The New England Patriots continued their dominant reign of the NFL, taking down the Los Angeles Rams, 13-3, on the back of a strong defensive performance in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. on Feb. 4. The Pats have won three of the last five Super Bowls, and – although it pains me to say – were cheated out of a victory in last year’s Super Bowl against the Eagles because of very questionable calls by refs. This year’s game has been under fire as one of the worst in history, but today I am here to explain why it was actually one of the best of all time.

• Defense Wins Championships: People quickly took to social media to point out that the game was boring due to the lack of scoring, and although it was the lowest scoring Super Bowl in history, it was entertaining. As Bear Bryant, one of the greatest college coaches of all time, stated, “offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships,” and in a defensive showdown, this was on full display. Unlike most of the football-watching audience, I enjoy watching dominant defensive play. Plus, if the game proved anything, it proved that Tom Brady should retire.
• Tom Brady is Done: Brady was carried all game by a great defense, an amazing wide receiver and MVP Julian Edelman, and an outstanding performance from his punter, Ryan Allen (who was my MVP), who pinned the Rams inside the five twice. If the Rams’ offense learned how to play football, the Super Bowl would have been a blowout and the narrative of Tom Brady would be significantly different … NOT. The mainstream media loves Brady and I don’t know why. Although he earned ANOTHER ring, he definitely shouldn’t still be here.
• Special Teams are Important: Many critics of the NFL have tried to limit the usage of special teams play for many years and I believe that the Super Bowl shut up these haters. Dominant performances from Rams punter Johnny Hekker (who now has the longest recorded punt in NFL history of 65 yards) and Ryan Allen made the game more interesting and difficult for both offenses. On top of this, both kickers had crucial misses which could have easily turned the tide of the game.
• COMMERCIALS!!! For the first time in years, the Super Bowl had many enjoyable commercials. The NFL 100 commercial featuring current players and all-time greats was awesome (and I can’t forget the Ninja cameo). Marshawn Lynch, the GOAT, topped off this commercial with his typical “I’m just here so I won’t get fined” mentality, making it that much better. The Hyundai commercial with Jason Bateman was hilarious and I especially loved the beet loaf. The commercial that featured Game of Thrones was perfect and something I didn’t know I wanted but definitely needed. The T-Mobile commercial was pretty good because it reminded me of what my dad is like over text; the Washington Post commercial was well put together and I personally liked it because it shows the impact us journalists are able to make on the world and the ability for us to spread the news to those who need it.  
• Chipotle Bag Man: People magazine’s 2013 Sexiest Man Alive, Adam Levine, helped out some fellas out there by proving that he isn’t worth the hype. Trying to save his halftime performance, Levine of Maroon 5 took his shirt off in an attempt to impress the ladies. Although he does have a nice abdominal region, it was hard to look at him and not think of a Chipotle bag, as they look pretty similar.

People are quick to hate on everything, but if they actually take time to think, then their perceptions may change. This Super Bowl may not be the best of all-time, but it is definitely one of them and should not receive as much hate as it has.