By Rory Tell ’16, Staff Writer

This year is a rarity for football, as the two top seeds, the Patriots in the AFC, and the Seahawks in the NFC, will face off in potentially one of the most highly anticipated Super Bowls of the century. For football fans who love the game, this is a dream matchup with the likes of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski going up against Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor. But, for fans who do not live and breathe football, it is important to understand what this game means for both teams.

Legacy: that’s what this Super Bowl has to offer- besides all the great commercials. Tom Brady is the first quarterback to start six Super Bowl games. A win would put him in rare company as he would have four Super Bowl rings, and only Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw can boast that accomplishment. Brady’s Super Bowl record would be 4-2, and that’s drastically different in the minds of sports gurus than 3-3. A Seahawks win would give them back-to-back Super Bowl victories, and that would equal the Packers in the 60s, the Dolphins in the 70s, the Steelers of the 80s (they did it twice), the 49ers in ’89 and ’90 and the Patriots in 03’ and 04’. Russell Wilson is also looking to add another ring, which would give him his second and would reaffirm that you do not have to be a high draft pick to be successful in the NFL. Brady can attest to that fact too, since their respective teams selected both of these quarterbacks after the third round. The Seahawks are also trying to prove that defense is still the way to win championships, as the league has moved to higher scoring offenses.

Let’s get into some X’s and O’s about the game. The Seahawks are the home team because this is Super Bowl 49, and the NFC team is home in odd numbered games and the AFC in even numbered games. The average cost for a 30-second commercial for this year’s Super Bowl is $4.5 million. In 1999, the cost was just over $2 million, so I would certainly blame the inflationary costs on our President and Congress. If you want to buy a ticket to the game, there are tickets available on the NFL website. You can sit in the upper deck for $4500, or the mezzanine level for $14,700. If a clean bathroom is your priority, you may want to stay at home!

Another story that has engulfed the sports world is the issue of the Patriots deflating footballs. While nothing is for certain, this has led to some great social media campaigns and for some hilarious interviews. Sports fans learned from Bill Belichick’s press conference that he is now pursuing his science passion, and specifically, becoming an authority in air pressure. I have heard that Bill Nye will be coaching the Pats in the Super Bowl! The bottom line is that the footballs the Colts were using remained within the accepted range of 12.5 to 13.5 PSI after the same duration of exposure to the same elements and conditions. Someone deflated 11 of 12 Patriot footballs and since it’s an enigma to the NFL, they have called in the actors from The Imitation Game to break the case.  The Seahawks are possibly just as mischievous, as many players on their roster have been given PED suspensions for the use of Adderall.

In summary these are two teams with coaches and players that will do anything to win and give their team an advantage. The Patriots, the arguably best franchise in football, will be taking on the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks, promising to be one amazing must-watch game.