Connecticut's Super Bowl

Super Bowl 46 (XLVI) is a Connecticut sports fan’s dream. This state has always been a “family divided” when it comes to sports allegiances. Hartford is the approximate “Mason Dixon Line” with north and east tending to favor Boston while south and west usually prefer New York. So with sports’ biggest event and America’s top “secular holiday” coming up on Feb. 5, we in the “860” and “203” are poised to be the most intense consumers of the Super Bowl and all of its attendant hype.

Storyline #1: Rematch! 

This game is a rematch of the 2008 Super Bowl when the Giants ruined New England's perfect season. Giants QB Eli Manning made the most “clutch” play in NFL history when he scrambled and eventually found David Tyree to keep the winning drive alive. Tom Brady remembers. And Tom Brady would like nothing better than to have revenge against Eli on the home field of Eli’s celebrated older brother Peyton, the future Hall of Famer from the Colts. Brady and Peyton are generally considered the top two QBs of the past 15 years, but if Eli wins again, he might make the case for being the best of them all. 

Storyline #2: History Makers?

Tom Brady’s boyhood idol was 49ers great Joe Montana, who won four Super Bowls as a starting QB. Only Terry Bradshaw of the Pittsburgh Steelers can match that number. Brady has won three, so a win in this game puts him on the Mount Rushmore of Super Bowl legends. And the same is the case for Bill Belichick, who would tie Steelers legend Chuck Noll with four Super Bowl wins as head coach. Besides Belichick, the only coaches with three are Joe Gibbs and Bill Walsh, who was Montana's coach for three of Montana's four Super Bowl victories. So Belichick and Brady would also tie Noll and Bradshaw as the top coach/QB combo in Super Bowl history with a win.

Storyline #3: Jets fans left in the cold
The Giants are the plucky underdogs who have thrilled their fans with late season heroics. They have always owned the NY football market, but in recent years the Jets have made major inroads. Not this year. The “G Men” own the front AND back pages of the New York Post. This must be agonizing for Jets coach Rex Ryan to watch. Rex may be the all time leader in “smack talk with no results,” and now he gets to watch the two teams he hates the most play each other in the Super Bowl.  I wonder if he wants either team to win?  As for Jets fans, cheer up … maybe Peyton Manning will be YOUR starting QB next season. 

The MHK Factor

Myra Hiatt Kraft was the beloved wife of Patriots owner Robert Kraft who passed away back in July after battling cancer. She was a devoted philanthropist and a person admired by every member of the organization. The Patriots players commissioned a special painting of Myra that they presented to her husband in week 16 of the season. Since then, her memory (and some say the painting, which travels to the locker room) has had a galvanizing effect on the team. There were two miracle plays against the Ravens in the championship game, including a missed 32 yard field goal at the end. Some actually believe that Myra was playing defense on that kick.

Finally

I believe the Patriots will find a way to pull it out. For Patriots fans like me and Giants fans like my friends, this game is guaranteed to be memorable. It seems certain that the game will be close. Giants fans know that while the Patriots are on a 10-game winning streak, the last team to beat New England was the Giants. It was on Nov. 6, the day the power finally came back on in my neighborhood after the October storm. And while it will be tough for Super Bowl 46 to measure up to 42, it just might. And for the Jets fans who feel left out of Connecticut's football celebration, this game features something for you too. Maybe Rex Ryan will be in a couple of the commercials.