Super Bowl LV: news summary for Monday 2 February
Super Bowl LV live updates: Chiefs vs Buccaneers 2 February
Super Bowl LV Chiefs vs Bucs Latest News
- A year ago today, the Chiefs lifted Super Bowl LIV
- Dolphin Nicholas predicts Chiefs win
- Raymond James Stadium painted and ready for the season showdown. Kick-off for Super Bowl LV is Sunday 7 February at 6:30 p.m. ET.
- Chiefs put Robinson and Kilgore on the reserve list after covid-19 close contact. Both can still play given negative tests
- Kansas City Chiefs three point favourites to win the Super Bowl, over-under at 56.5
- Most Touchdown Passes: Mahomes -143 Brady +115
- 2021 Super Bowl MVP odds: Patrick Mahomes -120; Tom Brady +190. And then Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce at +1100 (We'd put Kelce at slightly less than that, but still...)
- Eric Fisher (T) and Willlie Gay (LB) out for Chiefs
- Antonio Brown (WR) and Jordan Whitehead (S) doubtful for the Buccaneers
Mahomes can be as influential as LeBron James - Reid
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid says quarterback Patrick Mahomes can be as influential a figure beyond sport as NBA star LeBron James,
LA Lakers player James, 36, has been a prominent advocate for racial equality and against social injustice.
"I think he's got a way about him where he understands people and they are interested in things he has to say, or back, and believe in," Reid said of Mahomes on Tuesday.
"So, I think that presents yourself with a good combination to whatever platform that you want to support or take, that you have that ability."
“Tom Brady is one step ahead of everything” - Steve Spagnuolo
More praise for Brady
This time from Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. "He has total control. He gets them out there in time to change things. We're going to have to be really good on the back end not to show him things, or as we say, don't let him read our mail."
Mahomes vs Brady
A deep dive into the stats from both quarterbacks for Sunday's game. The overview: Brady's overall achievements of course are far ahead of Mahomes' thanks to his over 20-year career - but in his three years so far Mahomes has already done things Brady never did... this is going to be a fascinating battle.
“Tom Brady showed me that I was doing things the right way” - Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes' chat with Brady
The two quarterbacks played each other in Mahomes' second season in the NFL, in the AFC Championship Game.
Brady and the New England Patriots won 37-31 in overtime, and the veteran made the effort to go and see his young counterpart...
Brady asks for your comments
As you'd expect, we're keeping a close eye on social media activity throughout the day and one of the expected protagonists has just tweeted asking for you to give him some chat. Here's a selection of some early replies:
"I’ve never seen Han Solo and Tom Brady in the same room together."
"Tom Brady getting ready for Super Bowl 55 in front and Tom Brady getting ready for Super Bowl 100 in the back"
"When they say you’re a system qb and only won thanks to bill, but then you become a pirate and sail the seven(th) seas(uper bowl)"
"Alfred E Newman...”What Me Worry?”
"When despite so many people claiming you’re “washed”, you’re about to play in your 10th Super Bowl at the age of 43."
Super Bowl LVI - thinking ahead
With the current finale not yet complete, some people are already planning their bets for nest season.
The Los Angeles Rams immediately became one of the favorites to win Super Bowl LVI with the acquisition of quarterback Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions.
Listed at 18/1 by SportsBetting.com last week, the Rams are now being offered at 10/1 by the sportsbook, making them the third favorite behind this year's final contenders Kansas City Chiefs (6/1) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9/1).
The Rams’ 2020 season end with a loss to the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the playoffs, and coach Sean McVay declined to fully endorse Jared Goff as the team’s starting quarterback for next season.
It quickly became apparent why on Saturday, when the Rams sent Goff and a bevvy of draft picks to Detroit to acquire Stafford.
Read more:
Coin toss, anthem time, Gatorade color odds
One of the best parts of the Super Bowl each year is the massive number of prop bets available for the average bettor. So says Odds Shark's Gilles Gallant. Niche props like the national anthem runtime or what color of Gatorade will be poured on the winning coach are fairly popular but the pregame coin toss is always a massive draw because there is no true edge.
Whether you’re a seasoned professional bettor or making your first visit to a sportsbook, no one can resist a legitimate 50-50 proposition bet like the coin toss that requires no true skill to pick the winner. It’s one of the few bets you can make with minimal effort and basic handicapping.
Check below for more on prop bets.
