was a kid in the 1970s. “Fly, Eagles fly. We’re in ‘er to win ‘er.”

Vaters admits the NFC champion Eagles may be a dark horse against the Chiefs – football’s glamour team – but Vaters is predicting a big win for his favourite team.

“I’m willing to bet that there’s a lot of Swifties out there that don’t want us to win”, Vaters said. “But we’re going to ‘Shake It Off’, and we’re going to pull off an upset victory this time. “They got us the last time (two years ago), by a field goal with eight seconds left. This time, we’re doing it to them.”

Of course, not everyone tunes into the Super Bowl to watch football. For music fans the big game is all about the halftime show – this year starring Kendrick Lamar.

Little girls all over the world will be watching to catch a glimpse of their hero - Kelce’s girlfriend, Taylor Swift.

“I won’t say who I’m rooting for. I just want to watch a good game and enjoy the company”, Haddad said.

Vaters knows he will be watching with some Chiefs fans but he said there won’t be any “bad blood.”

“I know I’m going to get teased to death because they’re all Swiftie fans,” Vaters said. “Don’t tell anybody, but I am too.”

Vaders made a bold prediction for how the game will end. “Eagles are going to win by three, and we’re going to do it on a field goal with sixteen seconds left.”

The Super Bowl kick’s off this Sunday at 7:30 p.m., Atlantic time, on CTV.

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