The LX National Football League (NFL) Super Bowl Championship kicked off at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California with 70,823 fans in attendance, according to usatoday.com. The Seattle Seahawks faced the New England Patriots for Super Bowl LX, according to ftw.usatoday.com. Last year’s Super Bowl accrued 127.7 million viewers across a variety of streaming platforms, and Mr. Kendrick Lamar’s Halftime Show reached 133.5 million viewers, making it the most watched Super Bowl Halftime Show in history. Therefore, Super Bowl LX viewers had high expectations, according to deadline.com. After sixty years, the Super Bowl continues to be a major attraction in the United States (US). It combines a high stakes game with engaging advertisements and extravagant halftime shows to continue growing its attraction and grandeur, according to now.temple.edu.
The Patriots’ last Super Bowl was in 2019, when they faced off against the Los Angeles Rams and won 13-3. They have appeared in a record-breaking eleven Super Bowls, nine of them in the twenty-first century with Mr. Tom Brady as their starting quarterback. This year marks their first Super Bowl appearance without Mr. Brady, according to dazn.com. With six victories, the Patriots are currently tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most Super Bowl wins, according to espn.com. In contrast, the Seahawks’ last Super Bowl was in 2015, when they faced the Patriots. That year, the Patriots won 28-24, allowing Super Bowl LX to be a chance for redemption for the Seahawks, according to dazn.com.
The Patriots ended their regular season with a 14-3 record, according to patriots.com. They scored their ticket to the Super Bowl LX after beating the Denver Broncos 10-7 in the American Football Conference (AFC) Championship Game, according to sports.yahoo.com. Although the Patriots successfully secured their spot in this year’s Super Bowl, they did so with an easy game schedule, playing against weaker teams, according to cbssports.com.
The Seahawks also ended their regular season with a 14-3 record, according to seahawks.com. They cemented their place in the Super Bowl LX after beating the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 in the National Football Conference (NFC) Championship Game, according to sports.yahoo.com. Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) analytics showed that the Seahawks were the favorites to win this year’s Super Bowl, according to espn.com. Mr. Sam Darnold, Seahawks quarterback, reflected on his football career and his journey to where he is now, according to sports.yahoo.com.
“It’s funny, like after every single game we lost or [had] things that didn’t go well, I was able to wake up the next day and see the sunrise, go into the building, see my teammates, and have fun with my coaches,” Mr. Darnold said, according to sports.yahoo.com. “That’s a part of life. I think being able to realize that at this point in my career, it allows you to kind of take it one day at a time and enjoy every single little moment that you get with your teammates, because as we all say, we’re never with the same team, you know, year in, year out.”
Kicking off Super Bowl LX, the Patriots won the coin flip and chose to defer, allowing the Seahawks to begin the first quarter with the ball. The first quarter was slow, with both teams’ defense dominating the game. Mr. Jason Myers kicked a 33-yard field goal, giving the Seahawks an early 3-0 advantage over the Patriots. Continuing into the second quarter, the defense of both teams stayed strong. Led by Mr. Kenneth Walker III, the Seahawks, unable to score a touchdown, settled for two field goals, again, by Mr. Myers. He kicked a 39-yard field goal to bring the Seahawks three more points and secured their 9-0 advantage with a 41-yard field goal by halftime, according to espn.com. The Patriots gained 51 yards in the first two quarters of the game, the least amount of yards gained in the first half in the past 35 Super Bowls, according to krqe.com.
Mr. Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio (Bad Bunny), performed in the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show, making history as the first Latino and Spanish-speaking artist to perform as a solo act. However, this was not Bad Bunny’s first appearance on the Halftime Show stage. Ms. Jennifer Lynn Lopez and Ms. Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll brought him to perform with them during the Super Bowl LIV in 2020, according to ew.com.
At this year’s Super Bowl, Bad Bunny opened his performance with his song “Tití Me Preguntó.” He celebrated his Puerto Rican culture and honored many Latin-American countries through his performance. He brought out Ms. Stefani Joanna Angelina Germanotta (Lady Gaga) to perform her song, “Die With a Smile,” which she collaborated on with Mr. Peter Gene Hernandez (Bruno Mars). Additionally, Bad Bunny also brought out fellow Puerto Rican artist, Mr. Enrique Martín Morales (Ricky Martin), according to harpersbazaar.com.
