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Axios
12-02-2025
- Business
- Axios
Super Bowl a global hit but a clear miss for some
New Orleans leaders, city employees, artists, musicians, and hospitality industry staff spent years prepping for the Super Bowl and now that it's come and gone, some are left wondering if the major investment was worth it after all. The big picture: The week of Super Bowl itself is already a massive event, but the city may not feel its biggest impact yet, New Orleans & Co. CEO Walt Leger says. A key goal, he tells Axios New Orleans, was to "create demand for the future decade or so." "We're going to use this as a tool to paint the picture of what New Orleans has to offer, what it can do and prove it can host one of the most complex events on the planet and do it as well or better than anyone," he says. That can turn into "hundreds if not thousands of other events that will in turn create additional economic opportunity for neighborhoods and businesses all across the city." To that end, early returns do show success. People like Cardi B and Chad " Ochocinco" Johnson heaped praise upon the city on social media as Taylor Swift was spotted dining at Lilette and Apple CEO Tim Cook rolled into Domilise's with Odell Beckham Jr.. Then, top sports journalists with massive followings, like Ian Rapoport and Albert Breer, put out public calls to bring the Super Bowl back to New Orleans ASAP. Plus, a state effort to attract new business seemed to work, too, Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois tells Axios New Orleans. Conversations around new business deals were happening "in the halls of the Superdome between company executives, [Gov. Jeff Landry] and me about when we'd make some new announcements," she says. "We got a lot of business done." Yes, but: Business wasn't booming for everyone. Despite its location in a busy Airbnb neighborhood and weekend promotions with a celebrity bartender and free king cake, the Southern Food and Beverage Museum saw a total of eight visitors over Super Bowl weekend, executive director Connie Jackson tells Axios New Orleans. The venue saw about 12 times that visitation during Sugar Bowl weekend, she says. The venue did get interest for private parties, she says, but those didn't pan out. Still, corporate cooking classes with Super Bowl visitors did make up for the lost revenue. "My business, along with a variety of tour businesses that we work with, also did terribly during Super Bowl week," says Leonard Crist, who owns tour company Gators and Ghosts. "It wasn't that it didn't meet expectations; it was actually worse than a similar random winter week before the Mardi Gras stuff gets going." What we're watching: Hotel data won't be in until later this week, and tax numbers that'll indicate visitor spend won't be in for at least a month, Leger says. The bottom line: "Some businesses will have prospered, and others will maybe feel like they would have liked to receive more business opportunities," Leger says. "There will be lessons learned … about how to try to activate and engage audiences who come in the future. … But this is global in reach and gives us a chance to attract countless other events."
New York Times
09-02-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
At the Super Bowl Ladies Lounge, N.F.L. Wives Stick Together
It was Saturday in a balmy New Orleans, and Jennifer Slay, the wife of Darius Slay Jr., a cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles, was at a party in the French Quarter, hugging and greeting a crowd of women whose husbands also play professional football, some for the Kansas City Chiefs. On Sunday night in the Superdome, their husbands will face each other in the Super Bowl. 'It's always like, you know, 'Hey, who is going to win?'' she said. But in this room, at this moment, these women were not Ms. Slay's rivals, they were her friends and her support system. A D.J. played hip-hop while guests in Mardi Gras beads line danced in the middle of the room or huddled on couches chatting in groups. 'When you are with the other wives, you feel like you can relate to each other and be so comfortable around each other,' Ms. Slay said. 'These women are amazing, and we all empower one another.' Other high-profile wives and girlfriends have been spotted together around New Orleans this weekend. On Friday night, Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes dined with their partners, Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes, at Lilette, a French restaurant on New Orleans's trendy Magazine Street. Ms. Slay was standing with about 50 women upstairs at Felipe's Mexican Taqueria at an event thrown by the National Football Wives Association, a membership organization for partners of current and retired players. The association started as a private Facebook group, where the partners of football players confided in one another and asked for advice about N.F.L.-related issues. The group now has an Instagram account with more than 40,000 followers, and has started meeting in person to connect, develop skills and offer support. 