KC Strong

Good morning. This is the Opening Drive, the weekly newsletter that brings you the best of the NFL so you’re always the smartest one at the water cooler.

The Chief's parade celebration was overshadowed by a tragic shooting, Jimmy G pops for PEDs, some draft prospects won't be taking cognitive tests this year, and we take a look at Super Bowl viewership records

Let’s dive in.

QUICK HITS

• One person dead, 21 injured following shooting at Chief’s Super Bowl parade (CBS Sports)

• Chiefs launch KC Strong fund for victims of Super Bowl parade shooting (Pro Football Talk)

• Two juveniles face charges in Chiefs’ parade shooting (Pro Football Talk)

• Taylor Swift donates $100K to family of woman slain in Chiefs’ parade shooting (CBS News)

• Patrick Mahomes visits children wounded in parade shooting (NFL.com)

• Detroit is ramping up security ahead of the 2024 draft following shooting at parade (Fox News)

• The 49ers fire defensive coordinator Steve Wilks following Super Bowl collapse (NFL.com)

• Athletes First agency tells its clients to skip cognitive testing ahead of 2024 NFL draft (Yahoo Sports)

• Jimmy Garoppolo suspended two games for violating NFL’s PED policy (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

• Chiefs pick up Chris Jones’ contract option (NFL.com)

• Amazon Prime will stream an exclusive playoff game in 2024 (CNBC)

• Paramount + and Peacock reportedly considering a merger (Yahoo)

• Bizarre back-story emerges about Super Bowl ‘streaker’ (The Sun)

WHO’S UP? WHO’S DOWN?

Who’s up?
Andy Reid. Head coach Andy Reid has cemented his legacy as one of the NFL's greatest coaches after leading the Kansas City Chiefs to a dramatic 25-22 Super Bowl LVIII victory over the San Francisco 49ers. Reid's meticulous attention to detail, innovative offensive schemes, and knack for connecting with players have been instrumental in the Chiefs' rise to dominance. Known for his trademark Hawaiian shirts and quick wit, Reid has crafted a unique culture in Kansas City that balances preparation with fun. From catering in his favorite Haagen-Dazs ice cream to allowing pranks in training camp, Reid gives players the freedom to express themselves. He also scribbles copious notes during meetings to follow up with pointed questions that keep assistants on their toes. With his third Super Bowl ring in five seasons, Reid has joined an elite fraternity. He's now one of only five coaches with at least three championships, trailing only Bill Belichick, Chuck Noll, Bill Walsh and Joe Gibbs. At 65 years old, Reid isn't slowing down either, already confirming he'll return to coach the Chiefs in 2024. Reid's place in Canton is undoubtedly secure whenever he does retire. For now, the innovative offensive guru remains driven by a relentless pursuit of excellence and a close bond with his players. Under Reid's guidance, the Chiefs' championship window remains wide open.

Who’s down?
Indoor stadiums. On Feb. 8, the Cleveland Browns released a statement regarding future stadium planning. Whether that’s a new stadium, or renovations to the Browns’ current stadium remains unclear. What is clear is that the Cleveland Browns and Haslam Sports Group want to use this new stadium for more than Browns home games. The statement included this carefully worded phrase, “We understand the magnitude of opportunity with a stadium project intent on driving more large-scale events to our region.” That certainly sounds like an organization that wants an indoor home so they can host a Super Bowl, College Football Playoff, etc. Like the Browns, the Titans announced plans in October to build a $2.1 billion indoor stadium of their own. All of this comes at a time when the debate among owners and players over grass vs. turf is as hot as ever. Players demand grass fields for their forgiveness while owners covet the cash flow that non-football events in an indoor stadium with artificial turf can generate, despite data that turf leads to more injuries per play. Owners though don’t seem to care much. Since 2006, seven of the last nine stadiums opened in the NFL have been indoor facilities.

NUMBERS YOU SHOULD KNOW
A deep dive into Super Bowl viewership

The Kansas City Chiefs' thrilling overtime victory against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII delivered a historic television audience. An average of 123.7 million viewers tuned in across all platforms, making it the most watched Super Bowl and television program ever, according to Nielsen data released Tuesday. The audience topped last year's Super Bowl viewership by 7.4%. The Nielsen totals include traditional TV, Spanish-language broadcasts, digital viewing, out-of-home viewing, and streaming on services like Paramount+ and NFL Plus. The CBS television broadcast alone averaged 120.3 million viewers, the largest audience for a single network in Super Bowl history. Several factors contributed to the massive viewership. The matchup featured two iconic franchises with devoted national fan bases. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has become must-see TV, playing in his fourth Super Bowl in five years. Pop superstar Taylor Swift's romance with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce also drew casual viewers. The game itself was thrilling, going down to the wire in overtime. In the end, the longest Super Bowl ever also became the most watched program ever. The Chiefs' comeback overtime victory over the 49ers proved to be ratings gold, delivering an unprecedented television audience.

Did you know?

🏈 Viewership for Super Bowl 2024 was so massive that it is challenging the moon landing in 1969 — which got an audience of an estimated 125 to 150 million — as the most-watched television event ever.
🏈 Super Bowl overtime earned CBS an estimated $60 million from more commercials.
🏈 More than 200 million viewers (202.4) watched all-or-part of Super Bowl LVIII across all networks.
🏈 During the game, there were 19.2 million posts (+41% YoY), 1.1 billion video views (+75% YoY) and 10.5 billion impressions (+31% YoY) on X

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