Football is the most popular professional sport in the United States. The National Football League (NFL) championship is called the Super Bowl.
The game is always played on a Sunday, and that day is called "Super Bowl Sunday."
It is such a big day, it is almost like a holiday for some people. People throw big parties to celebrate and then gather around large televisions to watch the game.
This year, the Denver Broncos football team defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 to win the championship. Before the game, most people thought Carolina, the team based in the North Carolina city of Charlotte, would win.
So the final score is what people call an "upset."
Beyoncé, Coldplay singer Chris Martin and Bruno Mars perform during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl 50 football game Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
It is more than just a game
About 70,000 people watched the game in person at Levi's Stadium in California. And over 100 million people in the U.S. alone watched the game on television.
But "Super Bowl Sunday" is not only about what happens on the football field.
Some like to watch the TV commercials for car companies, beer manufacturers and Internet sites. Many others are more interested in the entertainment than the game itself.
Before the game started, Lady Gaga sang the national anthem. But all people could talk about was her sparkling red suit and red-white-and-blue platform high-heel shoes. She even had glittery red eye makeup. Most people agreed she did a good job with a difficult song.
There is always a short concert by a popular music group or singer at halftime of the game.
This year, the main performer was the British band Coldplay. Coldplay performed its hit songs "Viva La Vida," "Paradise" and "Adventure of a Lifetime." Coldplay decorated the stage with colorful flowers and displayed rivers of color on the stage using projectors and video boards.
After three songs, Bruno Mars took the stage to perform "Uptown Funk," one of his most popular songs.
But singer Beyonce stole the show with her performance.
Beyonce and her back-up dancers took the field wearing military-inspired jackets to perform her new song "Formation." The song talks about police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement. It was released the day before the Super bowl.
As for the jackets and the berets worn by her dancers, many compared them to those worn by the Black Panthers, a 1960s radical group that advocated black power.
I'm Dan Friedell.
Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.
Did you watch the Super Bowl where you live? What did you think? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on 51VOA.COM.
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Words in This Story
sparkling – adj. shining and reflecting light
glittery – adj. something that shines brightly and reflects light
spectacle – n. a very impressive show
commercial – n. an advertisement on radio or television
popular – n. liked or enjoyed by many people
stole the show – phrasal verb – what happens when a person who is not the main performer in a show or event receives the most attention