Super Bowl LV is underway, and fans can watch the game for free. Before the big game, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden made an appearance at the Super Bowl to send a message to the fans while paying tribute to the frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. During their recorded message, which was played on the videoboard at Raymond James Stadium, Biden asked fans for a moment of silence for the Americans who lost their lives during the pandemic. Fans didn’t respond to that well as there were boos and cheers heard during the moment of silence, which led to some wild responses on social media.
“That didn’t sound like a moment of silence,” one person wrote on Twitter. Another Twitter user wrote the moment of silence was “interesting,” while another person wrote that was the “loudest moment of silence ever.” Other people on Twitter praised the Bidens for showing appreciation for the essential workers. And the NFL showed their appreciation by inviting 7,500 healthcare workers to the Super Bowl.
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Right before kickoff, the Bidens thank essential workers, encourage Americans to wear face masks, and lead a moment of silence for all those lost to COVID-19. #SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/1vMZs8IO93
— Bo Erickson CBS (@BoKnowsNews) February 7, 2021
“These dedicated health care workers continue to put their own lives at risk to serve others, and we owe them our ongoing gratitude,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a press release last month. “We hope in a small way that this initiative will inspire our country and recognize these true American heroes. This is also an opportunity to promote the importance of vaccination and appropriate health practices, including wearing masks in public settings.”
That moment of silence lasted 0 seconds. #SuperBowl
— Nathan Bannerman (@NBSportsWriter) February 7, 2021
POTUS: let’s take a moment of silence for those lost
— Patrick Crawford (@pattycrawdaddy) February 7, 2021
Crowd: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH#SuperBowl
Before the game, Biden talked to Norah O’Donnell of CBS Evening News about the battle between Patrick Mahones and Tom Brady. “Obviously, Brady’s a great quarterback,” Biden said. “Mahomes seems like he’s got a lot of potential. And so, I’d probably take a shot with the young guy I didn’t expect as much from.” Biden was then asked if he thought the Chiefs would win.
“Well, I didn’t say that,” Biden stated. “I don’t know who’s gonna win. I think they’re both great quarterbacks. One is just a younger version, potentially, of an old, great quarterback. Not old. In NFL terms.” The Chiefs came into the game as the favorite, and Mahomes was favored to win Super Bowl MVP. Disclosure: PopCulture is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.
