The Empire State Building found itself in an awkward position on Sunday, January 26 following the Philadelphia Eagles' victory over the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship Game.

Following a long-standing tradition of its "Tower Lights" program, the New York landmark was required to light up in the colors of the conference championship winners: in this case, Eagles green.

The building's social media team made their displeasure clear, posting on X: "I'm sorry I have to do this -- Shining in @Eagles colors in honor of their NFC Championship win." They followed up by noting they would also light up for the AFC Championship winner.

In the AFC championship game, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs advanced to their third straight Super Bowl in a row. The win wasn't without controversy, however.

A disputed call on a Josh Allen fourth-down run, which appeared to reach the first down marker but was marked short, was a boon for the Chiefs, leading to a drive for a touchdown. This sparked widespread criticism, including from Barstool Sports' Dave Portnoy, who threatened to boycott the NFL.

The criticism follows earlier allegations of favoritism toward the Chiefs, including comments from rapper Lil Wayne who accused them of cheating after their victory over the Houston Texans.

The Chiefs' tight end Travis Kelce addressed these accusations on his New Heights podcast, dismissing them with good humor despite Wayne having performed at Kelce's event in 2024.

"Even Lil Wayne. Lil Wayne wrote, 'I hate the cheating a-s Chiefs. So an a– swith two z's," Jason Kelce said on New Heights, to which Travis responded using the rapper's nickname, "Shout out to Tunechi, man."

The Chiefs, winners of the previous two Super Bowls, will now face Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles in a game that has already generated controversy before kickoff.

Super Bowl LIX is hosted in New Orleans and is slated for February 9, 2025.

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