Who Was the Real MVP of Super Bowl LIX?

At the end of Sunday’s Super Bowl, Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and Head Coach Nick Sirianni took turns hoisting the coveted Lombardi Trophy at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans after the Eagles trounced the Kansas City Chiefs, 40-22. Later, the game’s Most Valuable Player, quarterback Jalen Hurts, faced the cameras and uttered the famous words, “I’m going to Disney World”.

Actually, that advertising phrase has been a tagline for not only Super Bowl MVPs, but also World Series and Stanley Cup champions… and the winners of everything from the NBA Finals and the America’s Cup to the Winter Olympics and American Idol. Gretchen Carlson, Miss America in 1988, and NASCAR driver Jeff Gordan in 1994 were also given a free trip to the Magic Kingdom for uttering the iconic phrase. So were the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team in 1999 and several fortunate college graduates from Simpson College and Temple University in 1990.

Perhaps the most unusual and unsuspecting MVP to win the free trip by mouthing the words was Santa Claus in 1997. Of course, after building toys for 364 days in freezing arctic conditions before spending Day 365 delivering them to children around the world, who deserved some sun and fun at the “Most Magical Place on Earth” more than Jolly Ol’ St. Nick?

But if you paid close attention to Super Bowl LIX on Sunday and especially the pregame festivities, there was no doubt who was the “real” MVP. The kickoff was still minutes away when the cameras focused on a suite high above the field where a 78-year-old man held his right hand in a military salute as The Star-Spangled Banner filled the stadium.

The roar that erupted as the face of America’s 47th Commander-in-Chief was shown on the Jumbotron told you all you needed to know. It has been less than 30 days since Donald Trump took the oath of office and yet, he has won over the American public by acting boldly and decisively, fulfilling one campaign promise after another in rapid-fire succession.

As a result, President Trump’s approval rating currently stands at 53% and a whopping 70% of Americans say he is doing what he said he would on the campaign trail. How refreshing is that… a politician actually keeping his word and delivering on his promises?

Even more telling are the adjectives being used to describe his presidential performance: Tough – 69%; Energetic – 63%; Focused – 60%; and Effective – 58%. I find that last number to be especially revealing because it shows that even though only 53% of Americans approve of the job President Trump is doing, 58% admit (perhaps grudgingly) that his methods have been effective.

Conversely, the game’s loudest boos were reserved for America’s once-favorite teen idol, Taylor Swift, whose strident anti-Trump position in the 2024 election seems to have backfired.

And, in case you are wondering, a recently released poll of former but still living presidents ranks Joseph Robinette Biden dead last at 39% approval and 57% disapproval. OUCH!!!

I’ll bet that Patrick Mahomes, with his three turnovers and his dismal 10.7 first-half QB rating, would have ranked higher than “Geritol Joe”… and that’s saying something.