Finally, a Super Bowl that upstaged the commericals and side shows

Alfred C. Johnson, Staff Writer

If you are still recovering from what transpired in Super Bowl LI, it is all right. I guarantee you both of the great cities of Boston and Atlanta have not recovered either. On Feb. 5, the world witnessed one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time between the Patriots and the Falcons.

New England trailed 28-3 halfway through the third quarter until they answered with 31 straight points behind a legendary performance by Tom Brady and a game winning touchdown run by Wisconsin’s own James White in the first overtime in Super Bowl history.

Speaking of White, the Wisconsin native caught 14 receptions to earn a Super Bowl record and scored three touchdowns to tie a Super Bowl record. Even though the Packers did not make the Super Bowl, you can say Wisconsin helped the Patriots win the Super Bowl.

As for Atlanta, all you can do is feel sorry for the championship-deprived city. The city is long overdue for a championship and they had this one in the grasp of their hands. Vital mistakes such as fumbles and penalties gave way to the unbelievable comeback by the Patriots.

The Super Bowl is also one of the most watched sporting events every year because of the commercials. The game draws in casual fans with its funny, inspirational, and sometimes wacky commercials.

This year’s commercials got political, of course, and many companies including It’s a 10, Budweiser, and Airbnb all reminded us what this country is about and let America know that this past election should not be a wedge that drives the country apart.

All seriousness aside, there were some hilarious commercials this year. Tide produced a standout by having Terry Bradshaw go crazy over a stain. Mr. Clean was among the standouts showing off a new brand image of being “dirty.” A lot of people’s favorite was the Audi’s Daughter commercial, a heartfelt commercial that showed a little girl overcoming the odds against boys to win a street race.

As with every year, there were some blunders. T-Mobile released an unfunny, cringe-fest that featured Justin Bieber talking about different celebrations. You know things are bad when GoDaddy releases a bad commercial.

As for the musical portion of the Super Bowl, Luke Bryan nailed the national anthem, maybe even upstaging Lady Gaga’s brilliant performance last Super Bowl.

Speaking of Lady Gaga, her halftime performance was just mediocre. It started off great with her on top of the NRG stadium in Houston singing “God Bless America.” It was beautiful and the firework show in the sky added to ambiance as well.

The rest of the performance was a re-run of the height of Lady Gaga’s career. Every song she sang was from 2009, which made it hard to get into, despite flashy lights and the acrobatic moves she did. Her political statements were subtle, but it was maybe the right call to avoid the country going at each other on social media.

Super Bowl LI will go down as one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time. But for one of the few times in Super Bowl history, the game itself outshined the commercials and halftime show. It was the first time in Super Bowl History that the game went into overtime. Heartbreaking for Atlanta, great for New England, satisfying for everybody.