The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: SuperBowl

  • How to throw a COVID friendly Super Bowl party

    Though Super Bowl may look and feel different this year, it is not to say there isn’t fun to be had and an array of commercials to be watched. Anyone reading this truly only care about the commercials? We thought so. To all you football fans and commercially driven spectators, we are here to give you the ultimate guide to throwing your first ever pandemic-friendly Super Bowl party.

    First thing first, the big game between Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will air Sunday, Feb. 7 at 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. PT) and will be held at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. This serving as a first in Super Bowl history where a team will play at their home field. Also, this will be marking a historic moment for Buccaneer Quarterback Tom Brady, as this will be his first Super Bowl not playing for the New England Patriots. Brady previously played a total of 20 seasons for the Patriots and won 6 Super Bowl championships, the most of any quarterback.

    Alright, alright. Enough about that. You want to know how to throw a COVID friendly Super Bowl party. That is why you’re here, we get it. Look no further. There are many ways and options you can tackle this, no punt intended.

    1. Host a virtual watch party:

    You may do this a few different ways. One is with our beloved Zoom. If you don’t know what Zoom is in 2021 then I really don’t know what to tell you other than you must live under a rock. To watch via Zoom, simply have all participants stream the game while Zooming one another. CBS will be streaming the game for free at their website. We’d suggest utilizing app services like DoorDash, UberEats, Postmates, etc.. or supporting a local restaurant that is offering delivery, that way all participants can order from the same eatery, making it feel as though you’re together. You may also host/join watch parties from sites like Hulu Watch Party or Teleparty.

    2. Host an outdoor watch party:

    This option is obviously weather dependent. If you plan to host an in-person party be sure to check the CDC guidelines for how to do so safely. If you’re offering food, which we assume you are, we suggest cooking something easy like burgers. But make sure to plate the food yourself, as the host, following proper protocol. Make sure you have hand sanitizer stations and that people wear their masks whenever possible. Opt for foods like shish kabob’s, burgers or sliders, make individual hummus veggie dips in their own mason jars, or set aside small individual cheese boards for each attendee. You may also consider a BYOP (bring your own picnic) party, so kind of potluck but not really.

    3. Play games and don’t forget to make it memorable:

    Have Super Bowl predication bets going, try to guess the commercials, what the overall theme of commercials will be, or opt for a Super Bowl Commercial Bingo and offer a prize for the winner or play Super Bowl trivia and assign teams. The options are endless so have fun with it. But most importantly, stay safe.

  • Tom Brady is the G.O.A.T.

    Tom Brady is the G.O.A.T.

    NFL fans are one week away from the Super Bowl clash between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles in what will mark the eighth time in 16 years that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will be the starter in the big game.

    It is time to end the debate: Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback in NFL history, and his case is only going to get stronger.

    In the NFL, there are players who play over a decade without ever reaching the Super Bowl, let alone players who spend their entire careers chasing that beloved trophy.

    Brady has been to eight now. At this point, his appearance in the game has become more of an expectation than a surprise.

    The University of Michigan alumnus has accomplished unimaginable things during his time in the NFL: five Super Bowls, four Super Bowl MVPs, two regular season MVPs, 13 Pro Bowl selections and three first-team All-Pro selections.

    Since taking over the starting quarterback job for the Patriots during week two of the 2001 season, Brady has never missed the playoffs (the Pats did not make the playoffs during the 2008 season when Brady suffered a torn ACL during week one).

    In addition, Brady has appeared in each of the past seven AFC championship games and has gone to the Super Bowl in four of those years.

    Up until last year, Brady seemed to be embedded under Joe Montana as the second best quarterback to ever play. But that was before his epic 25-point comeback over Matt Ryan and the Falcons, which was by far the largest comeback in Super Bowl history.

    With his all-time leading fifth Super Bowl victory on the line, Brady’s Patriots were down 28-3 with two minutes and eight seconds left in the third quarter.