'It's hard enough to be a wife or girlfriend to any man, let alone a football player,' said Amber Staples, the president of the N.F.W.A. who is married to Justin Staples, a retired defensive lineman. 'We have the challenges of navigating the N.F.L., which in itself are tremendous. Then, if you get moved and go to a new city, who do you call?' The association now puts on events in about six cities across the country, where participants can bond and unwind, and hope to double that number next year. It also hosts an annual conference that offers mentorship on a variety of topics such as how to provide mental and financial support after a player retires from professional football. 'My husband went into a depression for two years after he retired,' Ms. Staples said. 'He sat at home on a couch.' 'When you lose your identity, it feels like you are losing your entire life,' she added. 'These guys were playing football as kids their whole lives, and then they retire at an age when everyone else is building their careers.' The particular gathering, called the Super Bowl Ladies Lounge, was a chance to relax during what many said felt like an especially eventful Super Bowl weekend. A taco bar was set up in the back of one room, and bartenders poured frozen margaritas and served fresh-squeezed mimosas. 'The atmosphere here is way different,' Ms. Slay said. 'This is a party city, like it's wild. There is something going on every street.' At a station where guests could add stickers to Super Bowl merchandise, Amina Smith, a commentator for ESPN and the wife of Deon Bush, a safety for the Chiefs, was decorating a sweatshirt that said 'Chiefs Vs. Everybody' and had her husband's number, 26. 'I haven't slept for a week,' she said, laughing, adding this party was a welcome break. 'It's hard to talk to people who are not in this life and explain to them what we experience, so it's good we are together.' One challenges is a brighter spotlight, which may be a result of Ms. Swift's entry into the N.F.L. 'We definitely get more attention now,' Ms. Smith said. 'I think it has kind of grown over the years, and people see us as — not just with players — but people who actually have our own lives.' Alison Gore, the wife of Eddie Jackson, a safety for the Los Angeles Chargers, said she loves being around women with similar daily experiences. 'For six months, it is about our men, never about us,' she said. 'A lot of us have kids, and we put ourselves last.' 'There are these mental things that nobody ever knows about,' she added. 'Like, they get injured in practice or they have something stressful happen in a meeting or in the locker room. When they come home we have to bring support and peace into their days.' The party, she said, was an opportunity to shower the other wives and partners with appreciation. 'We need support to support our husbands,' Ms. Gore said. 'If we are good, they are good.'
Fox News
08-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Super Bowl LIX: Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce turn heads with Patrick and Brittany Mahomes at double date dinner
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were spotted cozying up ahead of Super Bowl LIX. The couple sneaked away for a double date dinner with Kelce's Kansas City Chiefs teammate, Patrick Mahomes, and his wife, Brittany, at the French restaurant Lilette in New Orleans Friday. The celebrity pairs stepped out hand in hand, gearing up for the big game Sunday, when the Chiefs play the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl. The mega pop star, 35, stunned in a stylish black lace dress with matching black shoes and her signature red lipstick. Swift's hair was styled with loose curls and front NFL boyfriend, Kelce, 35, sported a gray tracksuit with a white shirt and sneakers. Patrick, 29, wore a black jacket with silver buttons and a white graphic T-shirt. He wore a backward white baseball cap and matching sneakers to complete his look. His wife Brittany, 29, who recently gave birth to their third child, stepped out in a large red trench coat with matching boots. She wore a black top underneath and a gold necklace. Her blonde wavy hair was styled in a loose up-do. This will be the second Super Bowl the "Bejeweled" singer will be supporting Kelce. The couple shared a kiss on the field last year. The Chiefs took home the championship against the 49ers. Swift and Kelce debuted their relationship in 2023, when the singer attended one of his games. Since then, the "Cruel Summer" crooner has formed a close friendship with Brittany and Kelce's mom, Donna. The three were spotted last month on the field celebrating an AFC championship win. When Swift and Brittany aren't on the field cheering on their partners, the celebrity gal pals are typically spotted in stadium luxury suites. In October 2023, the "Welcome to New York" singer brought her famous friends to support her boyfriend at a Chiefs game. Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, along with Hugh Jackman and Sabrina Carpenter, were spotted hanging out in her luxury suite. Sophie Turner was also spotted catching a few plays with her celebrity friends.
