One of my favorite days on the sports calendar will take place today (Feb. 4) as Super Bowl Sunday has arrived for the 52nd time.
I am old enough to remember back when the first Super Bowl game was played. The first Super Bowl game was not even a sell-out at the stadium but oh my, how times have changed.
Now, the Super Bowl is the most watched television program each year and advertisers have recognized this. Last year’s game was watched by over 111 million viewers just in the United States alone. NBC is charging $6 million for one 30-second commercial spot during this year’s game.
What other event do we have that attracts over 100 million television viewers in our nation, in addition to millions of others around the world and brings them together, regardless of political or religious preference, like the Super Bowl?
Some of you may remember that I wrote a Super Bowl column last year and my focus then was on trying to convince President Donald Trump that he needed to sign an executive order declaring the Monday after the Super Bowl a national holiday.
My efforts apparently did not go over well with the President as we are still without a national holiday. I guess he has been too busy with other things to think about that right now.
I realize that the game itself between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots this year is not the only reason that people watch the Super Bowl.
There are lots of people that are just as interested, if not more so, in the commercials or the halftime performance by Justin Timberlake.
So far as the game itself, I will give you my prediction at the end of this column but I thought it would be fun and interesting to get the predictions on the big game from some of the most brilliant football minds I know.
Well, I tried to do that, but the best I could do was to gather predictions from a group of people that I consider my “second family” and that is my co-workers at the Van Zandt News.
While some of them admitted that their knowledge of football was extremely limited even to the point that a couple of them had to ask me who was playing in the Super Bowl and what day the game was being played, they were good sports and agreed to share their “unguaranteed” choices as to who is going to win between the Eagles and the Patriots, what the final score is going to be and why? (Notice that some of the reasons given have little or nothing to do about football but that is okay).
Carol Whatley: Eagles 10, Patriots 7. “I’m a flag-waving America-loving patriot but I love birds. Eagles also taste great but I can’t eat a whole one.”
Brad Blakemore: Eagles 34, Patriots 28. “I am optimistic about the outcome only because I am tired of seeing the Patriots win given their history of controversy. I do give Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick a great deal of credit for their ability to inspire a winning attitude on their team. It would be good to see someone from the NFC East win the big game.”
Jo Ann Stroud: Eagles 27, Patriots 20. “I am picking the Eagles because I am a Cantonite. Eagles all the way! Plus, they have not won a Super Bowl before so it is their time.”
Britne Hammons: Eagles 31, Patriots 28. “I like the color green better than navy blue.”
Linda Nielsen: Eagles 27, Patriots 17. “Philadelphia is going to play harder than New England.”
Teresa Smith: Patriots 28, Eagles 20. “Tom Brady will be the oldest starting quarterback in the Super Bowl at age 40 and he can become the first player ever with six Super Bowl wins and I think he will get the job done.”
Misty Stanberry: Eagles 27, Patriots 7. “I don’t know much about either team so in support of the Canton Eagles, I am picking the Philadelphia Eagles to win.”
Stephanie Evans: Eagles 34, Patriots 27. “It is time for Philadelphia to win a Super Bowl.”
Tim Ball: Patriots 21, Eagles 14. “My granddaughter, Gracie, really likes the Patriots and I really like her.”
Chelsea Reed: Eagles 30, Patriots 14. “The Philadelphia Eagles are going to deflate the New England Patriots and their footballs.”
David Kapitan: Eagles 33, Patriots 24. “For no other reason, I am just tired of the Patriots winning the Super Bowl.”
Barbara Robertson: Patriots 28, Eagles 14. “When I see or hear about the Patriots’ nickname, I immediately start thinking about our nation and our veterans.”
Amanda Greene: Patriots 28, Eagles 24. “The last time I picked the Patriots to win, they won so I am going to pick them to win again.”
So far as my pick is concerned, I am not a fan of either team so I do have the satisfaction of knowing even before the kickoff that either the Eagles or the Patriots are going to lose.
I am not a big fan of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady either but I have to admit that what he has accomplished in his professional football career has been nothing short of remarkable.
He has won five Super Bowl titles already and I believe he will add to it Super Bowl Sunday as the Patriots will defeat the Eagles, 27-20.
My daughter, Jillian, is a big Philadelphia Eagles fan. How that happened? I am not sure but needless to say, she has not missed an opportunity to remind me that the Eagles are in the Super Bowl and the Dallas Cowboys are not.
In a weak moment prior to the playoffs beginning, I told her that if the Eagles made it to the Super Bowl, I would buy her an Eagles shirt.
She wants me to wait until after the Super Bowl to order it because she is so confident that the Eagles are going to win, she wants a Super Bowl Champion Eagles shirt. I may have to move out of the house if Philadelphia wins the Super Bowl.
I am looking forward to watching the game but I do have to say that as a Cowboys fan, it has been 22 years since the Cowboys won the Super Bowl and I hope that I don’t have to wait another 22 years for them to win it again. Enjoy the game.