Why were the Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce booed on Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night?

Super Bowl LVIII week has officially kicked off in Las Vegas, with the NFL hosting Opening Night at Allegiant Stadium as the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs draws ever closer.

The league has laid on a number of events in “Sin City” in the run-up to the championship match, one of which allowed fans into the stadium in Paradise to witness the only public presentation of the two teams that will go head to head for the Vince Lombardi trophy.

Chiefs receive hostile reception from Raiders fans

First to appear on the field were the Kansas City Chiefs, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, running back Isiah Pacheco and head coach Andy Reid. And the reigning Super Bowl champions got a hostile reception from local fans, with Mahomes and Kelce booed every time they spoke.

The animosity toward the Chiefs can, of course, be explained because they are divisional rivals of the Las Vegas Raiders, tenants at Allegiant Stadium. Of the 23,823 fans in attendance, a significant number were wearing silver and black jerseys, the Raiders’ colours.

Why was 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy cheered?

After a section in which captains of the two teams were interviewed together, the 49ers took centre stage. With California not being too far away from Nevada, many Niners fans had already made the trip and made their presence felt. The NFC West team proved to be the stars of the show on Opening Night, with the early indications suggesting they are the people’s favourites to win Super Bowl LVIII.

Quarterback Brock Purdy, in particular, was cheered throughout the night, on the back of his journey from Mr. Irrelevant to starting quarterback of a Super Bowl team in his second pro season becoming something of a modern-day fairytale in the NFL.

Alfredo Gutiérrez, the only Mexican Super Bowl star

Niners offensive tackle Alfredo Gutiérrez, the only Mexican participant in Super Bowl LVIII, also spoke about the significance of the International Player Pathway Program in allowing him to reach the NFL and its final game, as well as the role he has played in the development of the likes of Nick Bosa, Chase Young, Arik Armstead and other offensive linemen.

Super Bowl LVIII will take place on Sunday 11 February, with kickoff at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT. While the Chiefs are going for a second consecutive championship, the 49ers are bidding to win their first in 29 years.