God picks Super Bowl winner, says 26 percent of Americans

It may be just me, but most Super Bowls aren't so super.

The curse first began in 1989 when I bet the Denver Broncos would defeat the hated San Francisco 49ers. The Broncos lost 55-10.

The curse revealed its awesome power again in 2014 when the Broncos were humiliated 43-8 by the Seattle Seahawks.

Still, as lopsided as some games are, you really have to give the players and coaches credit for all their hard work and dedication.

Or do you?

According to a new poll, 26 percent of Americans believe the winner of the Super Bowl is determined by the 'Hand of God.'

Among minority Protestants, almost half (45 percent) believe God plays a role in determining which team wins, according to the survey by Public Religion Research Institute.

Almost 10 percent of those with no religious affiliation think God cares enough about football to get involved.

Maybe there's something to this: The only time the Falcons made it to the Super Bowl was in 1999 and they were blown out by the Broncos 34-19.

Is it possible someone with real power (other than Miami police) knew the team was spending so much time with prostitutes before the game?

The telephone survey conducted earlier this year also says:

• 29% believe a football player who has been found guilty of domestic violence should be permanently banned from playing in the NFL.
• 73% of Americans say they would support a professional sports team signing a gay or lesbian athlete.
• 40% Americans say football is their favorite sport to watch, followed by basketball (12%), baseball (11%), and soccer (8%). Hockey, my favorite sport, isn't even mentioned.
• On Sunday, men are more likely to be watching football than to be in church (24% vs. 17%), while women are more likely to be in church (32% vs. 13%).