Super Bowl Sunday. The only day of the year where chicken wings, beer, and pizza are the only things you will be eating for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This year’s Super Bowl was different from years past; meaning that I actually wanted to sit down and watch the game because these were two very exciting teams. The L.A Rams are undoubtedly the most talented team in the NFL, and the Cincinnati Bengals are the team with arguably the most heart among all teams.
The matchup between these two teams was a football battle constructed by the gods because these two football clubs were going to go to battle over one thing; the coveted Vince Lombardi Trophy. The game started off with some offense straight away, as one of my favorite players, Odell Beckham Jr, made his first reception a touchdown, and the receiver who had been let go earlier in the season by the Cleveland Browns scored the first touchdown of the game in marvelous fashion.
Unfortunately for OBJ, he went down in the second quarter with a non-contact knee injury, as football fans felt horrible for the player who was just starting to get hot in the game. If it wasn’t for that knee injury I am certain he would have received for more than 100+ yards and could have easily scored another touchdown in the game. Thankfully the Rams are heavy at the wide receiver position, and he was able to get his ring nonetheless.
Another big takeaway from last night’s game was the dominant play of the Rams Aaron Donald. For the majority of the game, Donald was being triple-teamed by the Bengals, as they tried their very best to stop the most dominant defensive NFL player in recent memory. Still, not even being triple-teamed could stop Donald as he had an absolute field day.
With the Bengals trying to make their way down the field to kick the game-tying field goal, Donald went all-out and completely destroyed any and all coverage in his way, leading to a final minute rush that forced Joe Burrow to get the ball out quickly, leading to an incomplete pass that sealed the game for the Rams. With his Super Bowl win on Sunday, Aaron Donald now becomes one of the most decorated NFL players of all time, with some analysts even alluding that retirement might be in the cards for him, as he has already achieved so much.
The last takeaway I have from this game was some of the last-minute calls made by the referees. There is a great book that isn’t very well known called Interference: How Organized Crime Influences Professional Football, and after reading that book a while back and watching yesterday’s final minute calls made by the referees, I couldn’t help but draw some parallels.
Am I saying the game was fixed? Not in so many words, because the Rams did work their ass off to get to the Super Bowl, and saying that would be a slap in the face, but when you start seeing some questionable holding calls in the final minute, you do start asking questions. The truth is there is a lot going on behind the scenes in the NFL, with billionaire owners holding a lot of power, and influence, over many of these games. What we think of as a simple, innocent sporting event, is actually a billion-dollar money maker for many people, and only if it turns out a certain way.
Aside from that, the Super Bowl was one of the most exciting that I can remember in recent years, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching. Hopefully, Joe Burrow gets back to the big game and wins a ring for himself, as I think he is one of the most talented QB’s to come through the NFL in recent years. Ohh, and who can forget about the Super Bowl Half-Time show! I about lost it when I saw 50 Cent hanging upside down just like in his “In da Club” music video. What a great performance by all artists.
How did you like the Super Bowl? Let me know in the comments below!