    Brady, the former sixth-round pick, responded by turning in possibly his best performance ever by throwing for 466 yards (a Super Bowl record) and two touchdowns to shock the Falcons in overtime.

    Last year’s game may have cemented Brady to be above the rest, but this year’s matchup with Philadelphia is shaping up to be a phenominal encore.

    This season’s Eagles is perhaps the best team that Brady has faced in the Super Bowl so far, as they are the only team to face him with a top-five offense and defense.

    While New England is a five-point favorite, many experts are predicting an Eagles upset due to their high-scoring offensive attack, led by quarterback Nick Foles, and the Eagles’ stout defense.

    If the past is any indication, Brady will overcome this upcoming obstacle and win his sixth Super Bowl ring, which will end all discussions about who the greatest of all time is.

    At this point, it’s not even a race, Brady is just running on his own.

  • Brady, Patriots Top Falcons in Super Bowl LI Overtime Thriller

    Brady, Patriots Top Falcons in Super Bowl LI Overtime Thriller

    By Danny Dunn

    Quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons, Matt Ryan, may have won the MVP of the regular season, but quarterback of the New England Patriots, Tom Brady, was the MVP of Super Bowl LI.

    This is Brady’s fourth time winning the Super Bowl MVP and his seventh time making it to the Super Bowl. .

    The Patriots were able to come back from a 28-3 deficit at halftime, scoring 31 unanswered points for a final score of 34-28, giving the Patriots their fifth NFL championship.

    The game started out sluggish with both team’s first couple of possessions resulting in punts. The first quarter coming to an end with no scores either way.

    The Patriots began the second quarter with what looked liked a promising drive, fumbled away by running back Legarrette Blount. The Falcons recovered the ball on their own 29 yard line. Matt Ryan then lead Atlanta down the field, assisted by wide receiver Julio Jones catching two passes for 42 yards, getting the Falcons to the New England 29 yard line. Running back Devonta Freeman took it from there, carrying the ball three times for 29 yards and on the 3rd carry, punched it into the endzone for the first score of the game.

    A bad punt by Patriots punter Ryan Allen set Atlanta up with great field position at their own 38 yard line. Ryan had a couple of deep completions one to receiver Taylor Gabriel and the other to Julio Jones that brought Atlanta to the Patriots 20 yard line. A couple plays later Ryan hooked up with tight end Austin Hooper for a 19 yard touchdown pass, as the Falcons took a 14-0 lead.

    The ensuing Patriots drive looked promising with the Patriots marching the ball all the way to the Atlanta 23 yard line only to again have the drive killed by a turnover. Brady tried hitting receiver Danny Amendola, but cornerback Robert Alford intercepted the pass and took it all the way to the end zone for an 82 yard pick 6.

    So now the Patriots found themselves in a huge hole down three touchdowns with 2 minutes left in the half. With time running out, the Patriots had to settle for a 41 yard field goal from kicker Stephen Gostkowski putting the Patriots on the board going into the half.

    After a punt from each team to start the second half, Atlanta had an 8 play 85 yard drive capped off by a Tevin Coleman 6 yard touchdown run, bringing the score to 28-3 Falcons. But the Patriots did not go away.

    The Patriots came back with their own 75 yard touchdown drive (missed extra point). The 3rd quarter came to an end with the Falcons on top 28-9.

    The fourth quarter began with a Falcons punt, after they failed to take advantage of great field position from the Patriots muffed onside kick attempt. The Patriots got the ball on their own 13 yard line. Brady hit rookie receiver Malcolm Mitchell several times on the drive to help move the Patriots down the field. The drive stalled in the Atlanta red zone, and the Patriots had to settle for a field goal making the score 28-12 Falcons.

    On the next Falcons drive Matt Ryan was strip sacked by Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower, and recovered by Patriots defensive end Alan Branch giving the Patriots the ball at the Atlanta 36 yard line.

    The Patriots went on to score a touchdown and a much needed two-point conversion, both courtesy of receiver Danny Amendola, making it just a one score game.

