The Patriots Make Super Bowl History
Halfway through the third quarter of the Super Bowl, after the Atlanta Falcons scored a touchdown to go ahead 28–3 over a dazed-looking New England Patriots team, it appeared that the entertainment value of the game had peaked at halftime, when Lady Gaga dove off the roof of Houston’s NRG Stadium. The Falcons’ offense, led by their quarterback, Matt Ryan, was moving the ball as easily as it had all season; the Patriots, meanwhile, were making uncharacteristic mistakes. The announcers started reaching for filler, and the owner of the Falcons, Arthur Blank, travelled from his luxury box down to the sideline, the better to celebrate with his team. It was, as the TV talking head Skip Bayless declared on Twitter for history to remember, all over.