What to Know (and then some) for SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!

You asked for it, and you got it!  Here's the low down on this year's biggest sporting event!!  From the SUPER details about the SUPER-COMPETITIVE teams, their SUPER players (debatable), and the SUPER performances (hopefully) to be seen at this years SUPER BOWL!!  It promises to be... er... what's another word for "really great?"

Brandon Davis, PoliticKING with Larry King


Image: Adapted Design, Brandon Davis

      It’s going to have all the familiar pizazz of any run of the mill, gargantuan sporting event… or a Hollywood awards show for that matter.  There will be celebrities and flashbulbs.  There will be hordes of policemen and security officers.  There will be scalpers.  There will be vendors handing out lots of free crap.  There will be a drum band playing out on the street (probably…I didn’t confirm this…), but anytime I hear an outdoor band it makes me tap my feet a little, so we’ll presume there’ll be one.  There will be millions of parties all over the country, and of course, there will be lots of beer. If you’ve missed the subtle hints, it is the 50th Super Bowl this weekend, or what is commonly known in America as “Super Sunday,” an unofficial holiday for all! There’s A LOT going down, so let’s kick this off…!

Adapted Design, Brandon Davis, Beer stats and more...

First things first, step back from the game for just a sec.  The Super Bowl is all about that dollar, and boy can these folks make it rain every February.  If you’re looking to get the word out about your new movie, or chips, or whatever it is you’re hawking… you can’t reach people quicker than an advert during the Super Bowl.  That is if you can get past all the corporate and legal approvals in time.  The audience for the ‘bowl” is incomparable, and just 30 seconds this year could cost you as much as 5-million bucks!  (according to CBS Chief Executive, Leslie Moonves)  And why not?  Last year's Super Bowl numbers were staggering:

  • 114.4 million people tuned in, per NBC.This makes Super Bowl XLIX the most watched broadcast in U.S. TV history!
  • More than 28 million tweets occurred during the game, according to Twitter's official blog,  1.2 million tweets mentioned brands during the Super Bowl, according to Twitter Counter.
  • There were 265 million posts, likes and comments added on Facebook during the game, per Facebook's sports page.

But we already knew there’s a huge audience, so how about the teams themselves?   Can Peyton Manning summon his power just one more time and lead the Broncos to a win?  If so, it could cement his legacy. Or will Cam Newton take Carolina all the way and finish the Panthers' great season with the Lombardi Trophy?

It’s going to be a dance off, I’m betting.  (That’s a technical term.. wait, no.  That's something else.)

For real though, these teams are both fighting for the win, and likely to put up a helluva fight each.  Carolina has to be respected for the season they delivered, but I’m a biased Colorado guy, so I’ll be betting on Denver's defense – the identity of this Broncos squad, to open the game BIG and force the Panthers out.  I’ve already been sending warm prayers up to the football gods for Manning to be like the historic Peyton of 2013… smashing NFL records for touchdowns and leading Bronco fans to a happy place of vicarious success.  (Sorry if you were expecting diplomacy here.. Go Bronc’s)  My prediction looks something like this:

              Image: Google, Design, Brandon Davis

If you are looking to take up betting though, I’ve got a HOT tip for you: a straight up bet on who wins Super Bowl 50 isn’t the only one out there!  So don’t limit your chances.  The truth is, you can bet on almost anything in or around the game!  Things like: Who will win the coin toss?  Will either team score a safety in the game?  Will the Broncos convert a fourth down?  Will the game go to overtime? How many interceptions will there be?  Will a special teams or defensive touchdown be scored?  The array of conceivable bets offered online will make your head spin and probably make your wallet a little lighter.  You can find a full list at online gambling site Bovada.  (I'd also like to remind you that gambling can be addictive and ruin your life -- even more than spilling bean dip on your favorite team jersey... so, if you suspect you have a gambling problem, here are some people who can help.)

Alrighty, so we’ve covered booze, trash talking, gambling, and ad sales…!  What about entertainment?!  Every year it’s some pop sensation singing anthems and putting on half-time extravaganzas.  So who is it this year???   Settle on in, it’s time for our HALFTIME LOWDOWN!!!

The Super Bowl halftime show is, at this point, nearly as big as the Super Bowl itself.  With this being the big 5-0 anniversary, the NFL is putting some of the biggest names it can find on their stage.  Coldplay, Beyonce and Bruno Mars are all scheduled to perform.  This will be the first appearance at the Super Bowl halftime show for Coldplay, whose latest album, A Head Full of Dreams, was released on Dec. 4, 2015.  Coldplay is launching a U.S. tour this summer.

Joining Coldplay on stage is music icon, Beyonce, who let’s face it, doesn’t really need an introduction.  Super Bowl 50 will be Beyonce's fourth halftime show appearance.  She previously performed at Super Bowl 47 as the headliner.

Image from YouTube

The third confirmed guest is Bruno Mars, who performed at Super Bowl 48.  Mars has won two Grammy awards in his career.  He had a full, dominant year in 2015, when his single "Uptown Funk" topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 straight weeks.

In addition to these three performances, we can probably expect one or more "surprise" guest star.  Last year, Missy Elliott dropped in on the Katy Perry halftime show, performing renditions of her hit singles "Get Ur Freak On" and "Work It."

One name that has been speculated about is Beyonce’s boo himself, rapper Jay-Z, who collaborated with Coldplay on the song "Lost!" from the 2008 EP Prospekt's March.  Pop artist Rihanna, who also performed a duet with Chris Martin on the track "Princess of China" from Mylo Xyloto, could be another possibility on the game day stage.

Until the halftime show begins though, it's anyone's guess as to who may pop up…

We do know that Lady Gaga was announced to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" via an Associated Press article.

       Lady Gaga and Beyonce in the hit music video for, "Telephone", 2010, 

Now that we’ve got all the fun stuff covered, how about we look at that pesky thing we seem to have to worry about more and more these days: security and safety.

"Every year is different.  The world situation, the threat picture is different every February," said Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson.  "We are, with the NFL, with our federal partners, and state and local law enforcement, focused on layered security, seen and unseen… We try to anticipate things that can happen from multiple different directions.  But we're always informed by recent events and what we see in the world situation."

Johnson said intelligence has picked up no troubling signals so far saying, "At this time we know of no credible threat directed at Super Bowl 50."

The FBI reportedly opened a multi-agency command post last week about six miles from the stadium that will be continuously staffed through Sunday. Drones are banned in the vicinity of the 2-year-old, billion dollar, Levi's Stadium.  There are also overall flight restrictions.

Even still, authorities are calling on the public to notify officials if they see anything out of the ordinary or suspicious.

Okay, I’m feeling ready for pig skin, how about you?  This has been good fun, but I really need to go buy some chicken wings and Blue Moon to get prepped.  I’ll leave you with one more shocking insider revelation:  It doesn’t really matter who wins this game.  The point for anyone who's not playing on the field is simply entertainment, and shared civic spirit.  Players, fans, and anyone who likes some good old-fashioned competition should tune in – and hopefully get up to do a little dance for every touchdown the Broncos score.  Now go have some fun this weekend. 

Game Details:

When: Sunday, February 7, 6:30 p.m. ET

Where: Levi's Stadium; Santa Clara, California

Television: CBS

Over/Under: 45

Spread: Carolina (-5.5)


The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ora Media, LLC, its affiliates, or its employees.

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