    The Falcons managed to kill a bit more time on their next possession, and even appeared to have the game in hand when receiver Julio Jones caught a 27 yard pass from Ryan at the New England 22 yard line. But then a Matt Ryan sack, and a holding penalty on the Falcons pushed them all the way back to the New England 45, and out of field goal range, forcing them to punt.

    The Patriots began the drive at their own 9 yard line with 3 minutes and 38 seconds left in the game. Brady managed to hit 5 different receivers on the drive including Chris Hogan, Mitchell, Edleman, Amendola, and finally James White. White then ran the ball in from the 1 yard line on second and goal. Needing a 2 point conversion to tie the game, Brady found Amendola once again to successfully complete the 2 point conversion, tying the game at 28 a piece with 57 seconds left on the clock.

    Atlanta was unable to get anything going on their drive, forcing the teams to take the game to overtime, for the first time in Super Bowl history.

    The Patriots won the coin toss and elected to receive the football, knowing that a touchdown ends the game in overtime. The Patriots started at their own 25 yard line, and again Brady hooked up with multiple receivers, to help drive the Patriots down the field with a chance to win the game. A defensive pass interference against Falcons linebacker De’Vondre Campbell on Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett all but sealed the game, with the result of the penalty giving the Patriots the ball at the Falcons 2 yard line. James White then ran the ball in, just past the goal line and enough to give the Patriots a touchdown and a victory.

    This Super Bowl win gives the Patriots their fifth Super Bowl win. This also gives Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Tom Brady their fifth Super Bowl wins. Brady finished with 466 passing yards, the most in Super Bowl history, along with a pair of touchdown passes, and was awarded MVP of Super Bowl LI.

  • NFL Playoffs

    NFL Playoffs

    By: Keaundrey Clark

    The National Football League divisional round has passed and gone. We learned a few things this past weekend. You need an elite quarterback to get this far in the season. The four remaining quarterbacks, Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger have thrown for 135 touchdowns and 29 interceptions. You have Super Bowl winners (Rodgers, Roethlisberger, Brady), past MVPs (Brady and Rodgers) and the potential 2016 NFL MVP (Ryan).

    With four of the game’s best playing on the highest stages, we will see some classic games come this conference championship weekend. The Dallas Cowboys look set for the next 10 years with Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott as their stars. The two rookies shine in their first NFL playoff game and in defeat they showed they’ll be a force for years to come. The Seattle Seahawks are doing Russell Wilson a disservice by putting him behind an awful offensive line. That needs to be addressed if they want to even sniff the Super Bowl next season. This might be the Chiefs last run with Alex Smith as quarterback. He’s limited; average at best. If they don’t cut bait now, they’ll never get better. The Houston Texans, just like the Chiefs, have a roster to win now but are hamstrung by a shitty quarterback.

    Atlanta Falcons vs Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers vs Matt Ryan in a dome. Man, that’s a lot of points. Rodgers threw one of the greatest passes you’ll ever see, a 36-yard dart to Jared Cook to get his team into field goal range for the win, rolling to his left and threw it against his body, only where his player can catch it with his feet in bounds and left time on the clock. Each team’s defense is in the bottom half of the league in passing yards given up. These quarterbacks will pass for 350 yards each, probably push for 400 yards. Both teams will likely score 30 plus points. This game could literally come down to which team makes a play defensively or which quarterback has the ball last.

    My Pick: Packers 38 – Falcons 31

    New England Patriots vs Pittsburg Steelers: At this point, the Patriots are just a nameless, faceless machine. It feels  that every team they’ve had in the last 15 years has been identical with a few exceptions in the past. Two things remain the same: Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. With those two, they always have a fighting chance.  The Steelers have arguably the best running back and receiver to grace an NFL field, a top five quarterback, yet they are 11th in scoring in the league. Not bad but not good especially for the talent they have. If they can put touchdowns on the board they have a chance to knock off Tom Brady and company.

    My Pick: Patriots 30 – Steelers 27