Super Bowl LX wrapped up the NFL season on Feb. 8, with the Seattle Seahawks facing off against the New England Patriots. Neither team was expected to make any sort of championship run coming into the season, but when the two improbable tales collided, the Seahawks proved unstoppable. Seattle cruised to a 29-13 victory on the back of five field goals (a Super Bowl record) and a crushing defensive effort. Here’s the immediate reactions to all the action, from the Seahawks’ dominant defense to the halftime show fanfare and everything in between.

Seattle’s impressive season

Few picked the Seattle Seahawks to make the Super Bowl at the start of the season, but their win caps off an incredibly impressive year. Their 14-3 regular season record was tied for the best record in the NFL with the Patriots and the Denver Broncos (with?), including an 8-1 away record that was the strongest in the NFC. Their offense finished top 3 in total scoring, helped along by a top-tier special teams unit. The Seattle defense (more on them shortly) was likewise spectacular, leading the league in points allowed per game and ranking top ten in yards allowed against both rushing and passing attacks.

Individual Seahawks also had spectacular seasons. On offense, Sam Darnold threw for over 4,000 passing yards and had the fifth most passing yards of any quarterback in the league, while wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the league with 1,793 receiving yards and finished tied for sixth overall with ten receiving touchdowns. Linebacker Ernest Jones IV led a team-effort defense, bringing 120 tackles and five interceptions (good for second-most of any player this season). Capping the season off with a Super Bowl win cements an already-excellent season into the history books.

Defense wins championships, again

Most football fans enjoy watching high-flying offensive action, but solid defense is typically what wins championships, and the 2026 Super Bowl was defined by defense. The first half ended 9-0 for Seattle, with the Patriots only gaining 52 total yards of offense across five drives and the Seahawks managing just three field goals despite making it into the red zone twice. The game opened up in the second half, but the three biggest plays of the half were made by Seattle’s defense, forcing a strip-sack fumble near the end of the 3^rd quarter and snagging a pair of brutal interceptions, including a pick-six, in the 4^th to put the game away.

Even with a mediocre offensive performance, the Seahawks’ defense was more than enough to seal the victory, and this is far from the first time that a locked-down defense has pushed a team to a Super Bowl win. The Patriots defense was also clearly their strongest unit and kept them competitive even late into the game. It’s hard to know how much of the Patriots’ offensive struggles were down to the Seahawks’ defense and how much was due to their own errors, but Sam Darnold was certainly right to thank the defense during his post-game interview.

The NFC West: Best Division in Football?

The Seahawks’ win capped off not only a remarkable season for the team, but one for their entire division. Three of the four teams in the NFC West made the playoffs, with the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers both getting wild-card berths with 12-5 records. Of the 13 combined regular season losses those three teams endured, six of them were to each other. Once in the playoffs, the only times the NFC West lost were to other teams from the division, with the Seahawks beating both the 49ers and Rams in succession.

Proclaiming any of the NFL’s eight divisions to be the best division in football would be controversial, and with roster turnover between seasons, it’s hard to predict if this year’s results will hold for 2026. The NFC West also has a nagging weak spot, with the 3-14 Arizona Cardinals arguably dragging the whole division down with them. Despite that, when both teams in the NFC championship and three of the four teams in that conference’s divisional round are all from the NFC West, and when ESPN’s two favorites for next year’s championship are both NFC West teams, it becomes hard to deny that the NFL has a standout division.

The Patriots Are Legit

They may have looked the obviously inferior team during the big game, but don’t let the lopsided scoreboard fool you: the New England Patriots are a legitimate contender for postseason glory. Drake Maye’s struggles in the big game were exacerbated by an injury-riddled offensive line with multiple rookies having to start, and once the line is healthy and gains more experience, the Patriots should be prepared to handle high-pressure defenses.

The most impressive takeaway from the Patriots’ effort was their resolve. Despite being down 19-0 in the 4^th quarter and having shown no signs of life for the first three quarters of the game, the Patriots pushed in a late touchdown to avoid the shutout, and after Seattle scored on a devastating pick-six to take a 29-7 lead with less than 5 minutes remaining, the Pats rallied to score yet another touchdown to push the final score to 29-13. For a young team that was not expected to be in the big game, that level of resolve is a great sign for the future, and the Patriots should be right back in the conversation next year. 

Beyond the Game

The Super Bowl is more than a football game. It’s arguably the single biggest event in the United States on a yearly basis, with world-famous music artists performing at the halftime show and major corporate sponsors pouring in up to ten million dollars for a single 30 second advertisement slot. The advertising, music, and general pageantry around the Super Bowl gives a quick snapshot of the state of the U.S., and the 2026 game had plenty to discuss. The action off the field brought plenty of good (including a spectacular halftime show by Bad Bunny, a fun pre-game performance by Green Day, and the reveal of Cadillac’s new Formula 1 car) and a good deal of bad (far too many AI-generated ads). The current political state of the US was not directly referred to, even by the politics-happy Green Day. However, the closing shot of the halftime show, with a parade of flags from Latin America marching down the field in front of a screen saying “The only thing more powerful than hate is love” definitely struck a political chord and even incited a social media rant from President Trump.

