Supplied5. The shark on the left: Say what you want about Katy Perry and this year’s half-time show, but the shark on the left was incredible. It was fun watching Katy Perry float around the stadium on a “The More You Know” style rocket ship, and it was really cool seeing her bring to life the fighting polygon team from the original Super Smash Bros. game, but nothing topped the unbelievable swagger of the shark on the left. As the shark on the right did the robot in unison with planned choreography, the one on the left decided screw it, I’m doing my own thing, and proceeded to just randomly flail his arms around like it was nobody’s business.
4. Tom Brady is G.O.A.T: If there was an argument to be made before Sunday’s game, there isn’t anymore. Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback in NFL history. With the win, Brady earned his fourth Super Bowl and his third Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, tying the legendary Joe Montana for most all-time.
3. Two guys who worked at Popeyes and Foot Locker: While they may not be household names like Russell Wilson and Tom Brady, cornerback Malcolm Butler and wide receiver Chris Matthews were two of the brightest stars in the Super Bowl, showing the power of perseverance. Butler was kicked off his college team as a freshman, and took a job at Popeyes before working his way back on to the team. Butler wasn’t drafted, but ended up cracking the Patriots’ roster after being brought to the team’s mini-camp. Up by four with Seattle on New England’s one-yard line, Butler intercepted Russell Wilson’s pass, icing the championship for the Patriots. Chris Matthews, on the other hand, was working at Foot Locker when he received an invitation to Seahawks camp. Since he was scheduled to work, he was going to decline until his agent talked him into going. Matthews ended up making the Seahawks’ practice squad before picking up one touchdown and 109 yards in the Super Bowl. Had the Seahawks won the game, Matthews likely would have won MVP. Both of these guys were nearly out of the game a couple years ago, but persevered and enshrined themselves as NFL legends with two amazing individual performances in the biggest game of their careers.
2. “The catch”: Sorry David Tyree, your catch was great and all, but Jermaine Kearse own the trademark to “the catch” now. Back in 2008, the Patriots were about to defeat the New York Giants to win the Super Bowl and complete the second perfect season in NFL history. With just over a minute to go, Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning lobbed the ball down the field to David Tyree who squeezed the ball against his helmet and kept his team’s Super Bowl dreams alive. Flash forward seven years and the same thing almost happened. A little over a minute to go, Seahawks down to the Patriots, Russell Wilson lobs it down field and Kearse makes a circus catch to keep his team’s dream alive. Fortunately for Patriots fans, history didn’t repeat itself as Malcolm Butler made the most clutch play of all time.
1. The worst Super Bowl decision ever/most clutch interception ever: You’re down by four points, with three downs to burn, and a touchdown will win you the Super Bowl. You have arguably the best running back in the league on your bench. You just need to punch it in. You make a throwing play? Seahawks coach Pete Carroll opted to have Russell Wilson make a pass into the end zone rather than using Lynch to just force the ball in. The result? A legendary interception for Patriots’ cornerback Malcolm Butler and a Super Bowl victory for Tom Brady and the Patriots. This is remembered as the worst call in Super Bowl history and the most clutch play in Super Bowl history, depending which side you’re on.
