NFL, Manning-Russell, the old and the new, off to the richest Super Bowl in history

A rain of dollars in the New York frost will be the backdrop to the Super Bowl. A bargain for everyone in a sport that, year after year, conquers more and more … yards even in old Europe, but which, is discovered and treated as a freak show only on the occasion of its grand finale. Which, in the night between Sunday and Monday, will offer the best of the NFL team of the season: the Denver Broncos against the Seattle Seahawks.

The numbers of the business
New York dressed up for the sporting event of the year. The 48 / o Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, will be the most expensive final ever ($ 70 million). According to some economic analysts the impact in dollars of the final NFL act will be over 600 million. As always, the commercials during the match (highly paid, it is said that a transition from 30 seconds in one of the key moments costs up to 4 million dollars …) will also be the most viewed of the year and the merchandising will produce gains that will even be difficult to calculate.

The weather
Much criticism has followed the choice of the commissioner, Roger Goodell, to have the SB disputed outdoors, in the middle of winter, in New Jersey. How to play in a freezer. Last weekend would have been a disaster because a snowstorm buried the stadium. Fortunately, on the night between Sunday and Monday, it will be better. Frost yes, but no storm expected.

What a deal for touchdown legends
Many legendary champions have been invited in this long week in New York for all sorts of initiatives. Obviously, it was not free … Cachet, from minimum, 10 thousand dollars for the myths of the NFL. In return, brilliant appearances in shows, parties, business dinners and go-go interviews on TV, radio and websites. The most requested? But what questions, the usual Joe Montana, the fantastic quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers was a guest of honor everywhere in exchange for 60 thousand dollars.

And now we face the most interesting, the merely sporting theme. The two strongest teams arrive in the final, the ones that did best in the regular season, confirming themselves in the playoffs. It will be the game of life for Seattle, which has never won a title and which, in the only Super Bowl played, was certainly damaged by some unfortunate arbitration calls that benefited the Pittsburgh Steelers. A chance to sign the trio of SBs won, on the other hand, for Denver, which has not raised the trophy named after Vince Lombardi (from Salerno) since the days of John Elway.

The qb veteran and the qb boy
Generational clash between quarterbacks (beautifully represented in the illustration by the young Mirk Parisi). Repudiated by the Indianapolis Colts two years ago because of 4 delicate surgical neck injections that seemed to have ended his career, he jumped at the opportunity offered by Elway, now in the Denver leadership. With magnificent results. They say it could be the last chance for him. But Peyton has already said that, whatever happens, next year will still be in the field. Very great indeed. The leader of the Sehawks is, however, the young Russell Wilson. An athletic and technical phenomenon, such as to have been chosen not only for football, but also for the top league of professional baseball. RW is not a classic qb – like Peyton – it knows how to get out of the pocket and sprint forward like a running back. It is part of the nouvelle vague of the qb and in two years it has been practically perfect, pure talent.

Super attack against super defense
The tactical key of the match can also be summarized. Manning’s aerial game, which boasts a powerful, agile and highly capable battery of receivers, is impressive. By land, then, Moreno always makes havoc. The Denver attack is a touchdown machine but, be careful, Seattle’s defense is just as powerful, agile and skillful. Eyes focused on the secondary because the Seahawks are specialists in intercepting qb throws. In other words, in switching off the air game. And then it will be a challenge in the challenge to see Manning launch and the turbulent Richard Sherman, cornerback with great qualities and avoidable trash talking try to intercept those trajectories. For the attack of the Seahawks don’t miss the strength and the class of the running back Marshawn Lynch, practically unstoppable when it is in the day.

(01 February 2014)