One of the biggest sports stages of the year is set, and the teams have been fighting their way here since September. Super Bowl LX will see the Seattle Seahawks take on the New England Patriots on Feb. 8, in Santa Clara, California in Levi’s Stadium.
From the NFC (National Football Conference), the Seahawks, a defensive-dominant team, made multiple major roster changes in the offseason, leading many to doubt their chances of success. However, the Seahawks showed everyone wrong, finishing 14-3 in the regular season and earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC. After crushing their division rivals, the San Francisco 49ers 41-6 in the Divisional round of the playoffs, the Seahawks went on to face the LA Rams to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl. The NFC West proved to be one of the hardest divisions in the league this year.
On the other side of the field is the Patriots, being led by young quarterback Drake Maye. The Patriots also went 14-3 in their regular season to secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC (American Football Conference). This was a major turnaround from their 4-13 season last year. They beat the Broncos in a tight matchup to gain their chance at the first Super Bowl appearance since the Tom Brady era.
This matchup is a rematch of Super Bowl 49 (or Super Bowl XLIX). A game that’s been remembered for one of the most iconic endings in NFL history. The Seahawks historically threw the ball on the one-yard line while having the best running back in the league, Marshawn Lynch, in the backfield; the throw was intercepted by Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler, resulting in a win for the Patriots in the final seconds of the game. It gave them their first win since 2004, denying the chance for the Seahawks to become back-to-back champions. Since then, this Super Bowl has haunted Seahawks fans.
As this Super Bowl Sunday approaches, TRU students were asked who they think will win in Sunday’s game and students had a clear favourite: the Seattle Seahawks.
Most students picked the Seahawks for various reasons; some were fans and have followed them all season and even talked about the team’s dominant and solid defence, while others said they liked them because they are the closest team. However, one thing was clear: the Seahawks have support in Kamloops.
When asked who he thought would win, Brady Ashby, a second-year Student said, “The Seahawks, I just can’t go against them, I really can’t.”
Explaining what the rematch of the game meant as a fan, he said, “That game broke my eight-year-old heart. This was the matchup I wanted this year, as a Seahawks fan, it feels like a redemption.”
Ryelin Lohn, a second-year student, also admitted that the rematch is nerve-racking because of how last time went. ”Well, it’s definitely a little nerve-racking because in 2015, the last time they were in the Super Bowl, they lost by one touchdown to the Patriots,” she said. “But at the same time, you know, they’re two completely new teams.”
Not everyone on campus, however, is tuning in strictly for football. Some students emphasized that the Super Bowl experience goes far beyond the game. Anika Peters, a third-year student, said she loves the whole atmosphere of Super Bowl parties. “All of the above,” said Peters, “It’s the entire atmosphere, everything coming together to make this huge entertainment event. I love the commercials, I’m there for the food and the booze as well.”
Whether students are tuning in for touchdowns, commercials, or the snacks, Super Bowl Sunday is shaping up to be a major event throughout the city, with many hoping for Seattle’s long-awaited redemption.