On the surface, Superbowl LI may seem like it lacks intrigue as far as story lines go. Tom Brady and the Patriots are back representing the AFC for what seems like the 100th time, and in the other corner you have an Atlanta Falcons team that shielded from the spotlight for most of the year in the NFC in favor of the success of Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys, as well the ridiculous tear that Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers went on over the last six weeks of the season.
But really, there are some interesting dynamics here. Should the Patriots win, it would cap Brady’s revenge tour against the league. If you’ll remember (frankly, most people would like to forget the drastically overblown issue that was Deflategate), Brady was suspended for the first four games of the regular season as punishment for deflating footballs during 2015 AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts. Mind you, the game was decided 45-7, but that didn’t stop the NFL from pouring millions into an investigation and legal fees to try to prove wrongdoing from New England. It was widely publicized and turned into some sort of odd clashing between the game’s best quarterback in Brady and wildly unpopular NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, as well as the now-severed friendship between Patriots owner Robert Craft and Goodell. If you think the billion-dollar entity that is the NFL spending millions of dollars to find out the psi level of a few footballs in a game that was decided by 38 points is stupid, then your opinion would fall in the majority.
But wouldn’t it be awkwardly satisfying to see Goodell have to hand the trophy to Brady and Craft, the two he spent the last two years fighting? I think yes.
Then you have Atlanta, a city with a reputation for being generally disinterested in its professional sports teams largely because it resides in the Deep South, and if you don’t worship college football, you’re seen as an outcast. How true that reputation is can be debated, but one would think the Falcons winning the Super Bowl would certainly prompt the city to further invest in the franchise. Then there’s Matt Ryan, who is likely the MVP of the NFL this season, but his legacy would certainly be enhanced with a win on Sunday.
The Falcons have been the NFL’s toughest offense to stop, and the Patriots possess the league’s best scoring defense. Something’s got to give, and it’s going to take place on the grandest stage in sports. It’s extremely difficult to pick against Tom Brady, who will in all likelihood go down as the best quarterback to ever lace it up, but I think the Falcons’ offense will be too much to handle for a New England defense that didn’t exactly face the fiercest slate of quarterbacks this season. Atlanta wins 31-27, and Goodell is spared of an incredibly awkward postgame moment. Here’s what the rest of The Daily Mississippian staff thinks.
Lana Ferguson is a junior journalism major from Mechanicsville, Virginia, and the 2016-2017 managing editor. Lana has been working at The DM as a reporter and editor since her freshman year. She loves all things coffee, adventure and sarcasm.
Managing Editor Lana Ferguson:
History says pick the Pats. But everyone loves a good underdog story, and everyone who isn’t a Patriots fan is tired of them winning (just like Alabama in the SEC). Matt Ryan carries the team offensively, and Tom Brady cries because he misses Gronkowski.
score: Falcons 31-27
McKenna Wierman is a senior journalism major from Dallas and is a 2016-2017 co-lifestyles editor. McKenna has been working at The DM as a writer since her freshman year and editor since her sophomore year. She once played on Barbara Streisand’s piano.
Lifestyles Editor McKenna Wierman:
Patriots lose, and Tom Brady is found sobbing uncontrollably into a bucket of fried chicken, surrounded by several empty packages of Philadelphia cream cheese and a tub of Country Crock butter the next morning
score: Falcons 35-32
Designer Marisa Morrissette:
It’s time someone other than the Patriots wins.
score: Falcons 30-24
Cameron Brooks is a sophomore IMC major from Houston and a 2016-2017 co-photography editor. Cameron has been working at The DM as a photographer and editor since his freshman year. He enjoys enjoys all things Texas and Ole Miss.
Photo Editor Cam Brooks:
The Pats will take the win in one of the most exciting offensive Super Bowl games in history. While the combo of Matt Ryan and Julio Jones is deadly, Brady will add the fifth ring to his finger, becoming the most decorated quarterback of all time.
score: Patriots 31-24
News Editor Slade Rand:
Falcons win one for the NFC South and throw the best victory parade since 2010. Atlanta’s known this was its to win for a while now, and the Patriots’ deal with Satan has got to be up soon . The South’s got something to say.
score: Falcons 23-16
Clara Turnage is a senior journalism major from New Hebron and the 2016-2017 editor-in-chief. Clara has been working with The DM since she was a freshman as a reporter and editor. She likes books, coffee and doughnuts.
Editor-in-Chief Clara Turnage:
Someone is going to win. Someone is going to lose. Lady Gaga will be flamboyant and not as good as Beyonce. I will eat chicken wings and think of a faux-witty tweet about how football is like gladiators for the 21st century. It’s going to be awesome.
