Super Bowl live coverage: Chiefs become champions, JLo & Shakira shine at halftime

After a soggy Saturday, Sunday’s sunshine and clear skies set the stage for an exciting Super Bowl 54.

The Kansas City Chiefs won their first title in 50 years, beating the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Jennifer Lopez and Shakira delivered a high-energy halftime show, complete with guest appearances. The game itself was competitive and dramatic — another classic Miami Super Bowl in the books.

The Miami Herald had a team of reporters covering the big game and the buzz around it.

Kansas City on top

The NFL’s best quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, was the game’s best player when it mattered most Sunday. He led the Chiefs to overcome a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit and secure a championship for a franchise for the first time since 1969.

Read more here from Herald sportswriter Adam Beasley, and check out this analysis of Mahomes’ performance from sportswriter Susan Miller Degnan.

Shakira & JLo bring Latin beats to halftime

Pop stars Jennifer Lopez and Shakira headlined a high-energy halftime performance, with guest appearances from Puerto Rican Latin rap star Bad Bunny and Colombian reggaeton artist J Balvin. If you’re unfamiliar, here’s an introduction from the Herald’s celebrity reporter Madeleine Marr.

Did Miami get enough time in the limelight?

Boosters pitch the Super Bowl as a tourism commercial for the host city broadcast to millions. It’s an important consideration, given the millions local governments spend on attracting the big game.

So, did Miami get enough airtime? Our analysis, with expert commentary.

Uber surge pricing after game skyrocketed

One blemish on the evening, which many Miami-Dade County residents can tell you all about, was the logistical issue with leaving the stadium and the lack of mass transit.

A one-way Uber from the stadium to Miami Beach cost more than $300 at the highest surge point — and even getting to the pickup location was a mess. The ridesharing company and even organizers were not on the same page.

Read more about the issues, including criticism from out-of-towners.

Would you buy a $32 steak on a stick?

The king of Super Bowl menu items is undoubtedly the chicken wing. But at the stadium, there was one peculiar dish that had customers wondering: “Steak Kan-Kan”...On a Stick. If you’re wondering what that is, we got your covered.

Miami hustles

Fans outside Hard Rock Stadium were apparently throwing cash around on a shell game. One couple had a tough break.

Jay-Z and Khaled in the house

Rap star Jay-Z arrived at Hard Rock Stadium and walked onto the field about an hour before kickoff. He posted a video on Instagram.

DJ Khaled posted his own selfie video from an endzone with fans cheering in the background.

Formula One protesters arrive

People protesting plans to bring a Formula One grand prix to Hard Rock Stadium gathered across from the stadium earlier Sunday afternoon. Miami-Dade Commissioner Barbara J. Jordan, who has stridently opposed the idea, is among them.

An officer from Miami-Dade’s Counterterrorism Rapid Deployment Force arrived to push protesters off the sidewalk. Jordan told an officer she hopes that Mayor Carlos Gimenez is not behind the increased police presence.

Read more here.

Corporate field trip

For those at the Super Bowl on their company’s dime, the experience seems more over the top than they anticipated.

Dustin Taylor, 47, from Philadelphia is one of around 140 Microsoft employees who won a company contest for tickets, he said. Asked who he’s rooting for, Taylor said, “Couldn’t care less.”

The group is saying at the Kimpton Epic hotel in downtown Miami and came to Miami Gardens around 2:30 p.m. on a chartered bus.

“It’s so over the top,” Taylor said, pointing around. “Crazy the amount of money that’s being spent.”

Chris Laidlaw, 41, from Connecticut, is here thanks to his company, Synchrony. He arrived on Friday and is staying in Dadeland.

“This is crazy,” he said of the spectacle.

He’s not rooting for either team. “Just hoping for a lot of action, a high scoring game.”

— Taylor Dolven

Birthday at the Super Bowl

Electricians were still propped on ladders hanging flat screens and connecting cables at 1 p.m. behind the 12-foot fences of the Super Bowl Legends area, where only fans with certain passes are allowed.

A security guard turned a reporter away from the area. “They have their own media,” she said. “It’s not in the public domain.”

A gondola erected for the event slowly whizzed overhead, stopping for long stretches, all of the cars empty.

Shortly after 2 p.m., the fans with special passes began to file in. A piano could be heard playing from outside.

