SUPER BOWL NEWS THROUGH 54 YEARS

If you think six Super Bowl wins for Tom Brady have been simple and easy, guess again.

And if you think the now quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will again reign supreme in his his 10th appearance in the big game Sunday, guess again, because only when the tilt winds down after approximately four hours, and the team that emerges with the annual Vince Lombardi Trophy gets to celebrate as the confetti rings down, will anybody know who won.

Currently, the early-line odds have the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs a 3-and-one-half point favorite. And that’s tight for a team that has won 15 times in 17 starts, had the best record in the field, versus a Tampa Bay Buccaneer team that went 11-5, finished two games behind the New Orleans Saints in the National Football League’s NFC South, and arrives at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., as the first-ever host team.

Would being home be an advantage, who knows, for in these times of the coronavirus pandemic now in its 11th month, attendance will be limited, perhaps 20-30,000, and this includes thousands of health care works that includes doctors and nurses. There will be no concession stands, so snacks or pick-up food from surrounding restaurants or fast-food sites, would be the main feed, as will face masks and social-distaining restrictions. Stadium officials have already placed fake people cardboards in seats, and those in actual attendance must distance themselves from them.

Aside from all this, it is the most American of all sports events. It is viewed all around the world. In the USA, it is annually watched by 100 million each first February of the year, and an estimated 50 million around the globe. Some consider it reckless to be played this time, a game that could be a potential super spreader and a heath protocol. Others see this as a solice, an inspiration, a healing unity, a four-hour or so break from COVID-19 and politics.

Whatever, the show must go on, and it will, with kickoff scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on CBS. Players will hit, run and tackle, but will it be packaged as the usual spectacle of violence, combatlsum or bombast? Should it be that, well that’s up to how the network decides.

A minor issue is the tomahawk chop. The Chiefs have already scratched the usual headdresses, the war paint, and made subtitle

alternations to the chop. Their cheerleaders now do a closed fist in place of the open palm that signaled the beating of the drum.

Getting back to the six Super Bowl wins by Brady’s New England Patriots, none came by more than 10 points, that being the 13-3 triumph over the Los Angeles Rams in 2019. The others were down to the final snap that included three won on field goals, and the 28-24 win in 2015 when Seattle, with a chance to win on the final play, threw a short pass into the end zone that was intercepted by the Pats.

The last-play field goals came in the 20-17 win over the then-St. Louis Rams in 2002, the 32-29 win over the Carolina Panthers in

2004, and the 24-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in 2005. In the contest against the Atlanta Falcons in 2017, New England trailed 21-3 at halftime, 28-9 after three quarters, was tied 28-all at the end of regulation, and won 34-28 in overtime. The losses came twice to the New York Giants, 20-17 and 21-17, and to the Eagles, 41-33, all with Brady under center.

There were plenty other tight tussles, some of which went down to the final whistle.

In what became quite a rivalry, the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers played three tight Super Bowl games, with Dallas winning 27-17, and Pitt 21-17 and 35-31.

The Indianapolis Colts just got past the Cowboys, 16-13, the Green Bay Packers and Steelers went at it before the Pack won, 31-25, Pittsburgh pulled out a 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals, the Baltimore Ravens disposed of San Francisco, 34-31, the 49ers topped the Cincinnati Bengals, 20-16, the Miami Dolphins turned back the challenge of the Washington Redskins, 14-7, the Denver Broncos rode past Packers, 31-24, with the closest game of all finding the New York Giants edging the Buffalo Bills, 20-19, on a missed final-play field goal by Buff in Tampa.

It’s assumed the biggest surprise of all came in Super Bowl 3 when Joe Namath and the AFC New York Jets stunned the NFL, 17-point favored Baltimore Colts, 17-7, at the Orange Bowl in Miami.

Brady said he will play until at least 45, so will this now be his first setback at his new home away from winter land and under sunny skies? Only the final score will decide that. Afternoon temperatures in Tampa today have a high of 72 degrees, with the same currently scheduled for Sunday’s kickoff, and with the possibility of some clouds. No snow, no heavy winds, no continuing rains. In Kansas City, it’s 36 degrees today and mostly sunny, but it matter little from today to Sunday, for the big show will not be there.

Most valuable players? Who knows? Could be Brady, could be KC quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who won it last year following the 31-20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, could be Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce or wide receiver Tyreek Hill or defensive linemen Tyrann Mathieu or Chris Jones, could be Tampa Bay linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul or defensive tackle NdaHukong Suh or linebacker Devin White or wide receiver Mike Evans or even running back Leonard Fournette.

As for Mahomes, to stop him from taking over will depend a lot on the front four of the Bucs pressuring him, forcing him to throw late, sacking him. But at age 25, he’s crafty, great at avoiding rushes, has quick feet, and has shown how to win in big moments. Will he put on a clinic and put the old man in his place? It has to be seen before deciding that.

As for the 43-year-old Brady, at that age it’s a point when nearly every athlete in history has declined significantly, but keep in mind that’s he coming off one of his finest seasons, and has a super mindset and plenty of experience.

Name your pick, even the final score, but only the final W counts, and that’s a secret.

