Super Bowl LVI took place on Sunday, February 13, 2022. The Los Angeles Rams met the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium, the home of the Rams, although they were designated as the away team for the Superbowl. Many Concord Academy community members watched the game, in their living rooms, on their phones, or in their boarding house with friends.
An incredibly close game, this year’s Super Bowl had many exciting moments. Rams superstar Odell Beckham Jr scored the opening touchdown, but was forced off the field soon after with a knee injury. The Rams’ defense was a key part of keeping the Bengals under control, with Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow being sacked a Super Bowl record-tying seven times during the game. Two of those sacks came from Aaron Donald, who is widely considered one of the best defensive players in NFL history. Rams receiver Cooper Kupp was named Super Bowl MVP, no doubt in part due to his game-winning touchdown and four catches for 39 yards on the final drive, not including his 7 yard run on fourth-and-1. The Rams eventually triumphed with a touchdown from Kupp late in the fourth quarter, ending the game with a 23-20 win.
One of the most exciting parts of watching the Super Bowl is not just the game itself, but the commercials. Super Bowl commercials are famous for being the most expensive televised ads, with lots of celebrity cameos. Some of this year’s commercials included an Amazon ad featuring Colin Jost and Scarlett Johansson, many commercials for cryptocurrency with Larry David, as well as many trailers for new movies.
CA students had mixed thoughts on the commercials and the game as a whole. Mathew Gutierrez ’23 said, “I think that the Super Bowl is an American tradition we should drop, but the commercials were great. I’m excited for Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, and Uncharted. I enjoyed it.”
Some people disagreed, however. Shahin Aliabadi ’23 said, “The ads were actually not that good this year, but the game was pretty tense.”
For me personally, two moments stood out. One was Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow introducing himself to the Rams defense in between plays, even after being sacked seven times by them. Burrow’s friendliness and sportsmanship has been commented on by many since the game. The other monumental event was the Super Bowl Halftime Show. It’s one of the most talked about musical performances every year, highly anticipated even by people who do not care about football at all. And this year did not disappoint. It was an ode to 2000s hip-hop, with Mary J. Blige, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and more taking the stage to perform some of their hits.
Super Bowl LVI was overall a masterclass in football, commercials, and halftime shows. There were highs, lows, and several ads, as usual, that no one saw the point of. However, while it’s an American tradition that stretches back decades, there is room for change. Many people have expressed disappointment with this year’s Super Bowl and many in the past. We need to consider the future of this event and how it can be entertaining and exciting for all fans as we look to next year.