Super Bowl 2024: ‘Scripted’ or ‘rigged’? X trends explained

Right after the Kansas City Chiefs clinched the big Super Bowl win in Las Vegas on Sunday, social media started drowning under the rubble of new X trends – ‘Rigged’ and ‘Scripted’. Was the big game really rigged? This conspiracy theory extends far beyond the reach of mere sports and entertainment connections!
After the San Francisco 49ers faced a devastating defeat after going into overtime, Will Compton, the retired American football linebacker, tweeted:
“NFL is basically the WWE now.
All scripted. Fixed. They pick who they want to win.
It’s all for entertainment & honestly I don’t even know why I watch & care so much.
It’s all fake.”
His tweet was largely met with counter-attacks, as many netizens commented under his post: “The words of a man that lost a bet.” While sports fans were busy raising a heated debate against him, political links went gaga over Joe Biden’s reaction to the Taylor Swift conspiracy theory.
Conspiracy theorist Martin Walsh had initially suggested that Biden’s team was exploring “potential endorsements from prominent figures” like Taylor Swift to revamp his re-election bid with freshness. The rightwing conspiracy theory branded Swift a ‘Pentagon asset’ who would turn the rigged game into a calculated political endorsement in favour of Joe Biden’s 2024 presidential election campaign.
Eventually, Vivek Ramaswamy, whom many political fanatics have recognised as the potential VP for Trump’s presidential race, took a dig at President Biden, highlighting former President Donald Trump’s leading stance in the Republican primaries. Ramaswamy had tweeted in January: “…And I wonder if there’s a major presidential endorsement coming from an artificially culturally propped-up couple this fall…” while taking a dig at speculations around the Super Bowl results.
These claims were shattered when no solid proof could support the theory about Taylor Swift endorsing Joe Biden. No such evidence has been corroborated either that lines with the controversial theory that the Chiefs’ win was fixed. However, Biden didn’t stay quiet either and leaned into the chaos by tweeting a cryptic response after Travis Kelce’s team won in overtime: “Just like we drew it up”, further adding to the trolling commentary.
The Taylor Swift Super Bowl controversy also drew Saturday Night Live’s attention as Colin Jost found a way to churn out good comedy. “As you might have seen on your aunt’s Facebook, MAGA personalities are claiming that the Super Bowl is being rigged so Kansas City wins, and Taylor Swift can come on to the stage with Travis Kelce and endorse Joe Biden. MAGA people have so many folks to keep track of. You have to hate the NFL, Taylor Swift, Bud Light, Disney, Kristen Stewart, electric stoves, windmills, the concept of rainbows, and the green M&M…”, joked the SNL comedian.
The Super Bowl LVIII was a hotspot for pop culture this weekend, especially with the two far-apart worlds of Taylor Swift and the NFL converging like this. With great numbers betting against or for their particular ‘Roman empires’, it was but natural for such hazardous conjecture to bubble up.