Superbowl
America stops for Super Sunday
The United States will come to a standstill on February 13 – as it does on this Sunday every year – when the American Football season climaxes in Super Bowl, the game that determines the champions of the National Football League.
The 32 NFL teams have been battling since September to reach the big game at the new state-of-the-art SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California, and upwards of 160 million people in America will tune into the big game at some point.
In fact, such is the Super Bowl’s reputation for its mix of hard-hitting sport and exciting entertainment that the halftime show will attract as many viewers as the game itself. Some of the biggest music stars in the world, including Beyonce, Madonna, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry and others, have performed in what is always a spectacular show, and this year will see Eminem, Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamarr and Mary J. Blige sharing the stage.
On the field, one of the biggest stories of the NFL season was whether the incredible Tom Brady could win yet another Super Bowl at the age of 44. Having won six with the New England Patriots, the ageless quarterback – the most important position in the game – moved to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season and promptly won another one!
Instead of medals, Super Bowl winners get specially made, diamond-encrusted rings for being crowned champions – and Brady is rapidly running out of fingers!
But whichever teams make the game, America will be glued to Super Bowl 56 (although the NFL uses the Roman numerals LVI) – along with fans around the world. Most of the biggest TV audiences in US history have been for Super Bowls, and the day leading up to the evening kickoff has become an extra national holiday, with parties being staged and copious amounts of food being consumed. Police have even reported that crime numbers go way down on Super Bowl Sunday.
Meanwhile, the sport of American football is becoming bigger and bigger in Britain. The NFL has been playing games in London as part of its season since 2007, and the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was built to accommodate the sport – with a gridiron pitch permanently under the football club’s grass field, which rolls out when the NFL is in town.
Several British players are now in the NFL, including giant defensive lineman Efe Obada at the Buffalo Bills, and the sport is played widely by amateur clubs and university teams. The NFL and various local teams stage Flag Football programmes, which is the non-contact version of the sport that boys and girls of all ages can enjoy.
The NFL even has an Academy in London, where students aged 16 to 18 complete their education while receiving extensive American football coaching from the professionals. Many have already proved good enough to get a place at US colleges, where they can pursue their dreams of one day being part of Super Bowl itself.
Super Bowl LVI kicks off at 11.30 p.m. on Sunday February 13, and is on BBC and Sky Sports. If that is too late, BBC iPlayer will be showing the game the next day, and Sky Sports will also be re-airing the game, so check the TV schedules!
Huge thanks to the NFL for this article and images.
