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Thank goodness it’s almost here! The final game of the NFL season will get underway around 5:35PM CST Sunday afternoon on Fox.
I admit being old enough to remember watching the very first Super Bowl game in 1967.
The NFL’s Green Bay Packers clobbered the AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 in the cavernous Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
That first game wasn’t close to being a sell-out. Attendance was listed as 61,946.
That was the lowest attended Super Bowl game until last season’s game in Las Vegas where 61,629 showed-up (at least it was a sell-out for that stadium).
For fairness sake, I excluded the 2020 COVID-19 Bowl where only 24,835 were seated in Tampa Bay’s stadium. That was Tom Brady’s final Super Bowl victory as his new team (the Buccaneers) defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in February, 2021.
Inflation anyone?
Ticket prices for that first title game in January, 1967 went for just $12.
According to the US inflation calculator, that ticket would be priced at $112 this week.
I attended Super Bowl XX in New Orleans on January 26, 1986 (thanks to my long-time friend, Will, for taking me to that game!)
The Chicago Bears did the Super Bowl Shuffle on their way to obliterating New England 46-10.
The game is best remembered for Chicago’s 300+ pound defensive lineman William “Refrigerator” Perry rumbling in for a late touchdown for daBears.
My 1986 ticket showed a list price of $75. In 2025, that $75 ticket would be priced at $225!
This weekend in the New Orleans Superdome, the lowest stated price for a nosebleed seat for Sunday’s game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs is $800 (correct).
Since the marketplace now sets the ticket prices, that “cheap” ticket will cost several thousand dollars to attend Sunday’s game.
Need a hotel room? Prices are going from $500 to $1,500 per night – for a three day minimum stay in the metro New Orleans area.
You’ll probably pay around $10,000 (game ticket, airfare, hotel, local transportation, and food) for just one person to attend Sunday’s game and a three day weekend in New Orleans.
Nothing like good ol’ supply and demand!
After Sunday night’s game, football goes into hibernation until August
For all the hoopla surrounding this weekend’s big game, the NFL and college football will disappear from the sports stage until August.
Expect Fox Sports and ESPN to try and convince us that the UFL (United Football League) spring pro football games beginning March 28 will be almost as good.
Don’t fall for it. It’s just not the same.
Sunday’s game will likely attract more than 100 million viewers. The UFL management team will be high-fiving themselves if they can average only 1% of that number for every televised game this spring.
Some of my former co-workers would actually get depressed for a few weeks following the conclusion of pro football’s big finale.
Not me. Time to put that toy back into the box and happily bring it back in about six months.
Football has been wise to remember that “less is best.”
Six months of hibernation will renew your enthusiasm for the game once again.
We look forward to football season knowing that cooler fall weather is on the way again.
What to expect this Sunday
My first idea? Forget about watching the multitude of pregame shows – even if you’re hosting a SB59 party at your home.
Instead, turn the TV over to CBS and watch the final round of the rowdy Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament.
Yes, I said “Watch golf” on Super Bowl Sunday!
You will observe tens of thousands of boisterous golf fans encircling the famous 16th hole at the TPC of Scottsdale.
They will cheer, boo, and be a whole lot more fun than watching hours of never-ending NFL pregame shows.
Sunday’s golf tournament should finish within thirty minutes prior to the start of the football game. Enjoy some entertaining golf, and you will be ready for the big football game minutes later.
Let’s set the stage for Sunday evening’s big game!
The 14-3 Philadelphia Eagles are a 1 ½ point underdog to the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs (15-2).
Two years ago, the same two teams played in the big game with the Chiefs taking down the Eagles 38-35.
Revenge is very much on the mind of the Philadelphia Eagles and their intensely enthusiastic fans.
On paper, the two football teams are much alike.
Both have top rated defenses.
Philadelphia was #2 in the NFL and allows 17.8 points per game. KC wasn’t far behind at #4. The Chiefs allowed only 19.2 points per outing.
Offensively, the disparity between the two teams has been more significant.
Philadelphia’s offense features the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year, Saquan Barkley. The 2,000 yard rusher helped propel the Eagles offense to score 27.2 points per game (#7 overall).
