NFL star Ryan Griffin says a match between Manchester United and Liverpool, not the Super Bowl, is the best sporting event he's ever been to.
The former Buccaneers quarterback, who earned a Super Bowl ring in 2020, admitted the atmosphere at a clash between England's most decorated football clubs gave him 'chills' in a recent interview with talkSPORT.
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"Best sporting event I've ever been to," Griffin said. "I've been to the Super Bowl, played in it, been to it as a fan, NBA finals, World Series. I went to a Manchester United [vs] Liverpool game, compliments to the Bucs [Tampa Bay Buccaneers], sitting [in the] same row as David Beckham.
"And I had chills the whole game because the fans had all those cheers for the players, former coaches, current coaches."
The fixture is widely regarded as the biggest in English football and is rooted in numerous off-the-field factors, including the economic and industrial rivalries between both cities.
On the pitch, Manchester United and Liverpool have enjoyed significant spells of success. Between them, the clubs have lifted 39 league titles, 19 FA Cups, 13 League Cups and 9 European Cups.
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It's also a fixture defined by ill-discipline, with 16 red cards issued in the Premier League meetings between the two, with Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard receiving his marching orders just 38 seconds after coming on as a substitute back in 2015.
"There are two security guards between the fan section and they come on 15 minutes left like 'hey, don't get out your seats, you're winning bad, we'll escort you," Griffin continued.
"I've never seen, heard [or] conceptualised anything like that, it was phenomenal and I can't wait to go back to another game."
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Whilst United vs Liverpool might have the atmosphere, there's no denying that the Super Bowl is the bigger event.
In addition to the 70,000 spectators inside the SoFi Stadium, over 100 million watched the match between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.
It's also a spectacle celebrities want to be at the heart of, with the likes of Seth Rogen, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mike Myers all making appearances over the course of the evening.
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Old Trafford and Anfield also lacks a half-time show of the Super Bowl's scale, with some regarding last night's line-up, which featured the likes of Eminem and Dr Dre, as the best in NFL history.
But what do you think? Is the Super Bowl the biggest and best sporting event in the world? Or does Manchester United vs Liverpool edge it?
Let us know in the comments.
Topics: NFL
James Aldred