Super Bowl: odds checker
Did you know that the Chiefs began the season as +575 favourites to win Super Bowl LV? Of course you did!
Well, as the season went on, those odds dwindled, and they started the playoffs at +220 to retain their trophy.
The Bucs, on the other hand, faced longer odds and a path that included three consecutive games on the road. They were +1000 to win when the playoffs began, +800 after beating Washington and +425 after beating New Orleans, picking up attention from bettors every step along the way. (h/t rotoworld)
The missing piece
Current Head Coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Bruce Arians, spoke about that missing something...
But the team have pulled together to get to this point.
Dolphin predicts winner
We told you earlier that this was going to happen. So get ready to find out...
It's the Kansas City Chiefs for Nicholas!!! Will he make it 7 from 7?
Lombardi Trophy + tattoo
If the Bucs top the Chiefs in Super Bowl 55 on Sunday, you can look for a new tattoo on receiver Mike Evans: a Lombardi Trophy.
“If we win, absolutely I’m getting a Lombardi somewhere on me,” Evans said Monday. “... Not my face, but maybe neck or back or somewhere on one of my arms.”
Super Bowl covid protocols
Having fans in the stadium at all is a big deal, but those that are heading down to Tampa for Sunday's Super Bowl will be met with strict warnings to mask up and practice social distancing, as the threat of covid-19 hangs over the biggest spectacle in American sports.
A limited crowd of 22,000 general admission fans - plus 2,700 in suites - will watch the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the Kansas City Chiefs inside Raymond James Stadium, with thousands more expected to take part in festivities leading up to the game, putting public health experts on alert.
"It’s a natural breeding ground for potential community spread and I think ... in the weeks following the Super Bowl, we’re going to see some spikes here and around the country," said Jay Wolfson, a professor of public health and senior associate dean at the University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine in Tampa.
The NFL, which faced numerous covid-19-related schedule disruptions but no outright cancellations during the season, will require all fans to wear provided KN-95 masks at the game, while maintaining a rigidly controlled environment to keep attendees socially distant.
Of the 22,000 general admission fans at the stadium, 7,500 will be vaccinated healthcare workers who were given free tickets by the league.
"We have very strict protocol about (seating) pod integrity, about the spacing, the inflow, the outflow, the use of sanitization, the use of contactless methods," NFL Chief Medical Officer Allen Sills told reporters last week.
Dolphin Super Bowl prediction today!
Nicholas, who is a rescue dolphin living at Clearwater Marine Aquarium has been predicting the winner of the Super Bowl for the past 6 years and now he's going for a 7th!
Nicholas will touch the football with the logo of the team he thinks is going to win. We'll have the result here after noon ET!
Last night the Union Station and the Kansas City skyline are lit in Kansas City Chiefs colors prior to Super Bowl LV. (Pic: Jamie Squire/Getty Images/AFP)
"He's the life of the party, but it amazes me how he's able to interact with people and have the same energy every single day...
"He makes every single person feel like they're the most important person in the world. It's something that I admire."
Ad-ding value to the Super Bowl
It wouldn't be the NFL showdown without some serious interest in who is investing in the promotions.
Although the pandemic has caused some companies to avoid the high-premium spots, Bud Light are all set.
Covid warning after Chiefs' barber visit
A barber who recently cut the hair of two Chiefs players received a positive test result for covid-19 on Sunday, per sources, leading to receiver Demarcus Robinsonand center Daniel Kilgore landing on the reserve/covid-19 list Monday, six days before Super Bowl LV.
Neither Robinson nor Kilgore has tested positive and all parties were masked during the encounters, lowering the chance of transmission, sources say. But given the duration and proximity, both were deemed high-risk close contacts of the barber and had to be placed on the reserve/covid-19 list.
If Robinson and Kilgore continue to test negative, both will be eligible to return to the Chiefs' active roster in time to face the Buccaneers prior to Sunday, though they won't be able to practice before the weekend because of the mandatory five-day isolation period. The Chiefs aren't traveling to Tampa until Saturday.
Full story:
Super Bowl memories
Remember when Missy Elliot and Katie Perry got the place jumping in 2015?
The Super Bowl XLIX halftime show took place on February 1, 2015, at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, as part of Super Bowl XLIX. It featured American singer Katy Perry, with singer Lenny Kravitz and rapper Missy Elliott as special guests.
