Event of the Day: Super Bowl 53
Our event of the day is Super Bowl 53, where the New England Patriots face the Los Angeles Rams at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Patriots, led by veteran Tom Brady, appear in their third consecutive Super Bowl and Brady will look to win his sixth championship. Meanwhile, the Rams broke out as one of the best teams in football this season and young quarterback Jared Goff will look to lead his team to their first championship victory since 2000. This will undoubtedly be an exciting game so be sure you don’t miss it. A 48-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri sealed Super Bowl 36, giving the New England Patriots a 20-17 victory over the St. Louis Rams. Exactly 17 years later, the two teams meet again in the NFL’s biggest game. The Patriots went 11-5 this season, their worst record since 2009. However, they have once again benefitted from playing in one of the weakest divisions in the NFL. The Dolphins, Bills and Jets all had losing records meaning that the Patriots won their 10th consecutive AFC East title. 41-year-old Tom Brady threw for 4355 yards and 29 touchdowns.
Despite a weaker regular season, the Patriots once again showed their postseason prowess, routing an overmatched Chargers team 41-28 before overcoming a strong Kansas City Chiefs team in overtime in the AFC Championship Game. No matter what happens, the Patriots are not to be underestimated. Meanwhile, the Rams had their best season since 2001, going 13-3 and starting the season on an eight-game win streak. The star of the team was running back Todd Gurley, who led the league with 21 touchdowns. After cruising into the playoffs, the Rams made short work of a Dallas Cowboys team eager for success before managing to beat the New Orleans Saints in overtime to claim the title of NFC champions. Both Conference Championships went to overtime. In the AFC, the Chiefs’ defence was unable to stop Tom Brady from marching down the field before Rex Burkhead ran the winning touchdown in from 2 yards out. Meanwhile, in the NFC, a Drew Brees interception led to Greg Zuerlein hitting a game-winning 57-yard field goal for the Rams. This Super Bowl is a battle between the old guard and the next generation. Tom Brady, drafted in 2000, will look for his sixth championship ring 17 years after winning his first one. Standing in his way is a 24-year-old who took his college team from 1-11 to 7-5 and a bowl game win. Jared Goff is leading the future of the NFL but Tom Brady isn’t done with the league just yet. This is a match that you will not want to miss.
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the NBA, where the Boston Celtics host the Oklahoma City Thunder at TD Garden. Boston are 4th in the Eastern Conference, riding a 3-game win streak on the back of big games from utility man Jaylen Brown. Meanwhile, the Thunder are hot, coming into Boston on the back of 7 straight wins. Paul George has been unstoppable, putting up 237 points across the win streak. With both sides looking to stay in the race for a top-3 seed in their respective conferences, expect a must-watch game tonight. Elsewhere, in the Premier League, Manchester City host Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium. City will look to keep a 9-game win streak alive as Arsenal hope to continue their recent run of good form and put multi-goal losses to Manchester United and Liverpool behind them. It’s sure to be an exciting day of football in Manchester. On the European Tour, the Saudi International continues at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club. The World Rugby Sevens Series continues in Sydney. In WTA tennis, the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy concludes at the Sports Club Dinamo.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Photos by NFL