Super Bowl 50: 10 Surprising Things to Watch for on Sunday
It's here...it's finally here!
After suffering through a week without football (the Pro Bowl doesn't count), the NFL returns for its best and brightest show on Sunday.
Super Bowl 50 features the young, upstart Carolina Panthers against the veteran Denver Broncos in what should turn out to be one of the season's best games.
However, there's more to each Super Bowl than just who wins and who loses. All of the fanfare, celebrity appearances and novelty items make this one of the largest spectacles in all of sport.
Each year contains some surprises, but in the spirit of spoiling those, I've compiled some interesting rumors (and facts) to show off what we can expect on Sunday.
Let's check out 10 surprising things we should all be on the lookout for at Super Bowl 50!
More Celebrities Than We Anticipated
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Super Bowl halftime shows are usually an exciting interlude between the biggest football game of the year, and this year should be no different.
What we know so far is that Coldplay will be headlining the stage, while Beyonce will join in at some point to perform.
According to Hugh McIntyre of Forbes, Jay-Z is among a few celebrities "that would make sense" performing alongside Coldplay and Beyonce at the Super Bowl 50 halftime show.
With Coldplay as the main attraction, we can certainly expect any number of musical talents to join forces with the popular rock group that has featured several big-name performers in past songs.
Also among the potential halftime performers are Rihanna and Avicii, as both have worked with Coldplay in the past.
Regardless of who joins Coldplay on the stage, it should be a memorable concert in between an exciting football game.
Interesting Ways to Predict the Super Bowl Winner
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Anytime there's a big sporting event approaching, we can count on the obscure ways people pick who will win and who will lose.
Whether it's picking the winner based on how many chicken wings each city can eat or relying on the popular Madden video game, there's no shortage of fun ways to choose a winner.
I certainly hope more animal-related videos show up in the coming days, as they were quite successful at choosing last year's Super Bowl winner.
Of course it's all in good fun, but for those of you who aren't sports fans and need to pick a team team, there are plenty of selection methods at your disposal to help make a decision.
San Francisco
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As surprising as it might be, the city of San Francisco does not seem to be embracing the Super Bowl as much as some people might expect.
Sure, there are plenty of football fans who are happy to have the biggest game of the season in their hometown, but others seem displeased with the extra fanfare it brings to town.
The New York Times reported some Super Bowl statues were actually vandalized in San Francisco, likely in response to the rising costs of living in and around the city.
In even weirder news, the statue's defacement received rave reviews on several social-media sites, which certainly makes it seem like the Super Bowl isn't wanted in San Francisco.
While the NFL had to expect some negativity toward bringing so much attention to town, it seems likely the league will take a long look at bringing its most important game of the season back to a city that doesn't seem to want it there in the first place.
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Crazy (and Expensive) Souvenirs
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Whenever we go to big events, whether they're concerts, sporting events or other shows, we tend to want to pick up souvenirs to remember the day.
Super Bowl 50 certainly offers some unique mementos—gifts that go way past thoughtful and more into the bizarre category.
Sparkling clutches donning each NFL team's logo are available for just $4,200 apiece, while a Super Bowl 50 New Era lambskin hat can be yours for only $2,500.
If you really need a keepsake that will impress your friends, make sure to purchase the $50,000 commemorative gold coin to show that you can afford pretty useless items.
Of course, more normal items like jerseys and jackets are available as well, but how many times can you say you spent thousands of dollars on a lambskin hat?
In an era where having more "stuff" is viewed as a sign of importance, you can bet several of these multi-thousand dollar items will be flying off the shelves leading up to Super Bowl 50.
Who Watches the Big Game on a Television Anymore?
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Televisions are so 2010. At least, that's what I expect the young crowd to say nowadays.
According to a study by Adobe Digital Index (h/t Stewart Rogers of venturebeat.com), "35 percent of Millennials plan to watch via a connected television set," while "greater than 25 percent" anticipate downloading an app to watch.
