Kansas City fetes latest Super Bowl win

During a boisterous victory rally at downtown’s Union Station after a parade, Mahomes and Kelce joked about “experts” who predicted the just-concluded NFL season would be a rebuilding year for the Chiefs, who defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 on Sunday.

“We’re back again, we’re back again,” Mahomes, the NFL’s regular season and Super Bowl MVP, told thousands of cheering fans clad in the Chiefs’ red and gold team colors.

“When we started this season the AFC West said we were rebuilding,” Mahomes said. “I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know what rebuilding means. In our rebuilding year, we’re world champs, we’re world champs.”

Kelce noted that some “haters” predicted the Chiefs wouldn’t even make the playoffs.

“In all reality, this was this best season of my life,” Kelce said. “I owe it to (the fans), I owe it to the guys on this stage, I owe it to everybody in Chiefs Kingdom and the organization we’ve been able to create.”

Celebrating his second Super Bowl win with the Chiefs, coach Andy Reid told the crowd that “there’s no place you’d rather be, and no greater place to be than right here, baby. … Not very often are you able to say you’re the greatest team in the world, you have the greatest players in the world, have the greatest organization in the world and, most of all, the greatest fans in the world.”

The rally festivities wrapped up a day that began with some fans who slept overnight — and others arriving before sunrise — to get a prime spot downtown to celebrate the Chiefs’ second Super Bowl championship in four NFL seasons.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. — The Chicago Bears on Wednesday purchased the property that they’ve been sizing up for a new stadium in suburban Arlington Heights.

WFLD-TV reported that the Bears announced that they bought the 326-acre property for $197.2 million.

The team cautioned, however, that the purchase doesn’t mean plans for a new domed stadium and an entertainment district will come to fruition.

The Bears currently play at Soldier Field in downtown Chicago.

Economic analysts say creating a Bears entertainment district would create more than 48,000 jobs and generate $9.4 billion for the local economy.

STEELERS: Longtime Pittsburgh Steelers assistant coach John Mitchell has retired after nearly three decades with the club. The 71-year-old Mitchell won two Super Bowl rings in 29 seasons with the Steelers after first joining Bill Cowher’s staff in 1994 as a defensive line coach. Mike Tomlin retained Mitchell when he replaced Cowher in 2007. Tomlin promoted Mitchell to assistant head coach in 2017. Mitchell spent 50 years in coaching at various levels. He made history as a player in 1971 when he became the first Black player to play in a game for the University of Alabama.

HAMLIN: Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin said Wednesday he never intended to offend anyone for attending the Super Bowl wearing a jacket that critics deemed to feature an offensive depiction of Jesus. Hamlin posted a note on his Twitter account saying he understands the criticism while referring to the coat’s depictions as being abstract art. Former NFL running back Adrian Peterson took offense by calling the Kanye West Eternal Saint blue varsity jacket blasphemous. Peterson says he has since cleared the air by speaking personally with Hamlin.

RAVENS: Baltimore has re-signed defensive end Brent Urban and cornerback Daryl Worley. The Ravens announced the moves Wednesday. The 31-year-old Urban played 16 games for Baltimore last season. He finished with one sack. He previously played for the Cowboys, Bears and Titans. He also spent his first four NFL seasons with the Ravens. Worley appeared in eight games last season, including one start.