On Monday, Sept. 22, the Ballon d’Or award ceremony, which awards this year’s most accomplished soccer player (men and women being judged separately), took place in Paris. This year’s men’s award went to Ousmane Dembélé, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)’s most accomplished forward.

The 28-year-old Frenchman produced a season that was as decisive as it was spectacular. In 2024–25, Dembélé powered PSG to a historic campaign, winning nearly everything, including the club’s first-ever UEFA Champions League title, the most significant club trophy in world football. Individually, he posted a remarkable 35 goals and 16 assists in 53 games, making him one of Europe’s most productive players. In comparison, in 2022 Messi was awarded the Ballon d’Or despite scoring only 21 goals and delivering 16 assists. On paper, his Ballon d’Or seems beyond dispute. Yet, as always, the award ignited debate in the football community. Was Dembélé’s season truly the best? Did someone else deserve it more? These are familiar questions, as the Ballon d’Or has always been both a barometer of excellence and a lightning rod for controversy.

A Legendary Award with Subjective Edges

Part of the Ballon d’Or’s mystique lies in its subjectivity. Like the Oscars for cinema, the award claims to recognize the “best,” but who and what defines “the best” is constantly contested. France Football, the magazine that created and still administers the Ballon d’Or, tries to guide voters with three clear criteria:

1. Individual performances: decisiveness and overall impact
2. Team performances and achievements: collective success matters
3. Class and fair play: professionalism, attitude, and sportsmanship

These criteria deliberately blend quantitative and qualitative factors. Goals and assists matter, but so do intangible traits — leadership, consistency and composure under pressure. This mix is precisely why the Ballon d’Or retains its intrigue. A player can excel statistically yet still be edged out by someone whose trophies carry more weight.

Do Individual or Collective Stats Win a Ballon d’Or?

The assumption that “most goals + most trophies = Ballon d’Or” oversimplifies the picture. Certainly, scoring records and silverware have historically boosted a candidate’s odds. But the award often prioritizes the type of trophy over sheer quantity. Since 2005, 15 of the 20 Ballon d’Or winners have captured a major title (Champions League, European Championship, or World Cup) in the same year they lifted the award. In other words, winning the biggest competitions at the highest level often tips the scales.

Dembélé checks both boxes. Not only did he lead his team in decisive personal contributions (goals and assists) he also helped PSG to the sport’s ultimate club prize: the UEFA Champions League. It is this blend of individual decisiveness and historic collective success that made his 2024–25 campaign irresistible to voters.

Is the Award Reserved for Forwards?

A frequent criticism of the Ballon d’Or is that it overwhelmingly favors attacking positions. Over the past two decades, forwards and attacking midfielders have dominated the award, winning 15 out of the last 20 years. Yet this hasn’t always been the case. Prior to 2000, defenders like Franz Beckenbauer and Fabio Cannavaro won the trophy, proving that elite defending can be as decisive as goalscoring in the eyes of voters.

Nevertheless, the shift reflects football’s evolution. Modern voters favor players who produce direct goal contributions because these are easy to quantify. Players like Achraf Hakimi — who excel as fullbacks but also deliver phenomenal offensive stats — embody a hybrid player that could eventually break the forward monopoly again. But for now, the award’s bias toward attackers remains pronounced.

Best Player vs. Best Season

One final major tension surrounds the Ballon d’Or: should it reward the “best player” overall or the “best season”? Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo won the Ballon d’Or even in years when another player arguably had a stronger single campaign, simply because their sustained brilliance redefined the sport.

Dembélé’s 2025 victory aligns both sides of that debate. He wasn’t merely a good player having a great year or an all-time great winning on sheer reputation; he was a world-class talent whose season reached a historic peak. His contributions weren’t empty numbers but decisive interventions in the most important games. In that sense, he represents the rare case where the award honors both an elite player and a truly unmatched season.

Why Dembélé’s 2025 Ballon d’Or Was Undeniable

In combining elite statistics, the sport’s biggest club trophy, and match-winning moments, Ousmane Dembélé embodied the very criteria France Football laid out decades ago. His campaign stood at the intersection of individual mastery and collective achievement, the precise sweet spot Ballon d’Or voters are supposed to reward.

For once, the conversation about who “deserved” the Ballon d’Or may be shorter than usual. Dembélé’s 2024–25 season wasn’t just a personal triumph; it was the fulfillment of his immense promise and a historic milestone for PSG.

For the 2023 season, William Jewell College’s football games are being temporarily relocated due to the construction of The Link Project, which includes the development of a new amphitheater-style stadium.

