Brandon Davis
Reporter
The Super Bowl has come again, every year since 1967 the best team from the AFC has clashed with the best from the NFC and this year, Super Bowl LV, is between The Kansas City Chiefs and The Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.
The Chiefs enter the game looking strong only losing two games all season, and now they’ve returned to the Super Bowl, beating The Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns on their way here. If they win Sunday they can join the likes of The Green Bay Packers, The Pittsburgh Steelers and The Miami Dolphins by winning back to back Super Bowls. Prior to last year the chiefs had not been to the Super Bowl in 50 years and now they could go back to back, possibly forming a new sports dynasty. Led by former MVP Patrick Mahomes and Head Coach Andy Reid, The Kansas City Chiefs are the heavy favorites to win it all.
On the other side of the field stand The Buccaneers, led by former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. The Buccaneers path to the Super Bowl was quite different than that of the Chiefs, going 11-5 and coming from the wildcard game, ‘The Bucs’ have had a much longer road to make it here.
Prior to this Super Bowl Tampa Bay hadn’t been to the Super Bowl in over17 years. The team seemed destined to continue that Super Bowl drought until they signed Brady. Who turned the team around almost immediately, in his first year with the team Brady has led The Bucs to their first playoff win in ten years and now their first Super Bowl in 17, along the way defeating The Saints and The Packers. Rivals and old enemies, both of which were picked to beat the Bucs.
So who is to be believed, the experts or the team that has continually proved them wrong? When it comes to The Chiefs it may not be so simple, the two played earlier in the year and the Chiefs won 27-24a game that wasn’t as close as the score-card says. In that game the Chiefs came out on top in nearly every stat column. It may have been a wake up call to The Bucs though as they have not lost a game since. The experts and the betting odds picked The Chiefs then and they’re picking them now. But it’s never that easy is it? These teams and these fans need this. And with Tampa Bay becoming the first team to play The Super Bowl at their home stadium it may just be enough of an advantage to get the upper hand.
Of course the stadium won’t be as full as it would have been in any other year. The NFL has limited the audience to 22,000 fans, 7,500 of which will be vaccinated health-care workers invited as guests of the league.
In person fans have never been the main audience of the Super Bowl though, that goes to the estimated 135 million people watching at home, a large portion of that being Super Bowl parties and gatherings.
According to the Center for Disease Control, “Gathering virtually or with the people you live with is the safest way to celebrate the Super Bowl this year.”
“Choose a safer way to enjoy the game.”
So if you can, grab your roommates, order a pizza, have them leave the pizza at the door to reduce contact and have a blast. Not every roommate is going to want to watch the Super Bowl, and I know most people choose to watch it with their families in that case then celebrating it virtually is the best option. It may not be ideal, but for the safety of everyone, it’s best. So boot up Zoom, get some snacks and enjoy with those far off friends and family. May whomever you’re rooting for win the day.
