What to nickname Super Bowl 50? The Old Man vs. Superman? Old school vs. new school?
Whatever your choice, the game and its history are interwoven into our memories with a Thomas Davis-like bludgeoning force: David Tyree’s catch, the Titans’ loss by one yard, the 49ers’ drive, Bradshaw to Stallworth, Stanley Wilson’s succumbing, Timmy Smith’s big day, Whitney Houston’s singing, Eugene Robinson’s alleged soliciting, Lynn Swann’s leaping, Janet Jackson’s exposing, just to name a few.
Perhaps Carolina vs. Denver will add a few more indelible moments into the national sports consciousness when they meet Sunday in Santa Clara, Calif.
Here’s an A-to-Z look at past Super Bowls and a look at Sunday’s game:
A is for Atlanta. The city has hosted two Super Bowls in 2000, won by St. Louis when the Titans fell 3 feet short, and 1994, won by Dallas. The Falcons have played in one Super Bowl, losing to Denver 34-19 in Miami in 1999.
B is for Buffalo. The Bills appeared in four consecutive Super Bowls from 1991-94 and lost each one.
C is Carolina. The Panthers are in the Super Bowl after hammering Arizona 49-15 in the NFC Championship game. They are led by dab-dancing quarterback Cam Newton, who led the NFL's No. 1 offense (31.2 points per game) during the regular season and who likes to open his shirt a la Clark Kent when he's turning into Superman, coach Ron Rivera and an opportunistic defense that allowed just 19.2 points per game during the regular season.
D is for Denver. The Broncos are in the Super Bowl after squeaking past New England 20-18 in the AFC Championship game. They are led by the aging quarterback Peyton Manning, who did just enough on offense to help what is considered the league's best front seven on defense (NFL-best 52 sacks and fourth-best 18.5 points per game during the regular season), and coach Gary Kubiak, the first man to coach the same team that he once played for in the Super Bowl.
E is for expenses. The website marketwatch.com said fans traveling to Santa Clara for an average of two nights, plus the expected cost of a ticket ($5,000), plus the return trip can expect to pay approximately $7,300.
F is for first. The first Super Bowl was won by Green Bay, 35-10 over Kansas City in Los Angeles in 1967.
G is for Georgia and Georgia Tech. There will be several Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets playing in the Super Bowl.
Denver’s roster includes former Tech wide receiver Demaryius Thomas and defensive lineman Vance Walker. Carolina’s roster includes former Tech cornerback Lou Young and wide receiver Stephen Hill, who is on the injured reserve, and former Bulldogs defensive end Charles Johnson, guard Fernando Velasco and linebacker Thomas Davis.
H is for halftime. Coldplay and Beyonce will team to entertain the audience during the halftime show. The first halftime show in 1967 featured the University of Arizona Symphonic Marching Band and the Grambling State Marching Band.
I is for injuries. Both teams are dealing with a few injuries heading into the big game. Davis, Carolina's Pro Bowl outside linebacker, suffered a broken arm over Arizona in the NFC Championship game. He said he will play in the Super Bowl. The Panthers are also expected to be without defensive end Jared Allen. There are several Broncos dealing with injuries, but none has yet to be ruled out.
J is for jump. When the Panthers get near the goal line, watch for quarterback Cam Newton to jump over the line of scrimmage and extend the ball toward the end zone. Because of Newton's size, it is almost impossible for a defense to stop.
K is for kicker. Should the possibility of victory come down to a game-winning kick, Denver may have the edge.
Carolina’s Graham Gano is a perfect 11-of-11 from inside 30 yards, 4-of-5 from 30-39 yards, 13-of-16 from 40-49 yards and 2-of-4 from at least 50 yards. He’s 56-of-59 on point-after attempts.
Denver’s Brandon McManus is a perfect 20-of-20 from inside 39 yards, 5-of-8 from 40-49 yards and 5-of-7 from at least 50 yards. He is 35-of-36 on point-after attempts.
L is for Levi's Stadium. The site of this year's Super Bowl.
M is for Manning. Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is a five-time NFL MVP and one-time Super Bowl winner in 2007. He has suffered through various injuries, resulting in him passing for 2,249 yards, nine touchdowns and 17 interceptions during the regular season.
N is for Newton. Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, a native of College Park, is the likely NFL MVP after passing for 3,837 yards and 35 touchdowns and rushing for 636 yards and 10 more touchdowns during the regular season. He is a polarizing figure for his exuberant celebrations after he scores.
O is for Orange Crush. The nickname for Denver's defense during parts of the 1970s and '80s. This year's Broncos defense is one of the better in the league with averages of 283.1 yards per game during the regular season. They also had a league-best 52 sacks.
P is for Pittsburgh. The Steelers have won more Super Bowls (six) than any other team. The victories came in 2009 over Arizona, 2006 over Seattle, 1980 over Los Angeles, 1979 over Dallas, 1976 over Dallas and 1975 over Minnesota. The losses came in 2011 to Green Bay and 1996 to Dallas.
Q is for QB ratings. Newton had a rating of 99.4, the highest of his career. Manning had a rating of 67.9, the lowest of his career.
R is for TV ratings. Last year's Super Bowl had an average viewership of 114.4 million, according to NBC. It was the most watched broadcast in U.S. TV history.
S is Suwanee and Stone Mountain. They are two of the 12 cities in Georgia where players from Carolina and Denver went to high school, according to a map made by www.herosports.com. The remaining 10 are Atlanta, College Park, Cuthbert, Douglasville, Dublin, Hampton, Lithonia, Louisville, Norcross and Roswell.
T is for TV commercials. The reported cost of a 30-second commercial during this year's Super Bowl is selling for as much as $5 million, according to Fortune. During last year's Super Bowl, the same spot cost $4.5 million.
Undefeated. Only one team, the 1972 Miami Dolphins, has posted an undefeated season through the Super Bowl. The Dolphins won all 17 games, capped by a 14-7 win over Washington in Super Bowl VII in Los Angeles. Carolina came close this season. Its only loss came to the Falcons, 20-13 in its 15th game. Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula is the son of the Dolphins coach, Don Shula.
V is for validation. Will a Super Bowl win change people's perception of Newton or will it validate Manning's career? For everything Manning has done, critics will point to just one Super Bowl victory. This may be his last chance for a second. Though Newton smiles a lot and likes to celebrate, which is a refreshing change compared with the sterile, corporate feel that the NFL has undertaken, some feel that his exuberance is sometimes forced, and therefore, perhaps phony.
W is for wagers. Betting on this year's Super Bowl is expected to exceed $4 billion, according to the American Gaming Association. If you're curious, that is more than the Gross Domestic Product of several countries.
X is for extra time. No Super Bowl has ever needed overtime. Should this one need more time, if the first drive results in a touchdown, the team that scored is the winner. The other team will not get a chance to tie the game. Should the team that has first possession kick a field goal, punt or have a turnover, the other team will get a chance to win the game.
Y is for why roman numerals? The NFL reportedly believes it helps define the Super Bowl, even though most people must rack their brains to decipher the numbers once the game reached the 40s. An L, the Roman numeral for 50, wasn't used this year because of the letter's negative connotations. Don't worry, traditionalists, Roman numerals will return next year for Super Bowl LI. Yes, that's much better.
Z is for zero. There are nine teams that have appeared in the Super Bowl and have yet to win: Arizona, Carolina, San Diego, Tennessee, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Buffalo and Minnesota and the Falcons. There are four teams that have never appeared in a Super Bowl: Detroit, Cleveland, Jacksonville and Houston.
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