Except for the fact that more than half of them are Dallas Cowboy fans, it looks like a fairly balanced account of how this Sunday’s Super Bowl will turn out.
At 4:28 p.m., as the world sits down to a big helping of football and meatball stew, the New England Patriots take on the New York Giants. The game features some of the cleverest, new commercials on TV, and that’s the reason at least one person interviewed plans to be watching on Sunday.
And even though some of those randomly interviewed on their Super Bowl predictions are inveterate Dallas Cowboy fans, let’s still respect their opinions.
First, a couple of observations: Overall, 60 percent of those asked pick the Patriots. Mostly by stopping people on the street or in restaurants, I asked several to predict the results of the game. Not one of the respondents appears to have his or her regular favorite team in the bowl. In my case (sniff) the Oakland Raiders haven’t been to the Big One in almost a decade. But they will be next year.
My research yielded fans who support the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Denver Broncos, the Miami Dolphins, the Green Bay Packers and of course, those guys from Texas.
Here are some of the predictions and comments:
- Eddie Atencio, a retired teacher and principal, is a Steeler fan who decorates his vehicles and body with Pittsburgh memorabilia. He says he wears Steelers pajamas and baseball caps, though not at the same time. His choice: The Giants in a game that won’t feature any touchdowns. Eddie predicts a score of 6-3 or 9-3. Why the Giants? “Because Eli Manning is better than Tom Brady.”
- Adam Martinez, who works as a firefighter in Los Alamos, picks the Patriots because “They still have a sour taste in their mouths” from the last time they lost to the Giants. Adam adds that “It’s hard to beat Tom Brady and Bill Belichick twice in one season.” Adam’s prediction is a 24-20 game. He’s a Cowboys fan.
- Ted Maestas, a retired coach and teacher, is another Dallas fan; he predicts the Pats will win 20-16. Why? Here, Ted punctuated every syllable as he declared, “Experience-is-a-very-important- aspect-in-the-Super-Bowl. And four rings is better than one.” Ted is a Dallas fan.
- • Rick Armijo, a Robertson High School counselor who also coaches the girls’ basketball team, is a Denver Broncos fan who picks New England to win. “I think Tom Brady is a proven winner,” Rick said. He expects a final score of around 27-17.
- Tre Harge, a fitness tech at the city recreation center, wants justice. You see, he’s another Dallas fan, and his team lost this season to the Giants, 37-34. Therefore, if the Giants win the Super Bowl, Tre’s Cowboys “will have lost to the champs.” Tre picks the Giants by three.
- Michael Tenorio teaches science at West Middle School. He’s been a Dolphins fan since 1970, and when his team isn’t in the Super Bowl, he roots for the AFC representative. But not this year. “The Giants are my favorite NFC team, and they will win by three to seven points in a high-scoring game.”
- Mr. T, as his students call him, also likes the Green Bay Packers, whose team colors are just by coincidence the same as the West Las Vegas Dons, green and gold.
- Donna Martinez, manager of Ilfeld Auditorium and Highlands radio KEDP-FM, is aware there’s a game being played Sunday but prefers to show up only for the half-time entertainment, Madonna. Donna, by the way, invites the public to a free showing of the Super Bowl on a large screen at Ilfeld Auditorium.
- Priscilla Salazar, the administrative assistant for the English department at Highlands University, expects New England to win “by no more than 10 points because I like Tom Brady over Eli Manning any time.” Priscilla is a Cowboy fan.
- Stephen Mora, from Mora, would like to see the Patriots win. The Luna Community College criminal justice student says, “The defense matters more in this game.” And besides, this Cowboy fan doesn’t like the Giants.
- Art Abreu, a teacher, coach, former athlete and Dallas fan (three out of four isn’t bad), predicts a 27-14 victory for New England. “Tom Brady won’t have two bad games in a row,” Abreu says. “And New England’s defense is a lot better now than it was during the season.”
- John Schuster, a retired mathematician from Minnesota, said, “The Giants are going to do it to them again.” The former Vikings fan said he’s uttering a wish more than a prediction. “I just don’t like dynasties.”
- And yes, the previews of the commercials caught my eye. So much silliness, but the creativity makes up for that.