Axios
08-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Taylor Swift, Post Malone, and more celeb sightings ahead of Super Bowl
The celebs have officially landed in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX See who was spotted out on the town Friday night. Here's who was spotted out on the town Friday night: Taylor Swift grabbed dinner with Travis Kelce, and Patrick and Brittany Mahomes. They stopped by Lilette on Magazine Street. Diplo was spotted at The One Party by Uber at Second Line Stages, with Travis Scott performing. Former New Orleans resident Solange Knowles did a special DJ set, too, according to a PR rep. The guest list included Emily Ratajkowski, Jon Hamm, Amy Schumer, Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz, Leon Bridges, Teyana Taylor, Cara Delevingne, Evan Ross, Tyla, Diplo, Kaskade, Kordell Beckham, Suki Waterhouse, Damar Hamlin and Karrueche Tran. Shaq hosted a Mardi Gras World party with a guest appearance by Ludacris. Other guests included Alix Earle, Braxton Berrios, Paul Pierce, Louis Tomlinson, Bert Kreischer, Pat Surtain II, Sexyy Red and Desean Jackson, a press release says. Verizon hosted a Rhude fashion showcase, which drew Joe Burrow, Justin Jefferson, Sexyy Red, Kelsey Anderson, Joey Graziadei, Tini Younger, Rhuigi Villaseñor, Reggie Bush, Jason Tartick, Giannina Milady Gibelli and Blake Horstmann. Burrow also stopped by the Star-Studded GQ Bowl with Samsung at the Hotel Peter and Paul. So did Alvin Kamara, SZA, Cee Dee Lamb and Ja'Marr Chase. Post Malone performed a free show for Bud Light with surprise guest Jelly Roll. Complex Family Style Food Fest took over Acamaya for a preview of a free event Saturday. The preview included plenty of bites by chef Ana Castro, and selfies with Flavor Flav. See photos below, Follow us this week for updates as we party hop and celeb spot.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce enjoy pre-Super Bowl double date with Patrick, Brittany Mahomes
Shortly after touching down in New Orleans on Friday ahead of Super Bowl LIX, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce enjoyed a pregame double date with Patrick and Brittany Mahomes. The couples were spotted ducking into the small French restaurant Lilette in the city's Uptown area, as seen in video obtained by Fox 8 New Orleans. Swift got dolled up in a black lace minidress with her signature red lip, while Brittany Mahomes, a newly minted mom of three, wore a long Chiefs red jacket with matching boots. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs stars went far more casual. Tight end Kelce sported a slate gray tracksuit with sneakers, while quarterback Mahomes wore a backward baseball cap and a black jacket over a graphic tee. News of their presence at the restaurant quickly spread around town, as fans were seen swarming the foursome, screaming and snapping photos, as they exited the eatery. The sighting came less than 48 hours before the reigning Super Bowl champs face off against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, hoping to make history with a three-peat win. Earlier in the day, reports made the rounds that the 'Cruel Summer' singer had not invited bestie Blake Lively to join her in her star-studded Super Bowl suite, as she has in the past. According to insiders, Swift is attempting to distance herself from Lively amid the latter's ongoing legal feud with Justin Baldoni, her director and co-star in 'It Ends With Us.' Lively filed a lawsuit late last year accusing 41-year-old Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set as well as a retaliatory smear campaign. Weeks later, Baldoni countersued with a $400 million lawsuit accusing Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and publicist Leslie Sloane of defamation and civil extortion. Among the many allegations in his filing, Baldoni claims Lively leveraged Swift's celebrity status in an effort to intimidate him into letting her steamroll production. Text messages included in the suit show Lively referred to the Grammy winner as one of her 'dragons,' interpreted by Baldoni to be a veiled threat that she'd unleash Swift's star power if he didn't give in to her demands. Sources told TMZ this week that Swift was baffled by the characterization and felt manipulated by her longtime friend. Insiders also claim that since getting pulled into the legal drama, Swift has found out about other times Lively has inappropriately dropped her name. While Lively is said to have apologized, with sources claiming the pals are still as close as ever, forgiveness has reportedly not been so swift for the popstar. ________
