Why I love this game so much...and how it's led me to winning big in Vegas

I'll try to keep this short - the NFL experience is calling my name. There are field goals to be kicked, mock broadcasts with ex-NFL quarterbacks for me to get to, NFL facts to memorize, and revenge on my mother, to be had. She beat me in the QB target competition yesterday, although all 3 of mine were inches away and she just happened to hit one of them even with terrible form, so I'm not too pressed about it or emasculated by it.

I write this post short walk away from Allegiant Stadium, home of Super Bowl 58. I've spent my week immersing myself in the history of this beautiful game, getting more juiced than ever for my 19th Super Bowl.

After many many many hours of a Wikipedia / NFL Throwback / Sporcle diet when I was supposed to be at work (and many more instances of this throughout childhood / adulthood), I think I can name every Super Bowl score, location, first play safety against the Broncos, MVP, power outage, quarterback, nip slip, coach, and postgame Gisele rant. Still working on nailing down all the touchdowns.

What I have loved this week has been reflecting on Super Bowls of past - and what they meant to me. I put together a little presentation for my girlfriend explaining to me why I love this game so much, and how etched in my brain it's become. Some may want to skim this part.

The first time I got interested in football was September 6, 2005. My dad had just gotten back from a work trip and left an Athlon Sports magazine at my door. I read it cover to cover, hyped to cheer on his favorite team, the Denver Broncos, in Week 1 4 days later. They lost to Miami 34-10. I went back to memorizing classical composers and freeways for a bit.

But Denver came back around that season, slithering past TB12 and into the AFC Championship Game with Jake "The Snake" Plummer. I was intrigued by Super Bowl 40, although probably frustrated by an absurd amount of missed calls. The 2006 season had its moments for me too - Peyton outdueling Brady in the AFC Championship Game and Jim Nantz's perfect call of Devin Hester's opening kickoff return in Super Bowl 41. But it was 2007 when it all changed.

My dad told me he was entering a fantasy football league midseason. It was a 37-team auction style league. Every team got $300, with players priced accordingly. There were 9 weeks. Top total score won. Winner got tickets to the Pro Bowl in Honululu - which mattered at the time.

I got an explanation of how our odds to win the league were less than 3%. I didn't care. I wanted some really big rings. I still remember one move where we were able to swap Carson Palmer and Marques Colston for Peyton Manning and Roddy White in our lineup, with Palmer proceeding to score negative points that week. 

Week 17 came around, and in spite of one of the worst drops I've ever seen by Kellen Winslow, we were firmly in the lead. I dreamed that we lost the league after Sunday night. We hadn't. Whoever it was followed up on the offer. My dad said he almost took his high school best friend instead of the Billy Beane of a team that was likely named "Kickin SaaS". Luckily, he ended up taking me. 

I got back to second grade after winter break and dominated the "what did you do over break" conversation - my second grade teacher was a huge Pats fan. With the anticipation of a Hawaiian excursion fresh on my mind, I got to enjoy the rest of the NFL playoffs - including Super Bowl 42. For the first time, we hosted a Super Bowl party and made it fun, and it happened to line up with the greatest Super Bowl ever (arguably). While I could have made $200 on squares if the final score was Pats 14, Giants 10, I didn't hate watching Eli's helmet catch heroics. Winning big on the craps table last night, thanks to my dad's hot hand, made up for it.

The next week, I got to meet Brandon Jacobs and Amani Toomer, key pieces in New York's run. I went to an event where every NFL team had their own city-themed booths - Cuban food for the Dolphins, Edgar Allen Poe for the Ravens, probably E-40 for the Niners. My dad doesn't remember. I'll never forget.

From there, my love for the game was sealed. We had many more Super Bowl parties, watching the Tampa toe tap, the Porter pick, the Rodgers renaissance, and the Manning(ham) Miracle in Super Bowls 43-46. Super Bowls 47-48 brought sadness (yes, I am a Niners and Broncos fan). Super Bowl 49 was inexplicable. We went to Super Bowl 50 and cheered on our beloved Broncos at Levi's Stadium.

The energy has been there for the last few Super Bowls, but it's different this time. My beloved Niners have made it back against the Kansas City dynasty that looks to define my adulthood much like the Patriots dynasty (as well as family / friends) defined my childhood. It's going to be a hell of a game. 

I'm starting to get antsy, so I won't deep dive into the game. All I'll say is that the Niners will run at will, look to Kittle in man coverage, and make sure Third and Jauan Jennings hits over 1.5 receptions. Kansas City will also move the ball against a suspect Niners defense, and the Houdini in Mahomes will come out a few times during the game. He'll probably play far better than he did in Super Bowl 54. But it won't matter in the end. Niners 29, Chiefs 26.

The activities are calling my name. Will I get to do another broadcast with Dan Orlovsky, who I wrote a Bleacher Report post about 12 and a half years ago in anticipation of this very moment? Will I finally smoke my mom in the accuracy challenge? Will I memorize every Super Bowl touchdown? Will my mom finally memorize every word to Niner Gang by E-40? Will I make it back on Freezing Cold Takes? Will my dad maintain the hot hand at the tables?

It may take a few days to gather my thoughts postgame...but I'll be back on here. GO NINERS