Sports fans from all over the world look forward to watching the Super Bowl every year. It is the perfect mixture of ultimate sporting ability and entertainment. However, the 2019 edition has been greeted with less than satisfactory reviews across the board; from both avid NFL fans and casual viewers of America’s game. But why was the New England Patriots’ 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams so badly received?
Records
The 2019 installment of the Super Bowl broke all the wrong kinds of records. The most well-documented of all of those was the fact that it was the lowest scoring Super Bowl of all time. This meant that it eclipsed the record that was set during the Miami Dolphins’ 14-7 win in Super Bowl VII. Furthermore, this matchup was the lowest scoring championship game since the 1949 NFL Championship game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the L.A. Rams.
It was a total snorefest as it was also the first Super Bowl when neither side could score a touchdown in the opening three quarters. This was disappointing for spectators as they felt that the youthful Rams’ side could have troubled the Patriots, since this was spoken about quite a bit concerning the age of some on the Patriots’ roster.
Tactics
People who would have placed bets on over 56 points in the fixture would have been quietly confident before the game. However, they would have been in amazement that the bet wouldn’t have even been close to winning. That was largely due to the tactics of both coaches, but especially the Patriots’ Bill Belichick.
Of course, some of the die-hard fans would have admired the tactical masterclass. In the most part, it was greeted by disdain by the majority of the spectators. The expectations were high for the game; after all, it did feature two of the best offenses in the NFL. However, there was only one run into the red zone; and that was a mere two-yard touchdown from Sony Michel. In general though, the football on show by both teams was not entertaining.
External Factors
The first of which involved the NFC Championship game in which the Rams progressed through against the Saints. There was an obvious error made by the official against Nickell Robey-Coleman in the last couple of minutes when he missed a penalty call; something that should it have been given. With it called correctly, the Saints would have likely been the team playing in the Super Bowl. Due to this error, New Orleans boycotted the match, and this saw the state post its lowest viewing figures; with only 31% of the people watching the showcase.
There can also be a case made that a lot of the occasional NFL viewers chose to skip the game due to the issues surrounding the NFL, its players, and supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump, who was critical of the league and some players surrounding the national anthem. This was backed up by the viewing figures; where CBS revealed it had the lowest viewing figures for 10 years.
Halftime Entertainment
Even if the Super Bowl is tremendously bad; spectators can often rely on the halftime show and commercials for a take away from the event. However, this year both of these aspects were also criticized almost as heavily as the game itself. Viewers were underwhelmed when it was revealed that Maroon 5 would be headlining the entertainment; and who could blame them when mega-acts such as Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake have headlined the show in the past.
