So, after 266 games since the first week of September we now have the 2 teams that will contest Super Bowl LII. In one of the biggest sporting events of 2018 VM Life looks ahead to the ‘Greatest Show On Turf’, as the Philadelphia Eagles take on the New England Patriots.
It’s the most watched annual sporting event in the world and fills the top 20 places in the most watched programs in American TV history in terms of audiences. It is of course the Super Bowl, and this Sunday night (and into Monday morning) will see the 52nd edition of the sporting spectacular as the Philadelphia Eagles take on the New England Patriots.
For the fourth time in five seasons, the number one seeds from both conferences will meet in the final.
The Eagles finished the regular season with a 13–3 record, before going on to first defeat last year’s losing finalists the Atlanta Falcons, and then the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game in comprehensive fashion 38-7.
The Patriots also finished the regular season with a 13–3 record and then came through the Tennessee Titans, and then the Jacksonville Jaguars narrowly 24-20 in the AFC Championship Game.
This will be a repeat of the 2003 final which saw the Patriots defeat the Eagles 20-16.
That was the second and final time the Eagles have appeared in the final, with the other being a losing effort to the Raiders in 1981.
In contrast this will be the Patriots 10th final having won 5 and lost 4 of the previous 9.
The Patriots are the current Champions in what was the most memorable final of all time last year as they came back from 25 points down midway through the 3rd Quarter to beat the Atlanta Falcons. Statistically at the time of the 25 point lead the Falcons had a 99.8% chance of going on to win, but New England just didn’t give up.
At the start of the 4th Quarter the deficit was reduced, but still a very healthy 19 points, and it was all but a formality that the Falcons would be lifting the trophy – after all in the NFL play-off history of the 133 times a team had a 17 point lead going into the final quarter 133 had gone on to win.
However, a field goal and 2 touchdowns followed by two 2-point conversions sent the game into overtime for the first time in Super Bowl history, and orchestrated by legendary quarterback Tom Brady the Patriots scored another touchdown to complete the most unlikely of comebacks.
The final pits the longtime and hugely successful Head Coach of the Pariots Bill Belichick against his Eagles counterpart Doug Pederson who is only in his second season as a Head Coach. And likewise the Patriots stalwart quarterback Tom Brady, who at 40 years old is the joint most successful player in NFL history with 5 Super Bowl victories to his name, as well as a host of other titles and achievements, is up against fellow quarterback Nick Foles, who was only intended to be back up for the 2017/18 season, but when first choice quarterback Carson Wentz was ruled out in December with a torn ACL, he stepped up and led the team to the NFC Title.
It is estimated that approximately 70% (roughly 110-115 million) of the people watching tv in the US at the time of the game will in fact be watching it, so with that said it should come as no surprised that a 30 second commercial during the Super Bowl will cost you around $7.7 million.
Speaking of breaks in the action the half time show is always the most watched and talked about part of the event, and this year it will be performed by Justin Timberlake, which will actually be his third appearance at the event as he has previously entertained as part of boyband NSYNC in 2001, and also in a duet with Janet Jackson in 2004 which produced the infamous ‘wardrobe malfunction’ incident. It is sure to feature some guest spots this time, but as of yet none has been announced, which could mean that organisers are leaving it as a surprise.
Emanating from the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota the game kicks off at 11:30pm and will be shown on BBC and Sky Sports.
