The Super Bowl is the most watched sporting event in the country and the biggest showdown between the two best football teams in the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs versus the Philadelphia Eagles. With exciting performances by R&B legend Babyface, actor Sheryl Lee Ralph and pop icon Rihanna as the half-time entertainer, there was something for everyone to enjoy. Streamed in over 130 countries in over 30 different languages, the big game was on Feb. 12 at the State Farm stadium in Glendale, AZ.

Super Bowl traditions include hosting viewing parties, tailgating, pre-game traditions like betting and preparing special snacks like nachos and sliders. “I hung out with my boyfriend and his family and I ate nachos,” junior Sudiksha Purohit said.

The famous halftime show offers singers the opportunity to perform in front of millions of people. Performing at the halftime show is an honor reserved for the most popular entertainers. However after the recent change in sponsorship from Pepsi to Apple Music, fans have been left desiring more. “It was definitely more entertaining [than last year] because Rihanna had fireworks, she had dancers, it was very interesting, her vocals sounded amazing. I think the thing with a lot of male performers is they lack stage presence when they’re performing and Rihanna does not have that problem,” junior Caroline Stasko said.

There was controversy and backlash after it was leaked that Rihanna was only offered the halftime show after Taylor Swift turned it down. What shocked most viewers was Rihanna’s pregnancy reveal during her performance, which explains the lack of mobility in her performance. However pregnancy did not stop her theatrics as she was lifted on floating platforms around 60 feet off the ground.

There was also backlash during the 2019 Super Bowl, when both Jennifer Lopez and Shakira were asked to perform and share the stage. Speculators believed that each star didn’t get enough time to shine and were forced to divide their time, unlike previous performances.

The tradition of hosting Super Bowl viewing parties has become a popular trend among students. Senior Aarnav Kapoor hosted his friends. Before the game they all made predictions. “I’m expecting a high scoring game that gets really close towards the end with one team pulling away in the last minute or two,” senior Aarnav Kapoor said.

For the first three quarters, the Philadelphia Eagles seemed to remain steadily ahead with a score of 24-14 by halftime. But by the fourth quarter the Kansas City Chiefs and the Eagles were tied at 35-35. WIth one fateful field goal, the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl with a final score of 38-35.