With more than 100 million viewers, the Super Bowl is one of the most watched television programs in America. People tune in to watch not only the battle between the two best football teams in the country but the long awaited halftime shows and commercials.
This year, the Super Bowl 51 was between the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots. For the first half, the Patriots trailed Atlanta by more than 25 points but it was apparent that four time champion Tom Brady wasn’t going to let his team down.
With Atlanta winning 28-3, it seemed that they had the championship in the bag but soon after, Tom Brady and the Patriots caught up, tying the game.
The Super Bowl 51 made many firsts as the first Super Bowl in history to go overtime and the game to make Tom Brady the first quarterback in NFL history to win five Super Bowls. The Falcons didn’t fall behind in making history as Grady Jarrett tied a Super Bowl record with three sacks and Robert Alford returning an interception 82 yards for a touchdown.
The New England Patriots took the win, as they came back from a 25 point deficit and beat the Falcons 34-28.
However, the surprising win wasn’t the only thing talked about as Lady Gaga took the stage for the halftime show by diving into the stadium with the help of a harness. The famous entertainer started the show with patriotic songs and succeeded performing with only dancers and pyrotechnics. Although many expected Gaga to make a political statement, the artist decided to let her music do the talking.
Gaga’s performance might not have been controversial but many commercials were. This year has been full of politically charged conversation and controversies. Audi’s Super Bowl ad promoted gender pay equity, Budweiser aired a commercial about its co-founder and his journey from Germany to St. Louis, 84 Lumber released an ad although their first one had been rejected by Fox as it featured a border wall and Hispanic actors.
All in all, the Super Bowl 51 was one to tune into whether you were ready to watch your favorite team, the commercials, or the always anticipated halftime show.
