Sense of sobriety as big game draws near

TAMPA BAY • Since the last Super Bowl 12 months ago, a pandemic has killed more than 2 million people around the world, including about 450,000 Americans.

Last month was the deadliest month, and last week roughly one American died every 30 seconds from Covid-19.

The toll will grow through the Super Bowl tomorrow - during the big plays between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and defending champions Kansas City Chiefs, among the slow-motion replays, amid the commercials, while the national anthem is sung and the half-time show is performed.

That alone makes Super Bowl LV different from the 54 that have come before it. And it presents a unique challenge for the National Football League (NFL) and its broadcast partner this year, CBS Sports.

The practical question is no longer if they should play Super Bowl LV - it is the last of 269 NFL games this season - but how to play it and how it will be presented.

Players will certainly hit, run and tackle as usual. But will the game be packaged as the usual spectacle of violence, commercialism and bombast? Should it be?

"We're trying to strike that right tone and be reflective on the year that has been while also providing a bit of hope for, you know, what's on the other side," said Peter O'Reilly, NFL executive vice-president of events. "A lot goes into that."

The league promises a blend of cold reality and championship football. There may be a softer touch and more reflection, especially during the pre-game programming.

The Super Bowl is the most American of sports events, beamed around the world, a proxy for how the US sees itself, culturally. It is perennially the most-watched television broadcast in the US, with an audience of about 100 million in the country last year, plus an estimated global audience of at least 50 million more.

People in the US and around the world will gauge the American state of affairs by what they see during tomorrow's broadcast.

The past year, especially, has been one of political upheaval and sharp battles over race and social justice, on top of the pandemic.​

25,000 Fans at Super Bowl LV, a third of the capacity of Raymond James Stadium, which will be the smallest attendance in the event's history.

The US has not responded well to the coronavirus outbreak since it was declared a pandemic almost 11 months ago - faltering perhaps more than any other major country.

It has about 5 per cent of the world's population but nearly 20 per cent of its reported Covid-19 fatalities. Tens of thousands more are likely to die in the coming weeks, whatever the progress of the vaccine roll-out.​

30,000 Cardboard cut-outs of people to be placed in seats between fans.

Some may consider it reckless to play such a game during a pandemic, to hold a potential super-spreader event in Tampa, Florida - even one with a limited audience adhering to social distancing and health protocols.

But others might see the showpiece game as a source of inspiration, healing and unity.​

7,500 Tickets reserved for vaccinated healthcare workers for the final.

"I think America needs this Super Bowl," said Sean McManus, chairman of CBS Sports. "I think it's an opportunity for the country to come together. I think it's going to be uplifting. I think it's going to be unifying and I think it's coming at the right time."

The game promises unique touches.

Raymond James Stadium, home of the Buccaneers, will have only about 25,000 spectators, roughly one-third of its capacity, because of distancing mandates.

That will make it the least-attended Super Bowl in history. The NFL has also given 7,500 tickets to vaccinated healthcare workers.

All fans will be given KN95 respirator masks as they enter, the league said, and seating has been devised for distancing.

Gaps between fans will be filled with cardboard cut-outs of people.

If there is an unusually sombre mood, it will be most obvious in the pre-game festivities.

"You'll see that tone in the pre-game and in the pieces that are in-stadium and on air," said O'Reilly. "And the moments that are always big and powerful around the Super Bowl will take on just a bit more significance this year."

NYTIMES