The NFL is no GAA, and Super Bowl Sunday is no All-Ireland Final Sunday.
Today is Super Bowl Sunday, which is probably the biggest day for American sports all year.
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Not surprisingly, Super Bowl Sunday generates excessive amounts of fanfare: Super Bowl ads, the halftime show, Super Bowl pools, and which house party or bar to attend for viewing are all hot topics in the lead up to the big game.
Some have even called for the Monday after Super Bowl Sunday to be made into a public holiday in the US, though we doubt that will happen anytime soon.
This year, we see the New England Patriots (yet again) take on the Los Angeles Rams. This is The Patriots second consecutive Super Bowl appearance; last year they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Has all the buzz left you flustered? We've compiled a cheat sheet of how to fake your way through the Super Bowl if you’re not familiar with American football.
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What you need to know for Super Bowl LIII:
Super Bowl LIII is being hosted in Atlanta, Georgia this year at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home to the Atlanta Falcons. The game begins at 6:30 pm Eastern time and features The New England Patriots, coached by Bill Belichick, against The Los Angeles Rams, coached by Sean McVay.
The New England Patriots have played 1 1times in the Super Bowl and won five times, most recently in 2017. The Los Angeles Rams have played in the Super Bowl four times and won once in 2000.
The Patriots and The Rams previously met each other in the 2002 Super Bowl, which The Patriots won 20-17.
Football fan or not, you've most likely heard of the quarterback for The New England Patriots, Tom Brady. He's married to supermodel Gisele Bundchen and is considered the greatest quarterback of all time. Brady's won a staggering five Super Bowls, and at 41-years-old, he’s also the oldest quarterback to ever start in a Super Bowl.
You have to eat the dream...
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) February 1, 2019
you have to sleep the dream...
you have to see it when nobody else sees it.#EverythingWeGot featuring @MeekMill pic.twitter.com/UN5F08UfBp
Jared Goff is the quarterback for The Rams, and as Joe.ie writes, the 24-year-old “had a career year and was fourth in the NFL for completion percentage with a 64.9% completion rate and has the second most throws of over 20+ yards.”
The arduous journey to perfection will be pursued by many. But only one will prevail.
The Road to the Super Bowl.
Narrated by Dick Vermeil. pic.twitter.com/IQVnYuUwzi
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) January 31, 2019
The winning team gets to take home the Vince Lombardi Trophy, which is named after the coach who led the Green Bay Packers to win the first ever two Super Bowls.
If sports aren't your scene, sit tight for the Super Bowl ads, which cost millions of dollars to run, or the halftime show, which this year features Maroon 5, Big Boi, and Travis Scott.
#M53 pic.twitter.com/ml41GdOkoe
— Maroon 5 (@maroon5) January 30, 2019
How scoring works during the Super Bowl:
Scoring in American football isn’t exactly self-explanatory. Here’s a breakdown of how it works, thanks to BBC:
- Touchdown (six points) - A touchdown is scored when a team crosses the opposition's goal line with the ball, or catches or collects the ball in the end zone.
- Field goal (three points) - These are usually attempted on fourth down if the kicker is close enough to the end zone to kick the ball through the posts, or uprights.
- Extra point (one or two points) - A point is earned by kicking the ball through the uprights after a touchdown (similar to a rugby conversion). Two points are earned by taking the ball into the end zone again.
- Safety (two points) - Awarded to the defensive team when a member of the offensive team is tackled with the ball in his own end zone.
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Handy phrases to use through the Super Bowl:
And thanks to Joe.ie, here are some handy phrases and when to use them throughout the game:
- “Get after the quarterback” - use when a team is on the 3rd down and has some way to go
- “They’ll look to run this one out” - use this is when a team has the lead heading toward the final two minutes
- “They’ll make them burn their timeouts here” - use if the defense has any timeouts
- “That’s a huge play” - use if there’s any sort of turnover
- “Great execution” - if the offense makes any sort of good play
Here's a quick explainer on how American football works, created by the NFL:
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Will you be tuning into Super Bowl Sunday? Let us know in the comments!
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