Josephine Emanuelli
On Sunday, Feb. 4, students across campus eagerly huddled around their TVs, tuning into Super Bowl LII for a matchup against perennial powerhouse the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles. Following last year’s Super Bowl when the Patriots pulled off a last minute upset against the Atlanta Falcons, fans knew anything was possible. The Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady, is one of the most recognized yet controversial players in the NFL, but his past performances have repeatedly proven that he is one of the best quarterbacks of all time with five Super Bowl titles to his name. Brady, along with the Patriot’s 13-2 record coming into the game, were guaranteed to be difficult opponents.
The Eagles were the underdogs of the game, as they did not hold any Super Bowl titles until Sunday. They entered the game with a 12-3 record, following one of the most successful seasons in franchise history. The Eagles boast a strong, well-rounded roster, including Super Bowl MVP, quarterback Nick Foles.
Entering the game, the Patriots were favored to win by four and a half points, but the Eagles were eager to disprove that prediction jumping out to a 9-3 lead in the first quarter, before entering halftime leading the Patriots 13-9. Despite a strong third quarter during which the Patriots scored 14 points, they were unable to capitalize on their momentum, scoring seven points to the Eagles 12 in the fourth quarter. The Eagles won the game with a score of 41-33, capping one of the biggest upsets in recent memory. Patriots fan Britney Stewart (‘18) said, “As a Pats fan I can admit that their playing was off, but I’m not worried because we’ll see them in the Super Bowl next year. Congrats to the Eagles!”
The Eagles had many fans cheering them on throughout the game on Sunday, including Michele Pozyc (‘18). She commented on her team’s performance, saying, “The Eagles really played amazing on Sunday. They knew that they were the underdogs and were going to have to out beat Brady. It was an awesome experience watching the game until the end because you truly did not know who was going to win. That is how a Super Bowl should be.” She was not alone in her sentiment believing the key to victory for the Eagles, as following the game social media lit up with Drewids celebrating the victory, as well as proclaiming their distaste for Brady and the Patriots.
For those who are not fans of football, the game had other stars present as well; Pink sang the national anthem before the teams took the field and Justin Timberlake performed in the halftime show. Although there was no surprise guest this time, Timberlake gave viewers plenty to watch with his ever-changing set as he performed a medley of some of his most popular songs. However, despite the popularity of his songs and performance, Timberlake’s outfit drew criticism as many considered it odd that he wore a camouflage printed suit with a bandana and a shirt with an elk on it. Beyond his wardrobe, his performance is widely considered to be a success without many of the mishaps that past shows have seen, such as the now notorious Left Shark from Katy Perry’s show.
As the excitement from this last football season winds down, Drewids eagerly await the next one so they can cheer their favorite teams on to victory again.