               SUPER BOWL HAS KICKED OFF 54 TIMES:

(Games not in Greek numerals, but in Americano numbers)

(1) Jan. 15, 1967:  Green Bay 35, Kansas City 10

(2) Jan. 14, 1968:  Green Bay 33, Oakland 14

(3) Jan. 11, 1969:  Jets 16, Baltimore Colts 7

(4) Jan. 17, 1970:  Kansas City 23, Minneapolis 7

(5) Jan. 16, 1971:  Baltimore Colts 16, Dallas 13

(6) Jan. 14, 1972:  Dallas 24, Minneapolis 3

(7) Jan. 13, 1973:  Miami 14, Washington 7

(8) Jan. 12, 1974:  Miami 16, Minneapolis 7

(9) Jan. 18, 1975:  Pittsburgh 16, Minneapolis

(10) Jan. 9, 1976:  Pittsburgh 21, Dallas 17

(11) Jan. 10, 1977: Oakland 32, Minneapolis 14

(12) Jan. 15, 1978: Dallas 27, Denver 10

(13) Jan. 21, 1979: Pittsburgh 35, Dallas 31

(14) Jan. 20, 1980: Pittsburgh 31, Los Angeles 19

(15) Jan. 25, 1981: Oakland 27, Philadelphia 10

(16) Jan. 24, 1982: San Francisco 26, Cincinnati 21

(17) Jan. 30, 1983: Washington 27, Miami 17

(18) Jan. 22, 1984: Los Angeles 38, Washington 9

(19) Jan. 20, 1985: San Francisco 38, Minneapolis 16

(20) Jan. 25, 1986: Chicago 46, New England 10

(21) Jan. 25, 1987: Giants 39, Denver 20

(22) Jan. 31, 1988: Washington 42, Denver 10

(23) Jan. 22, 1989: San Francisco 20, Cincinnati 16

(24) Jan. 31, 1990: San Francisco 55, Denver 10

(25) Jan. 22, 1991: Giants 20, Buffalo 19

(26) Jan. 25, 1992: Washington 37, Buffalo 24

(27) Jan. 31, 1993: Dallas 52, Buffalo 17

(28) Jan. 30, 1994: Dallas 30, Buffalo 17

(29) Jan. 29, 1995: San Francisco 49, San Diego 26

(30) Jan. 25, 1996: Dallas 27, Pittsburgh 17

(31) Jan. 26, 1997: Green Bay 35, New England 21

(32) Jan. 25, 1998: Denver 31, Green Bay 24

(33) Jan. 30, 1999: Denver 34, Atlanta 19

(34) Jan. 30, 2000: St. Louis Rams 23, Tennessee 16

(35) Jan. 28, 2001: Baltimore Ravens 34, Giants 7

(36) Feb, 3,   2002: New England 20, St. Louis 17

(37) Jan. 26, 2003: Tampa Bay 48, Oakland 21

(38) Feb. 7, 2004:  New England 32, Carolina 29

(39) Feb. 6, 2005:  New England 24, Philadelphia 21

(40) Feb. 5, 2006:  Pittsburgh 21, Seattle 10

(41) Feb. 4, 2007:  Indianapolis 29, Chicago 17

(42) Feb. 8, 2008:  Giants 17, New England 14

(43) Feb. 1, 2009:  Pittsburgh 27, Arizona 23

(44) Feb, 7, 2010:  New Orleans 44, Indianapolis 17

(45) Feb. 6, 2011:  Green Bay 31, Pittsburgh 25

(46) Feb. 5, 2012:  Giants 21, New England 17

(47) Feb. 3, 2013:  Baltimore Ravens 34, San Francisco 31

(48) Feb. 2, 2014:  Seattle 43, Denver 8

(49) Feb. 1, 2015:  New England 28, Seattle 24

(50) Feb. 7, 2016:  Denver 24, Carolina 10

(51) Feb. 5, 2017:  New England 34, Atlanta 28 (OT)

(52) Feb. 4, 2018:  Philadelphia 41, New England 33

(53) Feb. 3, 2019:  New England 13, Los Angeles 3

(54) Feb. 6, 2020:  Kansas City 31, San Francisco 20

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(55) Feb, 7, 2021: KANSAS CITY versus TAMPA BAY

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SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS: New England 6, Pittsburgh 6, Dallas 5, San Francisco 5, Green Bay 4, NY Giants 4, Denver 3, Baltimore Ravens 2, Kansas City 2, Miami 2, Oakland 2, Washington 2, Baltimore Colts 1, Indianapolis 1, Chicago 1, Los Angeles Rams 1, New Orleans Saints, 1, NY Jets 1, Philadelphia 1,  St. Louis Rams 1, Seattle 1, Tampa Bay 1.

Most MVPs by positions:  Quarterbacks 27, Running Backs 7, Wide Receivers 4.

Other Quarterbacks to win MVP one time:  Troy Aikman, Drew Brees, Lenny Dawson, John Elway, Joe Flacco, Nick Foles, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Namath, Jim Plunkett, Mark Ripken, Roger Staubach, Kurt Warner, Doug Williams, Steve Young.

Running Back MVPs:  Marcus Allen, Ottis Anderson, Larry Csonka, Terrell Davis, Franco Harris, John Riggins, Everett Smith.

Wide Receiver MVPs:  Fred Bietnikoff, Deion Branch, Jim Rice, Lynn Swan.

Teams winless in Super Bowls: Minneapolis 0-6, Buffalo 0-4, Atlanta 0-2, Cincinnati 0-2.