Last night, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers triumphed over the Kansas City Chiefs in a comfortable 31-9 victory in the Super Bowl, every kick of it massively mattering to someone, presumably. The match was a stunning show of the Buccaneers' prowess in the sport, and Kansas City's performance continued to unravel in spite of their best efforts. Though the game is the main event, the spectacle is what attracts audiences to the Super Bowl, and 2021 did not disappoint, from Vince Lombardi's uncanny resemblance to a Fallout NPC and The Weeknd's chaotic stumbling during his performance. Here are the best of the best memes from the night.
First things first, it's important to note that appearances may be deceiving. The Raymond James Stadium looked like it was packed with attendees, but there were in fact 30,000 cardboard cutouts to help maintain distancing between fans. Dotted here and there were some famous faces, like Guy Fieri, PewDiePie, and... Doge. Such sport. Many hype.
Before the 55th Super Bowl got going, the NFL projected a video of a hologram of Vince Lombardi walking through the streets of the United States, and he imparted words of wisdom to the nation. "We arrive as one with courage, with stamina, with teamwork," said Lombardi, using recordings of his voice from archival footage. "It's not whether we get knocked down, but whether we get back up as one." Yet, when the hologram of Lombardi was displayed on the scoreboard, some people realised that they might have seen that coat and fedora combo somewhere before.
Vince Lombardi about to knock on my door to inform me I've been accepted into Vault 111 from r/gaming
Again, due to coronavirus, the Super Bowl Half-time Show deviated from the norm. The Weeknd performed from the stands in an electric show that made the most of the limited space that the star, musicians, and dancers had to use. Surrounded by a set modelled on the city in Fritz Lang's Metropolis, he then disappeared backstage, grabbing a camera and stumbling in the glittering gold corridors, bumping into a group of masked dancers. Erratically wobbling around and getting right up in the camera's lens, it was ideal meme material for us stuck in lockdown.
when your teammates tell you to come help with an EE step but you still haven't memorized the map layout from r/CODZombies
Of course, the game was especially momentous for established NFL players and those at the start of their careers. Patrick Mahomes, quarterback for Kansas City, was the one to watch last night, but his skill didn't get to shine due to the team's lackadaisical offence and much-too-cautious defence. In comparison, Tom Brady, quarterback for Tampa Bay, looked like he could have directed the team to victory with his eyes closed. Part of this is down to experience; Brady is the oldest player to play in the Super Bowl at 43 years and 188 days old. The disparity in the teams' makeup and their approaches didn't go under the radar, and the audience pointed out that perhaps what Mahomes needs is a mentor.
That's all folks. Though memes may come and go like the seasons, thankfully, there is still everything to play for and forever to play it in.
Featured Image Credit: Bethesda, BBC SportTopics: News, Call of Duty, Fallout
