I'm just writing this so I don't get fined. *Sigh* I told myself I wouldn't write any Marshawn Lynch-related jokes. I also told myself as a television sports anchor that I would not air any of Marshawn Lynch's ridiculous interviews this week. So far I'm 0-2. The Super Bowl is the biggest event in American sports and goes pound-for-pound with the World Cup and Olympics on a global level. But this particular Sunday holds influence like no other day on the calendar year. Tweets will be shared, Facebook posts will fill your timeline and Instagram pictures will display allegiance to one team or another, whether they are playing or not. Record amounts of food and alcohol will be consumed, which could lead to record numbers in both the emergency room and prison. Ok, I may be exaggerating a bit there, but you get the picture. Whether you are a football fan or not, there is a very good chance a television in your home will find itself on NBC at one time or another this Sunday. The 2014 version of football's world championship saw 111.5 million viewers tune in. That game ended 43-8. The halftime show was even more impressive. 115.3 million people had nothing better to do than watch Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I was one of them. It's not that we have nothing better to do. It IS the thing to do. Super Bowl Sunday offers a little something for everyone. There's football for the sports fan. There's humor in the commercials. There's drama, suspense and maybe even a little emotion depending on your interest in the outcome of the game. Let's hope it ends better than 43-8. Sunday's game is only 100 miles north of us here in Tucson but it may as well be in my very own backyard. Each day this week our TV station, KVOA, has offered live coverage from Glendale, Phoenix or Scottsdale. Stories with players, coaches and fans control our airwaves leading up to the afternoon kickoff. People have flocked from every corner of the country to partake in the week's events. Media members from around the globe are on hand to find story angles worth sharing with readers, listeners or viewers. I took part in the first part of the frenzy last Sunday, the Pro Bowl. The NFL's All-Star game is highly criticized for players not going 100%. That was evident about three plays in when the crowd erupted in boos because the defensive players would not tackle Dallas running back DeMarco Murray. Eventually the players settled in and the fans settled down. After the game, I witnessed first hand the crazy hold the NFL has on the media. When the game clock hit zero, a hundred or more media members bull-rushed the field to stick microphones in the faces of these NFL players. This was only the Pro Bowl. This same moment following Sunday's game will likely look something similar to the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. Indeed, we are tired of hearing Marshawn Lynch repeat the same line over and over during his interviews. We are exhausted by the words "deflate gate" and the PSI in a football. I can recall growing quite irritated with the constant coverage leading in to the Super Bowl. Being this close has only intensified that feeling to the point I would be ok if they kick off on Saturday. Still, we all (im)patiently await Super Bowl XLIX between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. While we wait, I suppose I can make my prediction, although I can't imagine it will mean much by game's end. This is the sixth time in the Tom Brady era the Patriots have played on football's biggest stage. They have won three of those previous five Super Bowls. The most interesting stat (to me, at least) is the fact that each of those games was decided by four points or less. Something tells me Sunday will be a close game. Then again, I thought the same thing last year. PREDICTION New England 27 Seattle 24
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AuthorRichie is a small-town boy chasing big-city dreams. When he's not involved with sports, he's spending time with his wife, Fallon; their yorkie, Tinker; and their Rhodesian Ridgeback, Rosie. Archives
April 2016
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