Ramona Tipton
February 2, 2012
Stuart John Stein
February 6, 2012
Grab a seat in your most comfortable chair and gather some Doritos to your left and your favorite beverage to your right n it’s time for some football.
Super Bowl Sunday is upon us, the 46th rendition pitting the AFC’s New England Patriots against the NFC’s New York Giants.
And while, yes, the Super Bowl is the culmination of a more than 20-week grind that is the NFL season, its meaning is much bigger. This is Americana at its finest n a true national holiday.
But let’s be real, very few Tri-parish natives are born and bred Giant or Patriot fans, so it is our guess that there are a few stragglers left wondering who to pull for.
Here are 10 things to look for Super Bowl Sunday that will surely have everyone prepared for what to expect when kickoff rolls around Feb. 5 at 5:30 p.m. on NBC.
• THE LOUISIANA TIES n By now, I’m pretty sure everyone realizes Eli Manning is a New Orleans boy. Advantage Giants? Maybe, maybe not. A handful of Louisianans will be taking the field under the bright lights, glittered across both teams. Joining Manning for the Giants are former Assumption High School standout and halfback Brandon Jacobs and also LSU alums Corey Webster and Michael Clayton. The Patriots counter with fellow LSU grads Kevin Faulk and Stevan Ridley. A win in this big game would be the fourth Super Bowl of Faulk’s career. Not bad for someone once regarded as too small to play in the NFL, right?
•THE REMATCH n If you’re not a casual football fan, don’t fight the feeling of déjà vu n these teams aren’t strangers. The Giants and Pats met in the Super Bowl in 2008 with New York scoring a 17-14 victory to prevent the Patriots from obtaining a perfect season. Advantage Patriots this time via the LSU/Alabama school of rematches, right? Wrong. In the NFL, when teams rematch in the Super Bowl, the outcome has always been the same the second time around. See also: Steelers/Cowboys in the 1970s and Cowboys/Bills in the 1990s. The Patriots may indeed win, but they’ll have to buck history to do so.
•BRADY GOES FOR THE GLORY n Patriots quarterback Tom Brady may have been a late-round draft pick, but he’s now an elite, sure-fire Hall of Famer. Victory in this game would allow the Patriot to breathe rare air. Only Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw quarterbacked four Super Bowl wins. That could change with one more Patriots win.
• RUNNING GAME AND DEFENSE? n It has long been said that the key to NFL success is fielding a sound running game and playing efficient defense. Don’t tell that to the Giants and Pats. The Giants are dead last in rushing offense, averaging just 89 yards on the ground per game. The Patriots are 31st out of 32 teams in total defense. So much for the winning formula, right?
• WEATHER CONDITIONS NOT A FACTOR n I know, I know, I know. It’s February and this game is in Indianapolis. It’s cold as heck, right? Wrong. The game will be played in beautiful Lucas Oil Stadium n an indoor facility. That means the temperature will be a nice and comfy 72 degrees. For fans and tourists? It won’t quite be as pleasant as forecasts predict temperatures in the 30s for most of the week. It could be worse.
• WHAT DOES NBC MEAN? n National Broadcasting Company is the name, but when the Super Bowl is involved, it means AFC success. Advantage Patriots. In 16 Super Bowls broadcast by NBC, the AFC team has a 9-7 record. But the NFC has caught up in recent years and has won six of the previous eight big games on the network. Advantage Giants.
• IT’S ALL ABOUT THE COMMERCIALS n Let’s be real n some of you don’t give a lick about football and are watching for the commercials. That’s OK. There’s room for you at the party. Super Bowl commercials have become almost like the game within the game. What the Class of 2012 holds for viewers remains to be seen, but a 30-second slot costs $3.5 million, so rest assured advertisers will be going all-out to make their bucks bang.
• THE HALFTIME SHOW n When the football game is at its midpoint, it’s time for some music. That’s when Madonna takes stage and perform the halftime show. Whether you love her or hate her, the music mogul will surely make this a memorable 15 minutes in everyone’s night.
• THE PREGAME SHOW n Even before the game starts, it’ll be time for music. That’s when Kelly Clarkson will take the stage. The former American Idol performs the National Anthem before the big game. That’s an honor that sounds innocent enough, but pay close attention as the musician is barking out the lyrics. Recent history shows the song’s lyrics shouldn’t be taken for granted.
• OUR PREDICTION n The Patriots are a dynasty. There’s no way around it. But the Giants are hot right now. So we’ll go New York by a touchdown in a shootout. Either way, we expect this one to be a thriller.