The study mentioned that U.S. consumers use multiple screens on a regular basis, using 2.42 devices on average at the same time.
The days of watching games on basic cable are behind us, which is a scary thought for those of us who are used to just turning on a TV and changing the channel to what we want.
During your Super Bowl parties, be on the lookout for those guys with a tablet and smartphone out who aren't watching the game and let them know that similar is sometimes better.
The App Takeover Is in Full Effect
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That's right, folks, the Super Bowl has its own app now!
According to David Pierce of Wired.com, Super Bowl 50 will have an app separate from the typical Levi's Stadium one.
The app will not offer food delivery or mobile ticketing, but it allows attendees of the big game to watch the same commercials fans at home are seeing.
Also featured will be a live stream of any celebrity interactions at the Super Bowl, so fans can keep up with their favorite A-listers throughout the day.
For anyone going to Super Bowl 50, make sure and check out this app and figure out if it's really worth all the hype.
Everyone else will have to enjoy watching football games the old-fashioned way, until apps take over our stadium in the near future.
It's inevitable; we might as well embrace it and learn to love the app as the new immersive feature of any event.
Heavy Hearts on Denver's Sideline
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The fact Antonio Smith is even suiting up for the Super Bowl speaks volumes about the character his father instilled in him.
Smith will be taking the field with a heavy heart after his father died following heart surgery, yet he chose to stay with his team and fulfill his duties as a member of the Broncos.
In Smith's interview with the Associated Press (via KRON 4), he mentioned "But I know I got a greater purpose and a greater responsibility here on this stage."
As shattering and upsetting as the news surely was, Denver's defensive end has chosen to stand by his teammates and try to win the most important game of his professional football career.
No matter who you root for on Sunday, make sure and offer some support to Antonio Smith—a man who has much more to play for than just a Super Bowl ring.
Continued Success for Panthers Run Game?
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Now in some actual football news, the Carolina Panthers are notorious for being able to run the ball effectively. In fact, they've rushed for over 100 yards in 31 consecutive games.
Thirty-one teams in a row haven't been able to slow down Carolina's offense.
Enter Denver's defense. The Broncos have only allowed seven teams to break the 100-yard mark this season, and they seemed to get better at defending as the season went along.
Sure, the Patriots don't run much, giving them a low rushing output in the AFC Championship Game.
However, it's strength against strength in Super Bowl 50, and which team wins this battle could ultimately determine who comes away victorious.
In a game with plenty to look forward to, this matchup should be one of the day's most exciting.
Demaryius Thomas' Mom Will Be in Attendance
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In Demaryius Thomas' first Super Bowl trip two years ago, his mother Katina Smith was forced to watch from a prison in Florida.
Smith has since been released from prison and was able to see her son play professional football for the first time just a few weeks ago.
After some speculation that Katina would not be attending Super Bowl 50, Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post announced she would be making the trip to San Francisco to watch her son play.
Thomas played extraordinarily well in his first Super Bowl appearance, catching 13 balls for 118 yards the team's only touchdown.
He'll certainly be looking for a similar performance this Sunday, as his mother's presence will serve as extra motivation to perform at a high level.
Cam Newton's Shot at History
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Cam Newton has done well at almost every level of his football career.
Even his junior-college season at Blinn College led to a national championship, before bringing home another title as the Auburn Tigers quarterback.
Now, the likely NFL Most Valuable Player has an opportunity to bring home a Super Bowl for the Carolina Panthers.
Newton would be only the second player to win a Heisman Trophy, national championship, NFL MVP and Super Bowl.
Carolina faces a tough challenge in the stout Denver Broncos defense, but if anyone can beat a defense this good, it's Newton.
Super Bowl 50 will hopefully be an exciting game filled with plenty of action-packed highlights, and Newton will likely be involved in many of those.
If everything goes the Panthers' way, Newton will be in the history books as his incredible career continues to develop.
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