The Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal between Notre Dame and Georgia began Thursday afternoon after being postponed from Wednesday evening due to the terrorist attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans that killed at least 15 people and injured dozens more.

Amid the lives lost, fear for safety and sense of tragedy in New Orleans and Caesars Superdome, a moment of silence was observed at the stadium before the game began at 3 p.m. local time.

Many viewers criticized ESPN for not showing the moment of silence on television but making the video available on social media.

The circumstances surrounding the Sugar Bowl, and perhaps a sense of community that developed among those in attendance in the face of the tragedy, created excitement and vigor, in addition to a chant of “USA!” to New Orleans native Samyra’s performance of the national anthem before kickoff.

The anthem was also not shown on television.

Several observers noted and television cameras showed that there were also many empty seats in the Superdome at the start of the game.

Part of this could be due to the late arriving crowd who had to go through extra security measures upon entering the stadium. Many fans and media likely were unable to attend after the game was moved from Wednesday evening to Thursday afternoon.

And many may simply have had no desire to attend a football game – or feel safe – in the face of a terrorist attack that left several people injured and killed.

Nonetheless, the atmosphere in the Superdome during the Sugar Bowl created a somber mood, followed by emotion and inspiration for a highly anticipated College Football Playoff matchup. However, because real events took center stage, the game seemed less meaningful to many.