Is the Super Bowl LVI excitement really all about the game?

Every year, friends and family gather around the big screen to watch the Super Bowl. This Sunday’s game finds the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals battling to win the NFL Championship. However, as many people as there are who will tune in at 6:30 p.m. for the love of the game, another set of fans will be tuning in for another reason: the commercials and halftime show.

The halftime shows are no longer small marching band performances. They are big-name artist productions. The anticipation of waiting to see which songs will be performed is exciting. Elise Walker, a sophomore, has strong opinions on this year’s halftime show. “I’m not a huge fan of rap to be honest; however, the performers are all really talented–especially Eminem. That man’s mouth moves faster than my dad’s car!” 

Joining Eminem for this year’s lineup of performers will be Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, and Mary J. Blige. But, although many will enjoy this year’s performance, an equal number are still hoping other artists will be considered in the future. Walker hopes that her “icon”–Taylor Swift–and even Surf Curse will be among them.

As entertaining as the halftime shows are, so are the commercials. Some fan favorites of the past have been Mountain Dew’s Puppy Monkey Baby, Coke’s iconic Mean Joe Green (but don’t look for any ads from Coke or Pepsi this year), and just about any Doritos commercial. Walker’s favorite? “The one about Doritos, where a lady was giving birth, and the husband was eating Doritos and [discovered] he was able to control the baby by swaying the chip around!”

Historically, these commercials are also known to feature celebrities–everyone from Cardi B to Betty White. But, a timely group to watch for this year might be professional athletes like Tom Brady and Serena Williams to Olympians, such as Shaun White or Mikaela Shiffrin.

Walker suspects that about 30 percent of people will watch Super Bowl LVI strictly for commercials, while fellow sophomore Makayla Goodman believes that number will actually be much higher–at about 75 percent. But, remembering that football should be the main draw for the Super Bowl, Goodman claims that she will put her money on The Rams. And, what about Walker?  “I don’t know; I’m just there for the commercials!” But, in the spirit of the games, she concludes, “May the best team win!”