The halftime show was critically acclaimed and its broadcast on NBC attracted 118.5 million viewers in the United States and 120.7 million worldwide, making it the most watched halftime show on network broadcast. The halftime show was watched by more viewers than the game itself and won two Emmy Awards in September 2015. Thanks Wiki!
Alexa! Show me a Super Bowl advert trailer, please
Michael B. Jordan has shared a quick look at the promotion for Amazon's personal listening device. Careful what you say now.
One year ago today...
...the Kansas City Chiefs were winning Super Bowl LIV.
Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to their first Super Bowl title in 50 years as they overturned a 10-point deficit inside the final seven minutes to beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20.
San Francisco appeared poised to win a sixth Lombardi Trophy, which would have drawn them level with the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers as the NFL's most successful franchises, when they led 20-10 heading into the closing stages on Sunday.
However, Chiefs quarterback Mahomes – who had been intercepted twice by a swarming 49ers defense – threw late touchdown passes to Travis Kelce and Damien Williams to add to his rushing score in the first quarter. Read more.
How are Super Bowl cities selected?
Choosing a Super Bowl venue
Highest ranked team? Largest capacity? Decent weather? Presidential choice?
Have you ever pondered why a particular venue is chosen for the Super Bowl each year? If so, satisfy your curiosity once and for all with our explanation.
Out of interest, after this season’s finale at the Raymond James Stadium, we’ll be off to California next year, at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
In 2023, the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, will play host but we still don’t know where we’ll be going for 2024. That said, advanced planning has the Mercedes-Benz Superdome lined up for 2025, as New Orleans in Louisiana takes centre stage.
Wagering on the Super Bowl
With another seven states now allowing online gambling on sports, taking the total across the US to 15, bookmakers are expecting a big increase in the amount of bets placed on the season finale. Super Bowl 2020 drew just over $300 million in bets, Super Bowl in 2021 is expected to see over $500 million.
Make sure you check out the rules in your state as they vary wildly. For example, sports betting is legal in New York, yes, but only at a handful of retail casinos in upstate New York.
Super Bowl bets: Squares
If you fancy an entertaining game for your party on Sunday (please be careful and follow all covid restrictions where you are), Super Bowl Squares might be the one for you. Check out this video, courtesy of Sports Illustrated, in which Harvard Sports Analysis Collective alumnus Anthony Zanforelli explains which numbers give you the best chance of hitting the jackpot.
And if you don't know what Super Bowl squares is, check out this breakdown of the rules.
Mahomes socks
Patrick Mahomes #15 socks, spotted at Union Station in downtown Kansas City.
Covid list - Chiefs have two players on list
The Kansas City Chiefs yesterday placed two players on the reserve/covid list due to close contact exposure. Note, this does not mean they have the coronavirus. The two players are wide receiver Demarcus Robinson and center Daniel Kilgore.
Both players can still make the Super Bowl on Sunday, if they test negative to covid-19 from here to the big game.
Robinson has confirmed he hasn't tested positive and expects to train on Friday
What the Bucs are up against
Here's Patrick Mahomes' Top 10 plays from the 2020 season, from the Kansas City Chiefs. Check out play seven, how LONG did Mahomes wait, coping with the pressure he must have been feeling, before landing it in the corner? To be honest, check out all 10. He's so, so good.
Tom Brady's numbers worth three Hall of Fame spots
Brady - relentless attention
In case you hadn't noticed (where have you been?), the media has a pretty strong focus on the Bucs' quarterback Tom Brady - it is understandable though. This is his 10th Super Bowl, a record by a wide margin, and he's won six, also a record.
In this article Rodrigo Serrano breaks down his career into three separate parts, and argues that any one of those sections, if taken as a career on its own, would be enough to merit Hall of Fame status. He is rather special, don't expect the flow of coverage to cease any time soon...
When and where is Super Bowl LV 2021? - Date, location & kick-off time
The lowdown on the Super Bowl logistics
All the Super Bowl info on where, when, fans, half-time show and so on and so forth
Super Bowl LV - live build-up
Hello and welcome to our rolling coverage of the build-up to Super Bowl LV, which takes place this Sunday, 7 February, at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, with kick-off at 6:30 p.m.
The Raymond James Stadium is home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who become the first side in NFL history to play in a Super Bowl at their home ground. Despite that, and despite having six-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady marshalling their offence, they are still underdogs to Mahomes' Kansas City Chiefs, the reigning Super Bowl champions - although only narrowly, three-points the call from most bookmakers.