BSM students reflect on their experience attending the Super Bowl
Photo Courtesy of Michael Hunter
The new U.S. Bank Stadium offers prime views of the field to fans.
For many football fans, going to the Super Bowl is a lifelong dream, but for seniors Braeden Fitzgerald, Turner Wine, and Michael Hunter this dream became a reality. The homecoming of Super Bowl LII to Minneapolis has allowed the opportunity for Minnesotans to uniquely partake in watching the Super Bowl. The New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles matchup makes many hardcore Vikings fans upset because they were one step away from being the first team to ever play at their home stadium for the Super Bowl. Instead, those diehard Vikings fans sit in envy, watching the Eagles take their spot on the field.
Many students at Benilde-St. Margaret’s have been able to attend the Super Bowl pregame events throughout the week in the downtown area. There were roughly six blocks cut off for the events, and 40 performances on the Verizon upstage in the center of it all. On Saturday morning, snowmobiles jumped over Nicollet Mall. This stunt brought in many Minnesotans including senior Ryan Frost. “The barrel roll was the coolest trick I saw, but there were also many sweet flips,” Frost said.
Transportation was one of the main focuses of Super Bowl LII, with over 150,000 visitors in town. People had no complaints about it, as metro transit did a great job moving people place to place. The only complaint people from out of town had was the cold. Welcome to being a Minnesotan. “I went to Rae Sremmurd Thursday night, and it was packed. It wasn’t too cold because of all the people that were there.” junior John Landry said.
While downtown Super Bowl events were open to the public, the Super Bowl game limited 73,000 people into one building. A few of the chosen ones were fellow Benilde-St. Margaret classmates Turner Wine, Braeden Fitzgerald, and Michael Hunter. “It was super cool to watch the game, but the halftime show was a bit of a let down.” said Hunter. While Hunter had high remarks as an avid Eagle fan, Fitzgerald had a different perspective as a New England native. “I honestly would’ve rather watched the game at home.” Fitzgerald said.
Tom Brady’s eighth Super Bowl was thought by many as his easiest game to win because he was going against a backup quarterback in Nick Foles. Senior Turner Wine is a big Patriots fan, and to see his favorite quarterback Tom Brady lose in Minneapolis was a letdown for him. “Seeing Brady fail to get his 6th ring was a major disappointment. I might’ve shed a few tears after the game.” Wine said.
While the Super Bowl is a once in a lifetime opportunity, it’s not for everyone. Senior Joe Dunn decided to get rid of his tickets after a sobering Vikings loss. “I decided to sell my tickets after the Vikings lost the NFC championship. I’m happy with my decision because I think I had just as much fun watching it at home.” Dunn said.
