COVID-19 has changed nearly everything about ordinary life. Masks are necessary almost everywhere you go, people are maintaining six feet of distance between themselves and some people haven’t seen certain friends or family members in months. All of these changes and more are due to this unknown virus that has swept through the world. However, some things try to continue as if nothing has changed, such as the Super bowl. 

Most students have had the experience of a normal semester ripped away from them.. Graduations have been turned virtual, in person classes feel more rare than the online route not to mention certain colleges aren’t even having a normal spring break. But for some reason, a large event, such as the Super bowl, was still allowed to function with numerous in-person fans. While it’s true that 7,500 tickets were given to vaccinated health workers, around another 17,200 tickets were sold to fans who weren’t health workers and weren’t required to be vaccinated, not to mention the players who are continually being tested. 

Ads were toned down in production and the half-time show was socially distanced, but there is still a risk of cases spiking. Yes, the Super Bowl is one of the most watched and largest sporting events in the United States, but most other sports have found ways to decrease crowd appearances in a way that puts the least amount of people at risk. While it’s important to have events for people to look forward to, especially now during a pandemic that has changed so much of normal life, it’s important to keep everyone safe first.