In addition to Bad Bunny, the Super Bowl featured other high-profile performances. Green Day played in the opening ceremony and Mr. Charlie Puth sang the national anthem along with Mr. Fred Beam who performed the song in American Sign Language (ASL). Additionally, Mrs. Brandi Carlile sang “America the Beautiful” with Mr. Julian Ortiz, who signed it in ASL. Ms. Coco Jones sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing” alongside Mr. Beam, according to ew.com.
Viewers also enjoyed a wide range of advertisements curated for the Super Bowl, including a Dove advertisement created alongside Ogilvy, an advertising agency, to support confidence in young female athletes, a Squarespace advertisement featuring Mrs. Emma Stone, directed by Mr. Yorgos Lanthimos, and an Uber Eats advertisement featuring Mr. Matthew McConaughey and Mr. Bradley Cooper, according thedrum.com. These advertisements bring companies an abundance of publicity and are extremely expensive, with some 30-second advertisement slots costing ten million dollars during the game, according to admeter.usatoday.com. Sophomore Juliet Parsons, member of the Sports Broadcasting Club, shared why she enjoys watching the Super Bowl advertisements and Halftime Show.
“[One of my favorite parts of the Super Bowl] would be the Halftime Show,” Juliet said. “My favorite [Halftime Show was] during Super Bowl LVI [which] featured Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and 50 Cent. [Additionally], watching the ads throughout the game is often very funny and features very well made advertisements.”
The Seahawks gained their first possession of the third quarter with another field goal from Mr. Myers. He hit a 41-yard field goal, bringing the Seahawks to a 12-0 lead in the beginning of the second half, according to espn.com. The two teams’ offenses continued to make no leeway, leading them to exchange punts for the majority of the quarter. During the last minute of the third quarter, Mr. Drake Maye, Patriots quarterback, fumbled the ball, which was then recovered by the Seahawks, giving them an advantage into the last quarter with the dominant field position, according to cbsnews.com.
To start the fourth quarter, Mr. Darnold sent a pass to Seahawks tight end, Mr. AJ Barner, culminating in a 16-yard touchdown, the first of the night. The Seahawks now had a 19-0 lead. The Patriots, seemingly defeated, quickly answered with a 35-yard touchdown pass sent from Mr. Drake Maye to Patriots receiver, Mr. Mack Hollins. Next, Mr. Julian Love, Seahawks safety, made an interception. This then allowed Mr. Myers to kick a 26-yard field goal, setting a Super Bowl record with five field goals, bringing the Seahawks to lead with 22-7. Mr. Uchenna Nwosu then intercepted a pass from Mr. Maye, scoring a 45-yard touchdown, bringing the Seahawks seven more points. With a little over two minutes left in the game, Mr. Maye made a connection with Patriots running back, Mr. Rhomandre Stevenson, to make a seven-yard touchdown. The Patriots found their rhythm in the last quarter but it was not enough. The Seahawks eventually won Super Bowl LX with the score of 29-13, according to cbsnews.com.
Mr. Walker earned Super Bowl LX Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. During the game he rushed for 135 yards on 27 carries and caught two passes for 26 yards which added up to 161 scrimmage yards, according to nfl.com. Juliet shared her interest in sports broadcasting and how it has changed her experience while watching sports events like the Super Bowl.
“Being a part of the Sacred Heart Sportscasting Club definitely changes the way I view sporting events like the Super Bowl,” Juliet said. “Instead of just focusing on the score, I pay much closer attention to the commentary and how the commentators choose to tell stories about players and the teams. These sporting events inspire me because they show me how powerful and impactful the sports media industry really is and how they make sports more engaging and fun for the viewers. Whether they are behind the scenes or in front of the camera, these professionals bring emotion, stories, and people together which motivates me to improve my own sportscasting skills and communication.”
Featured Image by Ruby Boeding ’28
