Super Bowl XLVIII will kick off at 6:30 p.m. EST, and given that it’s the first time that America’s biggest of sporting events is being held in New York City, it’s guaranteed to produce a spectacle worthy of the game’s magnitude. This year’s version will present a fresh matchup for fans to take in, as the AFC Champion Denver Broncos have never faced the NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks on the Super Bowl stage. Peyton Manning and the record setting Broncos offense will try to outfox Richard Sherman and the league’s number one defense.
Before the game gets going, it’s good to know some interesting facts and tidbits of knowledge, so that you’ll know what to look for, and (more importantly) how to sound smart while talking about the game with your friends. Here are a few:
– While the Broncos enter the game on the strength of their constellation of stars on offense, Seattle has taken a different approach. 21 of the 53 players on the Seahawks (39.6 percent) were undrafted.
– Peyton Manning will be attempting to win his second Super Bowl in MetLife Stadium, home stadium of his brother, Eli. Strangely, Eli actually won his second Lombardi Trophy in Peyton’s (then) home stadium in Indianapolis in January, 2012.
– No player on the Seahawks has ever played in a Super Bowl. They’re the first team that this is true for since the 1990 Buffalo Bills.
– Before becoming a star in college (and the pros), Peyton Manning was the third string quarterback as a freshman at Tennessee. Their original starter that season? Colorado Rockies legend, Todd Helton.
– Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman played youth football in California on a team coached by Snoop Dogg (or Snoop Lion, depending on who you ask).
– Seattle fullback Derrick Coleman is the first legally deaf offensive player in the NFL.
– Last year’s halftime show and ensuing blackout generated 229,000 tweets per minute, second highest rate in Twitter’s history. This year’s show, featuring Bruno Mars, will most likely not hit that mark though, given that Beyonce isn’t involved (and there probably won’t be another 35-minute blackout).
– Super Bowl XLVIII is the first to be held in a northern outdoor stadium. As a result, the record for lowest game time temperature (set at 39 degrees during Super Bowl VI) could be in jeopardy. More surprisingly, why the heck was it 39 degrees in New Orleans in 1972?
– Keep an eye on Denver Broncos safety Mike Adams. From Patterson, New Jersey originally, he said earlier this week that he would walk home if his team wins the Super Bowl (a distance of 9.2 miles).
– In Super Bowl history, the coin toss has remarkably landed heads 24 times, and tails 23 times.
