My Super Bowl LI Prediction

It seems like the dominant theme out of Houston this week is the lack of interest in this year’s Super Bowl. To be honest, from my own standpoint at least, I wouldn’t argue that storyline. I have not been giddy with excitement over the past two weeks. I have not counted down the hours until kickoff. I have not watched any First Take debates on the game nor watched any of the “Opening Night” media day coverage.

However, I can’t deny this: today is Super Bowl Sunday and I will definitely be watching.

Just because I didn’t buy into any of the Super Bowl LI hype doesn’t mean I won’t have my TV on tonight. It is the football game of all football games. Sidney and I will have a table of snacks ready to go and we will watch the spectacle from our living room. With the big day finally here, I have allowed some excitement to settle in. Bring on the commercials, bring on Gaga, and bring on the football!

However, don’t think that because I didn’t jack myself up for this year’s Super Bowl that I don’t have a team I want to win, because that is truly not the case. I hope the Atlanta Falcons stick it to the New England Patriots.

I want the Falcons to win because I like Matt Ryan. I want the Falcons to win because they are representing the NFC and because they defeated my Seattle Seahawks. I want the Falcons to win because of geography; I live just a few hours away from the Georgia Dome and I love the city of Atlanta.

But let’s get real here. I also want the Falcons to win because I can’t stand the New England Patriots. After Drew Bledsoe left the team in 2001, any fondness I had for the Pats evaporated. But my spite for New England isn’t just because my all-time favorite NFL player was replaced by Tom Brady. I also don’t cheer for the Pats because of the arrogance and dishonesty that has defined the organization over the past 16 years. Also, to be fair, I should add that my jealousy over the team’s success has also played a role in my unfavorable attitude toward Boston’s favorite football squad.

So while I hope Atlanta would embarrass the Patriots 100-0, I am realistic. I think New England’s experience and coaching will be enough to take the title. I predict the Patriots will defeat the Falcons by the score of 31-17. But I also predicted Hillary Clinton would defeat Donald Trump for the presidency and we all know how that turned out…

Enjoy the game, everyone! Don’t Blink.

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