Vincent Mastria, 56, entered with a friend at 2:15 p.m. He’s from Mantoloking, New Jersey, and not rooting for either team. He said he has owned a home in Jupiter for four years and decided to make this year’s big game his first because it was convenient.

“I’m just here for the experience,” he said.

Also without a team preference are Sonja Hood, 50, and Richard Hansen, 48, who made the trip from Melbourne, Australia, to celebrate their birthdays, both Sunday.

The couple bought a package for a hotel in South Beach and access to the neighboring Super Bowl Live event, also limited to special passes.

“It’s a milestone birthday and this is the biggest party in the world,” Hood said. “We’re going for red.”

— Taylor Dolven

Scenes from Miami Gardens

Hosting the Super Bowl is supposed to be a major economic boon for Miami-Dade County, though hosting duties come with millions in costs to taxpayers.

In Miami Gardens, homeowners along 27th Avenue are making sure they see some of that impact — some are selling parking spots on their lawn for $100 a pop.

“I sold four already,” one resident, who did not give his name for fear of retaliation from the city,” said before 2 p.m.

At Hard Rock Stadium, a heavy security presence can be seen inside and out. Miami-Dade Police and Fire Rescue personnel are on foot and in golf carts as the stadium gates open this afternoon. Law enforcement from outside South Florida are here— from Martin County, from Georgia.

— Martin Vassolo and Charles Rabin

Celebrities spotted around town

Miami’s already a regular destination for the rich and famous. Super Bowl weekend has brought even more musicians, tech titans and other big names have been seen partying around town.

On Saturday night, Jeff Bezos and girlfriend Lauren Sanchez had dinner at the center table at The Bazaar at the SLS South Beach with friends. Trevor Noah, G-Eazy, Jake Paul, Timbaland, and Jorge Masvidal were all seen dining at David Grutman’s Komodo.

The San Franscisco Chronicle reported that parties hosted by a bunch of big-name brands attracted the likes of Paul Rudd, Jon Hamm, Paris Hilton and Elon Musk.

On Saturday, actor Aaron Paul tweeted a picture of him and his Breaking Bad co-star Bryan Cranston standing outside South Beach bar Sweet Liberty. The pair were tending bar around 5 p.m.

Just before kickoff, Dr. Oz tweeted that he would be watching the game next to “music royalty,” Paul McCartney.

Kanye West takes Miami to church

Kanye West’s Sunday Service Experience began at 11 a.m. at the the Bayfront Park Amphitheater. Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr., who married West and Kim Kardashian, began speaking just after 11:30 a.m.

“This is not an event,” said Wikerson Jr., who leads a VOUS Church in Wynwood. “This is just an old-fashioned church service.”

Wilkerson Jr. welcomed believers and non-believers to “come home” like the Bible’s prodigal son, and rattled off a list of prophets and figures from scripture who were imperfect but still chosen to carry out God’s will.

After his sermon, the choir led the crowd through a reimagined version of Montell Jordan’s “This is How We Do It” with the re-written lyrics “He will see you through it.” A string of similar gospel remixes of pop hits followed.

West, 42, got on the mic just before 12:30 p.m. and performed “Follow God,” a cut from his 2019 album “Jesus is King.”

Livestream the service here.

Can I still get tickets?

Yes ... though it’ll set you back more than a few grand.

There are still tickets available at the National Football League’s official ticketing website. The prices start at $5,525. Packages include an “all-inclusive pregame party.”

There are 520 tickets left on StubHub. A StubHub representative told the Herald the lowest ticket price available is $5,269. There’s even a last-chance promo code available — add “SUPERBOWL2020” and get $500 off tickets.

“Average ticket price is currently $6,513, which is 53% higher than this time last year,” the representative said.

Where to watch and listen to Super Bowl LIV in Miami

In Miami, Super Bowl 54 will air on WSVN-Channel 7, with Joe Buck and former Dallas Cowboys great Troy Aikman calling the game. On the radio, AM 790 The Ticket will carry the game.

You can stream it, too, on FoxSports.com or on the Fox Sports and Fox now apps. This is the first year the Super Bowl will be streamed in 4K Ultra high definition. To stream the game in 4K Ultra HD, create a profile at this FoxSports website.

Nasty weather dampens Saturday

Wet and blustery conditions kept some fans indoors the day before the big game, but some determined revelers made the best of it — particularly at Gronk Beach, a concert at the North Beach Bandshell in Miami Beach hosted by former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. Even Patriots head coach Bill Belichick showed up.

Read more here.