The New England Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28 to 24 in a close game with some incredible twists and turns. As a nation we gathered to participate in a classic tradition of spectacle. We got to feel a range of emotions. Let’s take a look at what this years Super Bowl had to offer.
Marshawn Lynch: Good
As a man of little words, yet a man of many yards, Marshawn Lynch’s talent is undeniable. The hilarity of Lynch’s defiance to the NFL in his media appearances drew attention leading up to the game, in which he impressed everyone with his performance. After the fourth quarter when Seattle quarterback Russel Wilson threw an interception to New England’s safety, Malcolm Butler, the question on everyone’s minds is “Why didn’t they give the ball to Marshawn?”
Nationwide Commercial: Bad
If you weren’t watching during the first half of the game, you’re extremely lucky. The advertising executives at Nationwide Insurance felt that as Americans, we were much too happy while watching the Super Bowl. They decided to depress everyone by airing a commercial in which a cute child goes through everything he would’ve done in life, but didn’t, because he died from an accident. This was painful to everyone who watched, and I can’t imagine how painful it was to those unfortunate people who actually have lost children. I had to remind myself that the kid in the commercial is an actor and is safe somewhere. And he got paid, probably a lot. Despite this, the commercial is still depressing. Nationwide was not on our side.
Depressed Dancing Shark: Ugly
In Katy Perry’s performance of her hit song “Teenage Dream,” she introduced us to anthropomorphic beach related backup dancers. The idea behind these dancers, I think, was a fun and cartoonish whimsy. The reality that I saw was a depressing darkness. The sharks in particular made me question if there ever is true joy to be had in the life, or just frivolous distractions we use to keep our minds busy as to not think about our inevitable demise.
“Help me,” the shark seems to say. “Save me from this prison of despair. The only true escape is death.”
“Hope in reality is the worth of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man. Or in this case sharks.”
–Friedrich Nietzsche
The Fourth Quarter: Good
Obviously, this depends on who you ask. To me, it was the most surprising and intense Super Bowl endings that I’ve witnessed. In the fourth quarter, Seattle receiver Jermaine Kearse made an incredibly unlikely catch over Malcolm Butler. Originally I thought that the ball was incomplete. Nope, caught. Tensions rose through the roof after this amazing catch, and most of us assumed the game was over. Then, moments later, Russel Wilson threw the aforementioned interception to Malcolm Butler. Due to this, I have decided the designations of the people that made this play happen:
Pete Carroll: Bad
Malcolm Butler: Good
Richard Sherman Accidentally Predicting the Future: Ugly
I’m not saying Richard Sherman is ugly, I think he’s great as a player. I have an incredible amount of respect for him and the rest of the Legion of Boom. What was ugly was Richard Sherman’s unfortunate prediction of the future. As the Seahawks reached 24 points, Sherman celebrated directly at the camera, throwing up a two and a four on his hands. I’m sure at the time this seemed like a good idea, but has been used out of context to answer questions like “How many points did the Seahawks lose by?” and “How many Super Bowl wins does Tom Brady have?”
No matter which team you were rooting for, most of us can agree that Super Bowl XLIX was a great game. Whether you only watch for the commercials, (why?) or you allow your mood for the entire week to be defined by the outcome of this game, (again, why?) this game was definitely memorable.
Final opinion:
Super Bowl XLIX: Good
