For this year’s NFL playoffs, we surveyed the Arcata High population regarding who they think will win the two remaining conference championship games, along with the Superbowl.
Senior Gianni Orlandi felt that the Seahawks were much stronger in the quarterback department. “Drake Maye is a sh*tty qb,” so he expects the game will be a “cakewalk” for the Seahawks. “The Super Bowl is like a holiday, it has been around for 60 years. To all the kids out there, hop on Kalshi!”
Senior Windston Stratton also gave input on his predictions. “Seahawks, no doubt. With the number one defense in the league, MVP contender Jaxon Smith-Njigba at the wide receiver position, and an exceptional offensive line,” Stratton feels confident that the Seahawks will come out on top. In addition to Orlandi and Stratton, seniors Luke Lemke and Aiden Matlock also believe the Seahawks have the superior squad.
Another big aspect of the Super Bowl especially among high school football fans include the classic game day gatherings and snacks. Lemke explained that “a good seven-layer dip” is most definitely the way to go.
There are many separate gatherings that take place during the Super Bowl throughout the Arcata High population, but one sticks out in particular. The Boys’ fantasy league has gotten together now for a fourth consecutive season to celebrate the Super Bowl. This gathering features a monster seven-layer dip made famously by Senior Class President John Adams. In recent weeks rumors have been going around that there might be an eighth or even a ninth layer added to the dip!
No matter how you celebrate the Super Bowl, everyone has one thing in common; a shared love of football. A rematch of the 2015 Super Bowl between the Patriots and Seahawks this year for Superbowl XL has no doubt to be a thriller.
The National Football League (NFL) began in 1920 as a result of many informal teams creating an uncommissioned, unorganized football league. Jim Thorpe and George Halas were the first to introduce the idea of an organized national football league, which continues today as a center point of sports fans’ attention in the United States.
For the first 12 years of the NFL, the winner of the year was determined just by who had the most wins at the end of the season. In 1932, the Chicago Bears and Portsmouth Spartans tied for first place in the league, which prompted the idea of a playoff tournament.
As the NFL gained more and more popularity throughout the 1950s and 60s, the league expanded from just 13 teams to 24 teams. This allowed for a higher depth of teams in the playoff tournament. Since then, the NFL has added two more divisions, containing four teams each, resulting in the current 32 NFL teams.
Throughout the months of January and February, NFL fans focus their attention on the playoffs, as 14 teams battle it out for a chance at the Super Bowl. Today, fans gather together on Sundays leading up to the Superbowl, along with the big day, Superbowl Sunday, itself. Traditionally, fans will gather together for a watch party that will commonly go along with some sort of barbecue or communal meal.
. The NFL brings in the most revenue out of any sport in the U.S. with a whopping total of $23 billion per year. In the big 2026, the NFL has taken advantage of marketing through advertisement, TV streaming service deals, and through the fans themselves. Superbowl tickets alone have skyrocketed in recent years, ranging anywhere from $4,000-8,000 per ticket, with some of the closer seats to the field ranging all the way up to $20,000-30,000 per ticket. On top of revenue that the NFL brings in for itself, cities that are homes to teams benefit drastically from increased tourism and recreation in their communities. This year, the Super Bowl will be hosted in Santa Clara, California, which is already drawing excitement as one of the 49ers biggest rivals will be competing in Superbowl LX at their home turf.
