For all the testy wrangling between the two warring football leagues that produced the first Super Bowl in 1967, the game turned out to be a major snoozefest.
The Green Bay Packers won that one by 25 points, as well as the next by 19.
It took five Super Bowls before one finally was decided by less than a touchdown.
That pretty much was the mould for more than three decades: Huge build-up, lousy game.
Not that many seemed to care.
Super Bowl Sunday had quickly evolved into a social event, an excuse to throw the biggest party of the year, one that dwarfed most American national and religious celebrations.
If the game raised a foul odour, it was overpowered by the smell of barbecued food, melting cheeses and baked goods. There were friends to chat with and, of course, the new and amusing television advertisements that took on their own phenomenal life in the Super Bowl’s growing stew.
Luckily for football fans in recent years, most of the games have been infinitely more entertaining, featuring late lead changes and sweat-on-the-brow finishes.
No one was dipping his chip in the guacamole when the New England Patriots’ Malcolm Butler intercepted the Seattle Seahawks’ Russell Wilson’s pass at the goal line a year ago.
When the San Francisco 49ers drove inside the Baltimore Ravens’ 10-yard line with two minutes to go three years ago in their quest to get the touchdown that would give them victory, TV viewers were not ranking their favourite commercials.
In fact, six of the past eight Super Bowls have been decided by six points or less.
Just when we were starting to feel spoiled by great games, though, here come the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers.
I hope I am wrong, but this one could pay tribute to those early bore-a-thons.
Being away from their comfy mile-high backyard (where non-acclimated opponents gasp for oxygen and the noisy loyalists drown out rival quarterbacks’ audibles) does not bode well for Denver. They barely beat the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots there. Then there is their ageing quarterback Peyton Manning, who probably should not be underestimated but may need a heavy dose of Tinkerbell’s pixie dust to play like the Peyton who won his only Super Bowl ring nine long years ago.
Stay warm, Brock Osweiler.
As for Carolina, they have the look and feel of a young Muhammad Ali, or an old Floyd Mayweather Jr.
They ooze dominance, as if they know it is their time. They appear too strong, too skilled and too sure of themselves to let doubt trip them up.
The final, ominous indicator of a blowout is the Broncos’ own dubious history in the grandest of all football games.
Yes, Denver have won a couple of Super Bowls, back-to-back in 1998 and 1999, when quarterback John Elway finished his Hall of Fame career on a pair of high notes.
The other five Broncos’ appearances in the Super Bowl have been awful to say the least. If it were not for tasty snacks, fine conversation and funny commercials, the Denver franchise might have ruined the concept of the Super Bowl all by itself. They lost in 1978 by 10 points, in 1987 by 19 points and in 1988 by 32 points.
Then it got worse.
In 1990, they lost to the San Francisco 49ers, 55-10, the ugliest thrashing in championship history.
Finally, two years ago the Manning-led Broncos were mauled by Seattle, 43-8.
Certainly sports have a way of surprising us, but this would seem like a good year to make sure the food is superb and the guests are first-rate.
Anyone who gets stuck in a room with the television, take heart. There is a commercial every few minutes.
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