Listen HereBy Mac Williams
Twitter: @m_williamsm2
Email: Williamsm2@findlay.edu
The big game is almost here. On Sunday, Feb. 4, 2018, the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots will square off in Super Bowl 52 with a world championship hanging in the balance.
For the University of Findlay, this Super Bowl has extra meaning. According to NBC24.com, the Eagles signed former UF cornerback Harold Jones-Quartey to their practice squad on Jan. 9. The signing means that if an injury occurs during the big game Harold Jones-Quartey may get to play in the Super Bowl.
According to Rob Keys, head football coach at the University of Findlay, it would be a thrill to see Harold out there playing in the Super Bowl.
“You just never know, on any given play someone could go down and then Harold could be in there,” said Keys. “I’m truly fortunate that I was able to coach such a talented young man like Harold and I’m glad that our University is represented in the biggest sporting event in the world.”
According to Pro-football-reference.com, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is no stranger to the big stage as he will be making his eighth start in the Super Bowl and will be seeking his sixth championship, which would be the most in NFL history for a starting quarterback. For the Eagles, they rely on quarterback Nick Foles to try and bring the city of Philadelphia its first championship in franchise history after making the Super Bowl on two other occasions.
Each team will come into the game after boasting impressive wins over tough opponents during the conference championship round. For the Patriots, they defeated the league’s number one defense by beating Jacksonville 24-20. As for the Eagles, they were in control from the start as they pounded the Super Bowl hosting Minnesota Vikings 38-7.
According to sportingnews.com, the game will be played in Minneapolis at the U.S. Bank Stadium, the regular season home of the Vikings. The game will be the first Super Bowl in the state of Minnesota since Super Bowl 26 in 1992.
The Patriots open as the five and a half point favorite to win the Super Bowl making them the largest favorite since 2009 when the Pittsburgh Steelers were seven point favorites to beat the Arizona Cardinals as stated by vegasinsider.com.
For those of you who are more interested in the halftime show, this year’s headliner is Justin Timberlake who will be doing the halftime show for the second time. His first try didn’t go as planned in 2004 when Janet Jackson had an infamous wardrobe malfunction while the two were performing together. 2004 was also the last time that the Eagles were in the Super Bowl and their opponent just happened to be the New England Patriots. The Patriots won that game 24-21.
As the game nears and the anticipation builds, football fans from around the globe will no doubt tune in to see the next chapter of NFL history. If last year’s epic comeback is any indication of what we might see this year, we are all in for a wild ride.
