interested in fitness and athletics provided their picks for Sunday’s Super Bowl. The participants came up with an almost even split. And most predict a close game. Here are their opinions:

Albert Gonzales, a retired state government employee, is a Bronco fan who picks the Patriots because they have “power and all-around defense. It’ll be a close game.”

Jason Green, a fitness tech, is a senior majoring in forestry at Highlands. Like many others, he roots for the Broncos, but since his team isn’t in the big game, he picks the Patriots by 12 points. Why: “They’re better prepared … they want it more.”

Juan Jauregui, another forestry major at Highlands and a senior from Sapello, doesn’t have a favorite team; he expects the Seahawks to win. “From what I’ve seen, watching how they want to win, I pick Seattle in a close game.”

Jesse Trujillo, a native of the Redlands area in California, moved here to look after his aging parents. He’s a San Diego Chargers fan, but since Philip Rivers’ magic was insufficient to get his team into the post-season, Jesse is “picking the Seahawks in a close game.” He even predicted a final score: 27-7.

Dennis Lujan, a dispatcher for the City Police Department, is a Dallas Cowboy fan. He’s expecting the New England team to win. Lujan wasn’t able to pick a final score, but he predicts a “good, tough game” because the Pats “have great wide receivers and a superior passing game.”

Desiree Lujan, a control clerk at the center, at first was reluctant to make a prognostication, but when assured that the least- involved football fans often make the best predictions, she took a stand. “Because ever since I was little, my uncle has liked the San Francisco 49ers, I support them.” However, the Bay Area teams (including my beloved Raiders) didn’t do too well this year. After saying “I have no idea who’ll win,” Desiree picked the Patriots by 14.

Antoine Whitfield, a city patrolman, grew up in El Paso, and by extension likes the Texas Longhorns. By yet another extension, he’s “a Dallas Cowboys fan whose favorite colors are blue and gray.” He picks “the Seahawks in a close game, maybe a field goal.” Why? “I don’t like the Patriots.”

Albert Tafoya, the assistant division manager at the recreation center, likes the Miami Dolphins, and accordingly, hasn’t had much to cheer about in a number of years. He expects Seattle to become champion of Super Bowl XLIV in Glendale, Ariz. “The Seahawks have more structure defensively and offensively,” Tafoya said, “and they don’t need to take the air out of the balls to win.” Tafoya predicts a 23-20 win for Seattle. “Quarterback Russell Wilson will be the difference. Normally it’s 11 against 11, but with Wilson it’s 12 against 11 because Wilson can turn into a running back.”

Another employee, Kim Baros, 23, has been a recreation coordinator for almost five years. The Pojoaque native came to Highlands to play softball and will graduate in May. She’s a Dallas Cowboys fan who picks the Seahawks in a close game. “They’re as good as they were last year,” Baros said.

Co-worker Brandon Baca, 23, expects the other team, the Patriots, to win in a close game with the score in the 20s. Brandon’s a control clerk at the rec center; his favorite team, the Arizona Cardinals, went far but fizzled.

Zachary Armijo, 24, works out regularly at the rec center after his duties as a corrections officer with the San Miguel County Detention Center. Like Brandon and Baros, his favorite team, didn’t get past the regular season. Armijo, who likes the St. Louis Rams, predicts a Seahawks victory in a close game, with the teams separated by no more than two scores.

Armijo credits Marshawn Lynch, stellar running back, and Russell Wilson for much of Seattle’s success. “They overcame adversity and won the Super Bowl last year, so I expect them to do it again,” Armijo said.

• • •

“Hey, Trujillo, catch this!” I did, and it hurt. Lloyd Henderson, a Highlands student from a long time ago, had just completed a workout with the Cowboys and stuck around for a few more plays.

I had finished my run around Perkins Stadium when I saw and heard the ball coming toward me. I managed to catch it on the run, but until then didn’t realize the size and hardness of college footballs.

We chatted for a while and he offered to “play catch” with a more deflated ball. I declined. Of course, I’d been used to the soft, flabby, anemic, wobbly pigskin used in high schools. I don’t believe high schools had rules about how much poundage football should contain. Every pass in those days traveled like a wounded duck.

So now the New England Patriots are facing yet another scandal, with half the country believing Patriots’ personnel deliberately left 11 of 12 game balls under-inflated in their last game, which was a blowout for the Pats. And for what reason? Well, softer footballs are easier to throw, catch and tote.

The rules, we hear, call for each team to provide a dozen properly inflated footballs for games. That policy ought to be in the hands of the league itself, not individual teams. So is it simply a fluke that 11 of the Patriots’ baker’s dozen just happened to lack the proper pressure? I think not.

Of course, after the game is played, league officials will talk tough; they’ll employ words like “ethics,” “honesty,” and “integrity,” in an effort to impress the league and the public.

Yeah, right! In 2007, didn’t the league fine the Patriots’ coach $500,000 for illegally videotaping defensive signals of a team they were to play the next week? Well, $500,000 is pocket change to professional football coaches.

But now head coach Bill Belichick has said, ”This is the end of this subject for me for a long time.”

Good idea, Coach. We all realize he needs more time to work on that “honesty,” “integrity” and “ethics” he bruits about so freely.