Every year around this time, the football world is turned into a zoo or a media circus with Super Bowl mayhem, so in that case, let’s talk animals.
This year’s Super Bowl matchup of the Denver Broncos versus the Seattle Seahawks marks only the third time in Super Bowl history that both teams’ mascots are animals, believe it or not! All other years have featured a matchup of a “human” mascot versus an animal or a “human” versus a “human.”
In fact, the last time two animals faced off in the Super Bowl was in 2007 for Super Bowl XLI, when the Colts beat the Bears. That is good news for Peyton Manning, since he was the QB for that Colts victory. The only other animal-on-animal action in the big game was back in ‘99 for Super Bowl XXXIII, when the Broncos beat the Falcons, which bodes well for the Broncos this year, having experience shooting down the feathered variety. So that’s two “feathers in the cap” for the Broncos.
The Seahawks’ only other Super Bowl appearance was against the Steelers in SB XL, which they lost, 21-10. This is the Broncos’ first Super Bowl appearance since the Elway regime defeated the “Dirty Bird” Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII.
Let’s go over a brief history of Animals in the Super Bowl, shall we?
Broncos are 2-4 in Super Bowls
Seahawks are 0-1 in Super Bowls
Only one “Bird Team” has won a Super Bowl – the Ravens did it twice (Super Bowl XXXV and XLVII).
Animal mascot teams are a combined 10-25 in Super Bowls (counting the Buffalo Bills for using the buffalo as their mascot). However, if you subscribe to the notion that their mascot is the man “Buffalo Bill”, then the animal teams would be 10-21 instead…not much better.
Bird Teams, specifically, are 2-5 in Super Bowls, with the aforementioned Ravens getting the two wins. Eagles, Falcons, Cardinals and Seahawks have all lost Super Bowls.
Horse Teams are 4-7 in Super Bowls, however all hooved creatures are a mere 5-13 in the big game (Colts, Broncos, Rams, Chargers, Bills).
Both “animal over animal” Super Bowls (Colts over Bears & Broncos over Falcons) were played in Miami, but Manning and his horses will have to battle the elements of winter in New York to pull off the victory this go-round.
It sounds like a National Geographic Nature series…”Animal versus Animal: The Big Game” and these facts may outweigh all that big game minutiae regarding the players and coaches and trash-talking cornerbacks and other random junk on the field…maybe not…but it’s fun to tap into the animal kingdom for help with breaking down the Super Bowl. Whether you “look a gift horse in the mouth” or think a “bird in the hand” is worth a win in the big game, it should be an entertaining matchup.
So which animal do you prefer in this Super Bowl…the hooved or feathered variety? Based on my logic and research, and love of animals, I predict a Broncos win over the Seahawks, 23-17.
