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Vegas nods you may have missed during Super Bowl 58

By Taylor Lane Las Vegas Review-Journal
Frank Sinatra, "The Hangover" and Steve Aoki were just a few of the nods to Vegas during the Su ...

Las Vegas hosted the Super Bowl for the first time ever, and CBS and the NFL didn’t want viewers to forget it.

Here are some nods to Vegas that you may have missed during the broadcast:

Starting with ‘My Way’

Nothing says Vegas like Rat Pack member Frank Sinatra (in hologram form) opening CBS’ Super Bowl broadcast.

CBS showed a video of Sinatra performing his hit, complete with an orchestra performing in Allegiant Stadium, and videos from Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers players and their families explaining how much it meant for their teams to make it to the big game.

“My Way” not only pays homage to Sinatra as an iconic Vegas performer, but also to Usher, who was inspired by Sinatra to create his own “My Way” in 1997 and featured it in his Halftime Show performance.

Usher told CBS in an interview before the game that he was directly inspired by Sinatra to make his song.

“I spent my first album really allowing others to dictate who and what I should creatively introduce to the world,” Usher said. “… When I heard (‘My Way’) for the first time I said ‘That’s how I feel.’

“I took it to (Jermaine Dupri) and he helped me put it in a form where people would be able to celebrate it but it would also be a part of my story.”

The segment ended with Sinatra’s face on the Sphere — adding something old to the new.

Kyle Brandt explains the Super Bowl — in Vegas terms

Commentators are taking every chance they can to make gambling and betting references for the Super Bowl, Brandt is cashing in on the fun. (See what I did there?)

“It’s not about black chips or red chips — it’s about championships,” Brandt says.

Brandt compares Chiefs Chris Jones to Chris Angel, Isiah Pacheco to Mike Tyson, and Patrick Mahomes to Wayne “Mr. Vegas” Newton.

“Can you think of a more perfect face for this town than Patrick Mahomes? Classy entertainer, iconic voice, signature hair, keeps showing up year after year — the guy’s practically Wayne Newton.

“That means he and Kelce are Siegfried and Roy: Years of success, beloved by fans, certainly no problem with Bills, up and down history with Bengals.”

‘NFL Today’ hosts parody ‘The Hangover’

The skit begins with Nate Burleson waking up after what appears to be a long night of partying in a large Mandalay Bay suite with Sourdough Sam and KC Wolf.

Burleson, with Boomer Esiason and Bill Cowher, work to figure what happened the night before the morning of the Super Bowl, and find host James Brown.

Steve Aoki remixes Super Bowl theme

Aoki has cemented himself as a Vegas legend with restaurants up and down the Strip and residencies at Hakkasan, Omnia and Wet Republic, and the NFL asked him to bring some of Vegas club flair to the Super Bowl theme song.

“@NFL asked me to remix PostHumus Zone theme song for Super Bowl 58 and being the only one to ever do this is an absolute honor,” Aoki wrote on Instagram. “We shot a lil bit in the middle of the crowd (at Omnia) for the pre game TV spot.”

Thunderbirds over Allegiant Stadium

At the end of Reba McEntire performing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the Thunderbirds flew over Allegiant Stadium.

The Thunderbirds have been based at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas since 1956. Nellis announced the flyover plan last month.

Vegas graphics and music

Graphics referencing gambling, poker tables and the Strip were present throughout the game.

Graphic imitating a poker table used during the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2024. (CBS)

CBS also used neon lettering for touchdown and teams’ name graphics, and played Rat Pack classics like “The Best is Yet To Come” by Frank Sinatra before commercial breaks.

Showgirls and Cirque performers start the Halftime Show

Feathers, contortionists and sequined suits — oh my!

Usher’s performance featured show girls in elaborate headdresses, feathers and beads, with Cirque du soleil performers bending and dancing in ways no human being should be able to.

You could also call Usher’s rollerskating segment an homage to “Starlight Express,” which played at the Hilton Hotel (now Westgate) in the mid-1990s (though I’d argue that might be too much of a deep cut).

Vegas nightclub favorite Lil Jon also stopped in to help Usher hype up the crowd at Allegiant Stadium.

‘VIVA LAS VEGAS!’

Travis Kelce celebrated the Chief’s win by holding the Vince Lombardi Trophy and singing the lyrics to the popular Elvis Presley song.

Kelce talked about how he’s excited to try and win the trophy for a third time in a row.

“We get a chance to do it three times in a row. How do you get excited for that, baby? You go party in Las Vegas then get back to it,” Kelce said.

“You gotta fight for your right to party!”

Contact Taylor Lane at tlane@reviewjournal.com.

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