Column: Super Bowl XLVI for dummies
The Super Bowl is much more than a football game — there’s the parties, the food, the halftime show. With so much else going on, it’s easy to get distracted from the game.
In the next 500 or so words I’m going to break down the two teams playing this year, so even someone who doesn’t like football can get more out of the game.
Here’s my simple guide, devoid of sports jargon and confusing statistics.
The Super Bowl is being played in Indianapolis, Ind., Feb. 5 at 6:30 p.m. It will be televised on NBC.
The New York Giants are playing the New England Patriots. The two teams aren’t strangers; they met four years ago in the Super Bowl. In 2008, the Patriots entered the game with a perfect record; they didn’t lose a game all season.
The Giants won that game and dashed New England’s dreams of a perfect season.
There are no perfect records on the line this year, but the matchup is a big one. New England head coach Bill Belichick will tie the record for most Super Bowls coached.
Now I’ll break down the teams.
New England will be wearing their blue jerseys. They are anchored by star quarterback Tom Brady. Brady is a hall-of-fame-caliber player. He has won three previous Super Bowls, going back to 2002.
The 6-foot-4, 225-pound quarterback has thrown the ball 449 yards this season. He is second in the NFL in the total amount of yards this season.
The two teams look fairly well matched on offense, but a slight edge can be given to the Patriots at tight end. The tight end position is a hybrid of an offensive lineman and wide receiver. Basically, they are blockers who can also catch the ball.
The Patriots run their offense with multiple tight ends on the field. Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are their two featured ends and are probably the best in the NFL at their position.
Good news for the Giants, Gronkowski is dealing with a high-ankle sprain, which may limit his productivity.
The New York Giants will be wearing white jerseys. Their quarterback Eli Manning had
NFL history even before he was born. He is the son of Archie Manning, who played for the New Orleans saints. He is also the younger brother of Peyton Manning, who is the hall-of-fame-caliber quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts.
Eli Manning has stepped outside of the family dynasty and is making a name for himself. He’s a pretty good player, too, but between the two quarterbacks, the edge goes to Brady.
The Giants are better at catching the ball. The tandem of Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks at the wide receiver position has been a huge factor all season long. Nicks has four touchdowns in the playoffs — only four other players have reached that mark.
If all the pieces come together, the Patriots may have the edge defensively. In the regular season they struggled to limit teams, but since Patrick Chung and Brandon Spikes returned to the field, they have been much more effective.
When the two teams are compared statistically, they are pretty even. The Patriots are predicted to win by just 3 points, so it should be a hard-fought battle.
I hope this helps all of you who haven’t watched a down of NFL football all season. Even if you haven’t, my last piece of advice is to not admit it to anyone at the watch party you go to. After all, this was a guide of how to not look like a dummy.
– Meredith Kinney is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism and an avid hockey and lacrosse fan. She hopes one day to be a big-shot sideline reporter working for ESPN. Send comments to meredith.kinney@aggiemail.usu.edu.