REST IN PIXELS: SUPERbowl 51

Rory Jackson
Rory Jackson

Rory Jackson is a sophomore creative writing major and writes "Rest in Pixels" for the Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper. Write to Rory at rgjackson@bsu.edu.

Rory Jackson

Where do we even begin? The start of the game? The second half? Overtime?

Well let’s just start with the facts:

That was not only the greatest comeback in NFL history but probably the greatest comeback in sports history. This wasn't some regular season heroics against an average team, this was on the greatest stage against the highest scoring team in the NFL with a 28-3 lead in the 3rd quarter. Teams were 93-0 when leading by 19+ points at the end of the 3rd quarter in postseason history. I mean the odds were literally stacked against them in every way possible and they prevailed.

Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback to ever play the game of football. Bringing a team back from down by 25 to win the Super Bowl. The only 5-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback, the only player to be a 4-time Super Bowl MVP. And the only quarterback to prove that cheating is OK in the NFL as long as Goodell is the Commissioner. Do I need to say any more?

The Patriots are the most entertaining team to watch in the Super Bowl. Game-winning field goals, game-winning interceptions and game-winning touchdowns. They always find a way to win no matter the situation. Where are my conspiracy theorists!? Whether you adore them or despise them, you cannot deny that the Patriots always make it interesting.

The facts alone would intrigue any sports fan to watch the game and oh boy were we in for a treat, although this year’s Super Bowl ratings were lower than the two previous Super Bowls. Maybe if immigrants were allowed in the country, the ratings would be higher. The Super Bowl commercials certainly thought so.

Despite our political views, I think everyone can agree that the Patriots did not look like the Patriots we have all learned to love or hate. Everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong for the Patriots during the first half and part of the third quarter. From the offensive lineman forgetting that their job is to protect the quarterback, to missed extra points, to Tom Brady throwing his first ever interception returned for a touchdown in the postseason. It seemed as if the Cleveland Browns staff decided to run practice while Belichick devised new ideas to deflate footballs.

Regardless of how much money Belichick gave to Matt Ryan to intentionally throw the game, we can at least agree it was enjoyable to watch. The Falcons got cold feet in the second half and decided to play to not lose, while the Patriots got their hands on “Michael’s Secret Stuff” and ran all over the Falcons. The next thing we know the Patriots are down eight and the Football Gods decided to give the Patriots redemption for the David Tyree catch, with the luckiest and probably the most absurd catch by Julian Edelman I have ever seen since Julio Jones’ catch on the previous drive. How the hell did he only have four catches on the game? I mean the man averaged over 21 yards on each catch. You have the regular season’s MVP as your quarterback, feed him!

Minutes later the Patriots tied up the game and we had our first ever overtime game in a Super Bowl. Then there was the coin toss and the game was over. There’s no point in talking about overtime because, well, the Falcons probably had the worst defensive stance of their season and Tom Brady hungered for that Super Bowl ring for his pinky. But the entertainment doesn’t stop there. No, one last “lol” was made when Goodell stepped on the podium to congratulate the Patriots and was greeted with a thunderous sound of “Boos” from the stadium. This is what you get for exiling the Chargers to Los Angeles.

At the end of the day we can hopefully all agree that this year’s Super Bowl’s fiascos were very entertaining indeed. From George H. W. Bush coming out to do the coin toss after recently being hospitalized, to Lady Gaga’s heartwarming performance and of course the greatest comeback in sports history. One can only wonder how many more rings Brady wants before he decides to buy the Patriots organization from Robert Kraft.

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