Abraham Lincoln Superbowl Party

Sailors aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) are preparing to watch the Super Bowl, Feb. 4.

The ship's Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) office is organizing a watch party for Sailors in the ship's hangar bay. All are encouraged to sport their favorite NFL team's jersey, enjoy snacks and join together to watch the game.

"What we're doing is building camaraderie," said Shawn Ellison, Abraham Lincoln's Fit Boss. "This gives Sailors the chance to cheer and root with others they normally wouldn't have the chance to sit down with."
The Super Bowl is the annual championship game between the top two teams in the National Football League (NFL). The game is the finale to a regular season for the American Football Conference (AFC) and National Football Conference (NFC), this year between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles.

"I'm really excited to watch my team play this Sunday," said Machinist Mate 3rd Class Brett Powers, an Abraham Lincoln Sailor and a 13-year Philadelphia Eagles fan. "I didn't think we'd make it this far this year, but I couldn't be more proud to watch my Eagles fly!"

The Super Bowl is the biggest football game of the year and one of the most watched sporting events. According to Nielsen TV Ratings, on average, more than 100 million people from the United States alone tune in to watch the game.

However, Super Bowl viewers watch for more than just football. As the popularity of the event has increased, the game's halftime show has become one of the most elaborate and anticipated live events, featuring top celebrities and musicians. This year's halftime performance will feature Justin Timberlake, who hasn't performed at a Super Bowl since 2004.

"We have no reason to be worried about this game with our quarterback," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) 3rd Class Seth Hurley, a New England Patriots fan. "What I'm really excited to see is J.T.'s comeback and what he's going to do to 'wow' us this time."

The Patriots have eight Super Bowl wins under their belt, five with their current quarterback Tom Brady. This year will be the third time the Eagles are in the hunt for their first Super Bowl win. At the end of the day there will only be one victorious team. Both will go down in history, but only one team will walk away with Super Bowl rings.

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