With the clock getting closer and closer to kickoff of Super Bowl LI, final bets are being placed and nerves of fans of the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots are increasing by the second. The Super Bowl can be argued as being the biggest sporting event of the year, not only because of the matchup of two of the best teams in the National Football League, but also because of the Pepsi Halftime Performance, which will be headlined by Lady Gaga this year. As game time approaches the anticipation of what is to come rises. There are two questions that I am sure everyone is wondering, one about what the outcome of the game will be and one about what to expect from Gaga's performance.
1. Will the Patriots fall short or finish on top?
It's no secret that the Patriots have faced a lot of drama in the past two years with the Deflategate scandal that began after the team's last Super Bowl appearance in 2015. The scandal resulted in the team's quarterback, Tom Brady, being suspended for four games at the beginning of this season. Clearly the suspension did not impact the team too much, as the Patriots only lost one game without Brady.
The Patriots have been in three Super Bowls in the past ten years. Out of those three games, the team lost two to the New York Giants in 2008 and 2012. Prior to their win in 2015, one could say that it was a pattern for the Patriots to be expected to win and surprisingly fall short. Will that happen again this year? There is no doubt in my mind that the NFL is taking extra precautions to ensure that there is not another Deflategate scandal and that the pressure in the footballs are correct. If the Patriots do lose, would this prove that Deflategate was real or will it be because the Falcons are truly better?
If you were to ask me at the beginning of the playoffs who would be playing today, I would not even blink before telling you that it would be the Patriots and the Dallas Cowboys. Clearly I was wrong. Will the Atlanta Falcons continue to shock me and many other NFL fans and finish on top? I guess, we will have to wait and find out.
2. What should we expect from Lady Gaga's performance?
It would be an understatement to say that Lady Gaga likes to be loud, whether it be with her performances or her outfits, so what will she do to compete with some of the greats, like Beyoncé, Prince, Madonna, The Rolling Stones, and many more? Will she go back to her early days of fame and wear a crazy outfit? Will she make a political statement that will have people talking for days? Or will she have some amazing guest performers? In previous years there have been some amazing guest performers: Coldplay brought out Bruno Mars and Beyoncé, Beyoncé reunited Destiny's Child, and Katy Perry brought out Missy Elliott and Lenny Kravitz. Can we expect Beyoncé to make another guest appearance in her hometown of Houston, Texas and perform Telephone, her song with Gaga, just days after announcing to the world that she is expecting twins with her husband Jay-Z? Only a few more hours to see what she has in store.
With the game and the performance, we will have to wait and see which one will have people talking the longest. Any guesses?