The previous Jewell stadium, Greene Stadium, was demolished in June, and while the construction is underway, football games will be hosted at Liberty North High School, according to Jewell’s Assistant Athletics Director for Communication Ellison JaeLynn. This article explores the reasons behind the relocation, the new location’s features and benefits and the anticipated return of games to the Jewell campus.

“The primary reason for moving Jewell football games off campus is the ongoing construction of The Link Project, which involves the creation of a new stadium,” Ellison said. “The demolition of Greene Stadium, the former football and soccer home since 1955, necessitated the relocation. The construction site lacks essential elements such as stadium seating, parking facilities and other amenities required for hosting football games.”

According to Ellison, for the 2023 season, Jewell football games will take place at Liberty North High School. The decision to choose this location was based on the longstanding partnership between Jewell and the Liberty Public School District. In the past, both high schools in Liberty have played their full schedules on the Jewell campus.

“Although Liberty North’s stadium does not match the exact seating capacity of Greene Stadium, it offers a high-quality facility with upgraded technology opportunities,” Ellison said.  “While the seating width may be slightly narrower, the stadium provides elevated seating and also offers seating for visiting fans on the opposite side. The locker room facilities at Liberty North are adequate and within a comparable walking distance to the field, similar to the on-campus facilities.”

Ellison also discussed the expected positive and negative consequences of this change: “The temporary relocation presents several advantages for fans and players. The partnership with Liberty North allows for an outstanding space for the 2023 season, fostering a positive relationship with Liberty Schools. The new location also provides upgraded technology and facilities compared to the aging Greene Stadium. However, there are a few inconveniences associated with the change, such as students having to travel off campus to attend or play games and the logistical challenges of transporting equipment on game days. Nonetheless, these temporary drawbacks will be outweighed by the long-term benefits of a new home stadium on the Jewell campus.”

“The new stadium on the Jewell campus is expected to be completed this winter, in time for the 2024 season. The college eagerly looks forward to returning to their familiar grounds on The Hill. The staff and players have had a positive experience at Liberty North, appreciating the accommodating and tremendous support received from the school. However, the anticipation of a brand new stadium on campus creates excitement and a sense of homecoming for the Jewell community,” said Ellison.

In conclusion with what JaeLynn Ellison said, ”the temporary relocation of Jewell Football games off campus is a result of the ongoing construction of a new stadium as part of The Link Project”. The move to Liberty North High School for the 2023 season has provided an exceptional space for fans and players, showcasing the strong partnership between William Jewell College and Liberty Schools. While there have been some inconveniences associated with the change, the upcoming completion of a new stadium on the Jewell campus promises an exciting future for football games and reinforces the college’s commitment to its athletic program.

By some miracle, this coming Sunday will be the third time Patrick Mahomes has played with the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. It is hard to believe that there has only been one Spring in my time at Jewell that we did not witness our team go all the way. However, Jalen Hurts and Travis Kelce’s bulkier brother, Jason, should prove to be a worthy opponent in the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Chiefs have a powerful offense that is spearheaded by Mahomes. Mahomes is one of the most prolific quarterbacks in the league and is able to make plays with both his arm and feet. Despite a recent ankle injury, Mahomes was seen walking without assistance in press conference interviews, so he should be good to go for the game.

Mahomes is backed by a team of skilled players including JuJu Smith-Schuster and Travis Kelce. Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon strengthen the team as a strong running back duo. The Chiefs’ defense has been strong this season. They were able to shut down opposing teams with their stout front four including Chris Jones and Frank Clark.

Meanwhile, the Eagles have their own dynamic quarterback in Hurts. Hurts has quickly become one of the league’s most exciting players and is able to make big plays with his feet. The Eagle’s offensive line has been solid this season, led by Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce, who will have a tough time going against Chris Jones and the Chiefs’ Defensive front.

Hurts will also have a talented group of receivers to throw to, including A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Compared to the Chiefs, the Eagles’ defense has been inconsistent this season. This inconsistency is due mainly to the injuries of Fletcher Cox, Jalen Mills, and Rodney McLeod. 

The game is sure to be a close one, and it could come down to which team can capitalize on the other’s weaknesses. Mahomes and Hurts are both able to make big plays. The outcome of the game could depend on which quarterback can make the fewest mistakes. The Chiefs’ defense can be deadly with their potential to create a wide margin. However, their lethality depends on their ability to shut down the Eagles’ offense early. The Eagles, on the other hand, can be just as dangerous if Hurts makes the most of his running skills. 

Regardless of who wins, the 2023 Super Bowl is sure to be an exciting game and one that will be talked about for years to come, with major implications on the legacy of Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs’ players on the line. Find a place to live stream the Super Bowl at 5:30 on Sunday, Feb. 12 so that you do not miss the big game.