Stadium packed, live concerts, overflowing food and drinks… and a great Super Bowl matchup. That very much sums up the National Football League (NFL) Super Bowl 54 held at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida last Sunday. I took the opportunity to watch the game (on TV of course) live and I felt the energy all over. Uninterrupted viewing, no commercials except for time outs, make quite a great Monday morning (Manila Time) attraction.
The Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers did not disappoint. The game was not decided until the last 6 minutes of the fourth quarter when the Kansas City Chiefs displayed resiliency and poise to come out victorious 31-20.
Two major factors contributed to the Chiefs winning Super Bowl LIV: Saturday quarterbacking and solid second-half defense.
The Chiefs starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes very much dictated what the outcome of the game would be by scoring the first touchdown of the game in a 5-yard blitz with under 40 seconds left in the first quarter.
Mahomes showed he just couldn’t be easily pushed over, what with his 6’3 height and 230-pound frame. It takes a solid heavy tackle to slow him down. His first td could also have been an indicator of who is going to win the quarterback matchup.
The first half ended at a draw 10-10 and, of course, the show would not be complete without the halftime concert with Shakira and Jennifer Lopez blazing the stage in a scintillating dance and song repertoire.
The second half started with the same energy and 49ers qb Jimmy Goroppolo also had some shining moments keeping the game close and even leading San Francisco to a 20-10 third-quarter lead … but the Chiefs simply dominated the 4th quarter with 3 touchdowns to overtake the 49ers and pretty much close the match with still over 2 minutes left in the game.
It was like the Chiefs knew exactly what’s needed for a fourth-quarter break away. You would have thought they held their horses deliberately so they can showcase their strength to finish the game on a high note.
It was a Super Bowl worth remembering, Palawan.
Super Bowl Side Notes
You can not be predictable in this sport. I noticed the Chiefs and 49ers relied on offensive deception, feigning formation and changing them on the last minute, leading the defensive team to the right flank only to rush toward the left flank. It takes a coaching genius to put several plays to perfection on a 50 plus player roster. Coordination was key. Coaches were mic’d up with headsets and equipped with iPads to obviously give out instructions to assistant coaches to make adjustments on the field based on current situations.
The players need to be extremely in the condition of the NFL. The ultra-high contact rate and power plays require players to be in tip-top shape.
The coaches’ jobs aren’t easy either. They need to make sure offensive teams read the plays right and the defensive teams need to adjust on the fly by a flick of a hand signal or whistle.
I witnessed athletics and sports science at its peak by watching the Super Bowl. Technology and AI would definitely be at the forefront of the future of sports, Palawan.
(The writer is a senior leader in the Business Process Outsourcing industry managing Philippine countryside operations)