Kansas City’s offense was rather pedestrian this season. They finished #15 (out of 32 NFL teams) and scored almost five points per game less than Philadelphia.
Based purely on those statistics, Philadelphia would appear to have an advantage in this Sunday’s game.
But…don’t forget about the referees!
The NFL desperately wants to downplay the fact that Kansas City has won an incredible number of close games this season.
The Chiefs are a statistically improbable 11-0 in games decided by seven points or less.
NFL viewers who are not supporters of Kansas City frequently mention that the two-time defending champions have received a lot of timely calls (or non-calls) from the referees over the past season.
As you might expect, the league vehemently denies the allegation.
But is it true?
In 2024, Kansas City was penalized 45 times. Their opponents received 58 flags (29% more) in those games.
Wise observers understand that it is not the number of penalties being called as much as when those penalty decisions are being made (or not made).
Will NFL referees think twice before throwing a questionable penalty flag against Philadelphia at a crucial moment on Sunday evening?
Keep your eyes on Patrick Mahomes.
If the Kansas City quarterback decides to run beyond the line of scrimmage Sunday evening, expect one or more Philadelphia defenders to lower the boom on him.
Eagles defenders already expect to receive a personal foul for barely hitting the Chiefs’ former MVP quarterback. If that is a given, Philly defenders will want to get their “15 yards worth” this Sunday.
Commercially speaking, this game will generate a LOT of money
A published report on Friday indicated that $1.4 billion will be LEGALLY wagered in the US on Sunday night’s football game. That does not include money being spent in thousands of office pools and Super Bowl squares games.
A significant portion of Sunday’s television audience is watching the game for its unique and, hopefully, entertaining commercials.
Those very pricey ads jumped another $1 million in cost per 30 seconds this season. Sunday evening’s commercials will cost advertisers a cool $8 million per half minute.
That’s a 14% price rise in one year. Talk about price gouging!
That first Super Bowl game in 1967 cost advertisers $37,500 per 30 second spot. Adjusting for inflation, those ads today would be priced at $352,000 per half minute.
Even when you factor that the television audience today (125 million) is nearly five times larger than in 1967, the relative cost of the same ad would equate to a measly $1.8 million on Sunday.
Yes, it’s good to be the King!
Halftime show – Will you tune in or tune out?
I’m told that a gentleman named Kendrick Lamar will be performing at halftime of Sunday evening’s football game. At first, I thought Kendrick Lamar was a power forward who once played for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Further research indicated that this particular Kendrick Lamar is a Grammy Award winning rapper who appeals to the under-40 age demographic.
After learning more about the halftime artist’s talent, I was unsuccessful in finding a specific type of betting line for Sunday’s halftime show.
Therefore, I have established the “SwampSwami Unofficial TV Network Censor” over/under” of +/- 15 for the number of times the network’s censor will hit the profanity dump button during Mr. Lamar’s four song halftime set.
I’m taking the “over”.
Meanwhile, I shall perform my own halftime “wrapping” by placing some tasty food onto two slices of bread and enjoy this extended mid-game break.
Final predictions!
Fox Sports analyst Tom Brady will tell TV viewers that he is still a better quarterback than either Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs or Jalen Hurts of the Eagles.
Speaking of Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts, the words “Tush Push” will be used by the Fox TV announcers no fewer than five times during this game.
Taylor Swift will receive more TV camera shots into her Superdome suite than her on-field boyfriend Travis Kelce will have in total pass receptions for the Chiefs.
The game’s referees will be escorted onto and off the field in a Brink’s security truck.
President Trump will be in attendance in New Orleans. He will become the first president to see a Super Bowl while serving in office.
Would anyone be surprised if he issued a new Executive Order on Sunday proclaiming the nearby Mississippi River as “The big, beautiful MAGA Canal.”
One last thing. On September 4, 2024, I boldly predicted that Kansas City would not win its third straight NFL title this year. Instead, I selected the Detroit Lions to defeat the Baltimore Ravens in Sunday’s Super Bowl.
Kansas City has continued to prove me wrong.
There is only one team remaining with a chance to take down the Chiefs and redeem my early season prediction.
Final score – Philadelphia 34, Kansas City 21
Fly Eagles Fly!