Staff Writer Muhammed Abdel-Aziz
The Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the National Football League. This year, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, February 7th, with a final score of 31-9.
This year, Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs and Tom Brady of the Bucs dueled in front of the smallest attendance in Super Bowl history, only 25,000 people. COVID-19 had a huge impact on the game this year. All fans had to wear a mask and test negative for the virus before entering the stadium. In fact, attendees were given kits that include masks, hand sanitizer, and sanitizing wipes. Additionally, to promote social distancing, the NFL replaced the distance between people with cardboard cutouts of people in order to make the crowd look more full. 262 players tested positive for the coronavirus during the season, which meant the league knew they had to take all the precautions they could.
This year’s half halftime was hosted by Pepsi. A Canadian singer, The Weekend, followed the dual act from last year in Miami, when both Shakira and Jennifer Lopez took the stage. The Weekend sang eight songs during halftime which included Starboy, The Hills, Can’t Feel My Face, I Feel It Coming, Save Your Tears, Earn It, House Of Balloons/Glass Table Girls, and Blinding Lights. The dancers this year wore masks that were themed to go along with their costumes, and they all got tested before performing. The pandemic resulted in a halftime show without a stage, which was challenging for The Weekend to work through. On the day of the Super Bowl, The Weekend took on the challenge and succeeded during the halftime show.
