By Lisa Nault
Staff Writer
The Patriots, New England’s pride and joy, is gearing up in preparation for the upcoming Super Bowl Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. Fans are hyped, not only for their team but also for the potential retribution the Pats may get for Deflategate.
After the American Football Conference (AFC) Championship Game in 2015, a controversy arose around the Patriots’ win. The media dubbed this event as Deflategate. It was alleged that the team had underinflated the game balls which gave them an advantage over the Indianapolis Colts.
After an investigation, the Patriots were fined $1 million, had to forfeit some draft picks in the 2016 and 2017 NFL draft, and most notably quarterback Tom Brady was suspended for four games for his alleged involvement. The team appealed the case as Pats fans were outraged by the investigation’s seemingly extreme verdict.
The fans rallied together in a “Free Brady” movement, but NFL commissioner Roger Goodell did not repeal the suspension.
Now that the Patriots are going to the Super Bowl there is the potential for the team to get their revenge on Goodell — by winning.
If the Patriots win the game against the Falcons, Goodell is the person who hands the Vince Lombardi Trophy to them during the trophy ceremony.
Usually, the trophy is given to the team’s owner but it could be deferred to a coach or even a quarterback. Therefore, an awkward exchange is likely to occur if Goodell hands the trophy to Coach Bill Belichick or Brady.
Fans are excited for their team to return to the Super Bowl for the ninth time. The Pats have already been champions four times, but if they win another they will be one of the teams with the most Super Bowl wins (the Pittsburgh Steelers ranked number one with six wins).
People are also looking forward to the various performers on Sunday including Lady Gaga, Luke Bryan, and even some original cast members from the Broadway hit musical “Hamilton.”
During the pregame show, Phillipa Soo (Eliza Schuyler), Renée Elise Goldsberry (Angelica Schuyler), and Jasmine Cephas Jones (Peggy Schuyler) will perform “America the Beautiful.” Later, the award winning country star Luke Bryan will sing the “National Anthem” before the game commences.
During the halftime show the pop singer Lady Gaga will perform, although there are a few petitions on change.org that want to stop her from going on the stage. One petition calls her a racist, another says she is demonically possessed, while the third and most popular petition just wants to replace her with Migos. The Migos petition has 50,417 supporters.
Whether people want to see Goodell humiliated, Hamilton stars reunited, a halftime performance by Lady Gaga, or the Pats win their fifth Super Bowl, the event is sure to be entertaining to watch.
The Sports Pride floor at Simmons College and a few RAs have sponsored an event on Feb. 5 for the student body to enjoy the Super Bowl together in Bartol. There will be food, activities, and prizes. Dinner starts at 5 p.m. and
