Super Bowl
The Countdown is Over, Super Bowl Sunday 2023 is Here!
The United States will again come to a standstill on Sunday the 12th – as it does on the second Sunday in February every year – when the American Football season reaches its climax at the Super Bowl, and the champions of the National Football League (NFL) are crowned.
32 NFL teams have been battling it out since September to reach the Super Bowl at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, where the two remaining teams will be joined by thousands on passionate fans in the stadium and millions more watching at home.
The Super Bowl is known for showcasing the best two American football teams in the world each season, alongside world-class entertainment during the halftime show. This year promises to be no different as eight-time Grammy winner Rihanna headlines a spectacular show and joins a long list of music stars, including Beyonce, The Weeknd, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars and more, who have all taken to the stage in the past.
On the field this year, the Philadelphia Eagles will go head-to-head with the Kansas City Chiefs. For the Eagles, this is their first appearance on Super Sunday since 2017, having beaten the San Francisco 49ers 31-7 in this year’s NFC Championship game. Led by Quarterback Jalen Hurts, their offense and defence are firing on all cylinders, and have set regular season records for the franchise with 14 wins on their way to Arizona. .
Standing in their way are the Kansas City Chiefs, who will be making their third Super Bowl appearance in four years. Led by Quarterback and MVP favourite Patrick Mahomes, they saw off the Cincinnati Bengals to clinch the AFC championship with a 45-yard field goal in the final three seconds. Matching the Eagle’s record of 14 regular season wins, this year’s winner is anyone’s guess.
Something you might not know about the NFL is that, unlike European football, the winning players don’t receive medals. Instead, the Vince Lombardi Trophy is handed to the winning franchise, and each player receives a diamond-encrusted ring for being crowned champion.
Regardless of which teams make the game, you can be sure that the United States will be glued to Super Bowl LVII (which stands for 57 in Roman numerals) alongside fans worldwide. Some of the largest TV audiences in US history have been for Super Bowls. The day leading up to kick-off has become an extra national holiday, with parties staged and copious amounts of food consumed.
Meanwhile, in the UK, American football continues to go from strength to strength, with millions of fans across the country watching throughout the NFL season. International NFL games have been held in London since 2007, and in 2022 over 255,000 people watched six NFL teams battle it out during two games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and one game at Wembley Stadium.
Want to be part of the action this year? Click here to register your interest in tickets for the 2023 International Games and join the Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, and Jacksonville Jaguars in London later this year.
Alongside the London games, 300 schools in the UK now stage Flag Football programmes. This is a non-contact version of the sport that boys and girls of all ages can enjoy alongside the 20,000 children now involved in regional competitions. Little Ealing Primary School from West London will soon jet off for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Las Vegas to represent the UK against NFL Flag teams from seven other countries at the NFL Flag International Tournament at the Pro Bowl Games 2023.
The UK is also home to the NFL Academy, the only NFL Academy in the world. Based in Loughborough College as part of Loughborough Sport, students aged 16 to 18, from a wide variety of sporting backgrounds, complete their education while receiving extensive American football coaching from professionals. Many have already proved good enough to earn scholarships at US colleges, where they can pursue their dreams of one day maybe being part of the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl LVII kicks off at 11.30 p.m. on Sunday February 12, with the game broadcast live in the UK on ITV and Sky Sports. Buy tickets here: www.nfl.com/internationalgames.
WATCH SOME VIDEOS FROM THE NFL HERE
