Elation. Frustration. Hope. Certainty. Anticipation. Disbelief. Anguish.
The 49th Super Bowl threw viewers into a scrum of emotions, a three-plus-hour-long cauldron of “yes” and “no, no, no.”
After an early field goal and Seattle rookie receiver Chris Matthews making several near-brilliant catches, the team tied the score right before half time. Tom Brady and the Patriots hunkered down, seeming to melt the gridiron to their will — and the scoreboard to their wont. But the Hawks wouldn’t be deterred. As the two-minute warning was called, it seemed probable — inevitable? — that the Seahawks would score and bring home back-to-back Vince Lombardi trophies.
In the end, the team’s fortunes came down to the final minute, when, one yard from the Pats’ end zone, Russell Wilson glided a pass through the air and into the unexpected embrace of Malcolm Butler, a rookie for the Patriots. And the so-close-you-could-almost-taste-it win transformed into a bitter loss.
The Hollywood Reporter reported that more than 114 million people watched the game, making it the most-watched show in U.S. history. Some of those local viewers saw the Hawks and Pats while ensconced in their homes or crammed into bars.
But for homeless people, their friends and allies, as well as others with no cable access, there were a couple other places to catch the game. Last year, our volunteer photographer Ted Mase captured the jubilant response to the Seahawks’ Super Bowl XLVII win.
This year, he visited the Central Branch of the Seattle Public Library and the Bread of Life Mission, where, in the midst of capacity crowds, he captured bliss and misery.
Better luck next year.