We have heard many clichés and are well aware that two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs is the best quarterback in the NFL regardless of where he plays.
It is a bit of a stretch at this point of his career to call Mahomes the best QB ever but everyone can have their own opinion.
We have also been told numerous times that the San Francisco 49ers are the best-rounded team although they were not at their best beating Green Bay and Detroit to get to this point.
Please, can we keep the Taylor Swift discussion to a minimum?
Good for her doing a concert in Tokyo Saturday then taking a private jet to Las Vegas to make it in time to watch her boyfriend Travis Kelsey play in another big game.
Christian McCaffrey’s mom is pausing her Taylor Swift fandom for #SuperBowl week: https://t.co/mvJkbh1A7M pic.twitter.com/Rx2RB2qk8V
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) February 3, 2024
But enough is enough!
Can we just get on with THE GAME?
After two weeks of hoopla, Super Bowl 58 kicks off on Sunday (3:30 p.m. PST).
On this day, millions of North Americans will be partying, eating food, sitting in front of large-screen TVs, and of course, enjoying the most anticipated football game of the year.
Whether one lives in Prince George, B.C., Victoria, B.C., Victoria, Ontario, Victoria, Texas, or any other city, this four-hour spectacle (including the lengthy halftime show) has evolved into a North American tradition.
Indeed, this is a time when fans and non-fans alike will tune in and try to experience the excitement of the biggest extravaganza in North American sports.
When the NFL championship game for the Vince Lombardi Trophy is taking place, the other leagues sit back and enjoy it as well.
There will be no action in the NBA, NHL, WHL, or BCHL to name a few.
(The NBA and NHL games on Sunday are scheduled to be completed before kickoff)
According to Fox, last year’s Super Bowl that saw the Chiefs outscore the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 drew 113 million viewers in the U.S. the third-most watched television program ever.
Numbers from Statista show another 8.6 million viewers on the Canadian networks that carried the 2023 game.
It is nearly impossible for this San Francisco-Kansas City game to live up to its advanced billing.
Double-digit outcomes have decided 33 of the 57 Super Bowls although the last two have been decided by a field goal.
Many of the pundits are suggesting this will be an outstanding game decided in the final minute.
It was just four years ago these teams met in the most important game of the season with Kansas City coming from behind to pull off the 31-20 victory over San Francisco.
It was just four years ago when they suited up against the Chiefs in Super Bowl XLIV, but what a long, strange trip it’s been for this 49ers franchise.
Some thoughts on shared hardships, failures, and adversity. pic.twitter.com/J0zy6XcBoR
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) February 1, 2024
#
For the fan looking to consume much more, here are 58 things to know about the 49ers and Chiefs.
If you are looking to make a bet join the party as it has been reported that Americans will spend a whopping 23 billion dollars on Super Bowl Sunday.
As for food, according to the National Chicken Council, Americans are expected to consume a whopping 1.45 billion pounds of chicken wings.
Chicken wings are often the most popular Super Bowl party food with pizza in the #4 spot.
Super Bowl Sunday is the busiest day for pizza sales! 🍕
In 2022, an estimated 12.5 million pizzas were sold in the U.S. on Super Bowl game day, according to the American Pizza Community organization. And it’s expected to do the same this year, as well. https://t.co/1DNKPKSTiO pic.twitter.com/GAf2bBaRsE
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) February 9, 2023
There’s still time to dissect, analyze, scrutinize, study, evaluate, and examine every little detail about ‘THE GAME,’ but I’m sure you will agree that kickoff cannot come soon enough.
As for the pick, does one go for the team that appears to have the most talent (San Francisco favoured by 2 points) or the one with the best quarterback?
It is normally not smart to bet against Mahomes but I will go with the team I believe has the better roster.
San Francisco will win by 4.
Cat Scan podcast:
This is season six of Hartley’s Cat Scan, a weekly podcast show that predominately features the PG Cougars.
This week my guests are P.G. snipers Carlin Dezainde and Terik Parascek.
Two high-scoring forwards with the @PGCougars Carlin Dezainde & Terik Parascak are guests this week on the Cat Scan #podcast. They discuss the team’s success, their own contributions, upcoming goals, assessing other top teams, playing minor hockey in Alberta, & more. https://t.co/wsVw5JKmvW
— Hartley Miller (@Hartley_Miller) February 6, 2024
FROM THE QUOTE RACK:
A federal labour official has ruled that the Dartmouth College basketball team players are employees of the college who have a right to unionize. That explains why their newest favourite play is the picket and roll.
*Contributor Marc Ragovin of New York
A pigeon that was wrongly held as a spy for China has been set free. He immediately flew back to his rightful handler—LA Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh.
*Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California
Due to bad weather in the San Francisco Bay Area delaying and cancelling flights, it took some media folks longer to fly to Las Vegas, normally about 90 minutes, than it took others to drive (by car it takes about 8 hours). Normally the only thing that wastes an entire day at a time this week involves a Super Bowl pre-game show.
*Comedy writer Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com
Two Wisconsin men have been arrested for the theft of 100,000 diapers. The accused claim it’s all a bum wrap.
*Comedy writer RJ Currie of Winnipeg www.Sportsdeke.com
Hartley Miller is the news and sports director/supervisor plus morning news anchor for 94.3 the GOAT and Country 97fm. He is in his 11th year as the radio colour commentator for Prince George Cougars’ home games. Hartley has been on the airwaves in PG since 1979 and is the author of You Don’t Say (sports quotes).