Super Bowl XLIX

Super Bowl XLIX was one of the best football games of the football season. It took place at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. The Seahawks, the reigning Super Bowl Champions from the year prior and the New England Patriots, a team scrutinized for it's off the field behaviors regarding deflated footballs yet well respected for actions on the field, played an even game that was full of excitement, physicality and controversy. The most memorable moment of the game came at the very tail end of the fourth quarter with about twenty seconds left. The Seahawks had marched down the field and had the ball at the one-yard line. The difference between victory and defeat and winning back-to-back championships was three feet away.

I completely remember where I was at the moment, on the couch between my best friend and his brother. I was already feeling negative vibes from the Seahawks, based on how they had lined up on offense. I screamed "Why are they in shot-gun at the one yard line? They have a chance to score and they are going to pass! Oh my, why now?"

The ball had snapped and the quarterback for the Seahawks took two quick steps back and fired a throw to what it looked to be a wide-open receiver only for it to be intercepted by the Patriots. The Patriots defensive back, who was covering the Seahawks wide receiver, stepped in for the ball and took the Seahawks dreams of winning back-to-back championships with it.

My family screamed, "Wow! Unbelievable! Why did they call a pass?" I wanted it to be known that I had stated the play call correctly. "You see! The Seahawks passed the ball. Why did they do that with the best running back waiting for the ball to be given to him one more time to win the game?"

There are certain moments you don't forget. Like graduating from high school or college, driving for the first time or where you were for a certain event, like the Super Bowl last weekend. I am sure I am not the only one who feels this way. I feel worse for Seattle Seahawks fans for having to witness the worst sports lost in history. I bet they feel worse, knowing they were so close, yet so far. I certainly will never forget where I was when that play occurred.

Vocabulary:

1) scrutinize (verb)- to examine closely

2) deflated (verb)- be emptied of air

3) excitement (noun)- a happy feeling

4) physicality (noun)- involves contact related to the body

5) controversy (noun)- a drawn out disagreement

6) victory (noun)- the act of winning verse an opponent

7) defeat (verb)- overcome or beat

8) intercepted (verb)- catch a forward pass

Vocabulary Activity:

Directions: Fill in the blanks using the vocabulary words from above

1) The ball was __________ by the defensive player.

2) The political case was becoming a __________ due to criticism by the media.

3) Because of the cold temperature, the car tires were __________.

4) There was plenty of __________ in the air before the concert.

5) The debate team celebrated the __________ by eating ice cream.

6) It is necessary to __________ the editor of the newspaper for writing a false article.

7) There was plenty of __________ in the wrestling tournament.

8) The football team suffered a terrible __________.

Grammar Point:

Although there are plenty of rules of when to use quotation marks, the use of quotation marks in this blog indicate direct speech. The writer wants to tell the reader what exactly someone is saying, in this case, what I was saying.

Grammar Activity:

Directions: Using quotation marks indicating direct speech, create your own sentence reacting to the last offensive play by the Seattle Seahawks which resulted in a Super Bowl victory for the New England Patriots.

If you have not seen the play, revisit the moment here: http://youtu.be/U7rPIg7ZNQ8