New England Patriots score the winning touchdown in overtime.
New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady
Before the Super Bowl began, there was a patriotic tribute to the American Flag featuring the late Johnny Cash singing: “Ragged Old Flag.”
We loved it! We also applaud Luke Bryan who sang the National Anthem.
The icing on the cake was the appearance of Former President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Former First Lady Barbara Bush. They were just released from the hospital a few days ago and came on the field to a resounding ovation. George H.W. Bush flipped the coin determining who decided who receives and who gets the first ball. After the coin toss, players from both teams shook hands with the Bushes.
It was heartwarming to see this done. President Bush had expressed wishes to be able to come to the game, and we were glad that his health held up for him to do so. You have to hand it to him, especially when you think about when he celebrated his 90th Birthday by jumping out of an airplane one last time. On this jump, he was in tandem with an ex-military jumper.
New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick
The commentators at the Super Bowl said that George H.W. Bush was the toughest man on the field by far. He served in the U.S. Navy during WWII and received the Distinguished Flying Cross, three Air Medals, and the Presidential Unit Citation.
During the half-time show, Lady Gaga started out by singing parts of “God Bless America” and “This Land is Your Land” topped by fireworks in the background forming an American Flag.
Her performance was very energetic and patriotic. It was a much needed diversion from all of the political unrest in the Country.
As far as the game, Atlanta was winning 21-3 at halftime and scored again in the third quarter. New England scored 25 points in the second half to tie the score and win in overtime with a final score of 34-28.
Tom Brady became the first quarterback in history to win 5 Super Bowls. No matter what you think of Brady, you cannot deny his skills as a quarterback. Football is 11 men acting as one. You have to also give credit to the team that didn’t give up.
It was the first time in Super Bowl history of an overtime and the first time a team has come back from a 25 point deficit.
To quote the late Yogi Berra, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over!”
We know it was a hard loss for the Atlanta Falcons, but they are a young, talented team with a bright future. We’re sure that they will have more opportunities to make it back to the big show.
Rutgers University was well represented on both sides:
– Mohamed Sanu, WR, Falcons
– Duron Harmon, DB, Patriots
– Devin McCourty, DB, Patriots
– Ryan Logan, DB, Patriots
– Steve Belichick – Safeties Coach, Patriots
In other pre-game ceremonies, Super Bowl paid tribute to Black History Month, honoring several players from historical Black Universities. They were all Super Bowl Champions and they all are in the Football Hall of Fame.
For me (Carolyn), I don’t normally watch regular season football, but there’s something about the Super Bowl that catches my imagination. Sometimes you just need a diversion that takes you away from your everyday problems. It’s a chance to unwind and have a good time with family, friends and good food.
Either way, I hope you had a super, Super Bowl Day.
C.M. & K.M.
