If you're a fan of any of the following things, then you have no reason not to be excited for the Super Bowl this weekend:
- Great football
- Chicken wings
- World records
- More chicken wings
The matchup of the Denver Broncos and their No. 1-rated offense against the Seattle Seahawks and their No. 1 defense should provide us with the great football. And the chicken wings? Well, you're on your own.
But as for the world records, well didn't you come to the right place?! Here's a record-breaking primer to get you ready for Super Sunday. If you don't leave having impressed the everyone at your party, we don't know what else we could've done to help.
ALREADY RECORD BREAKERS
Both sides enter Sunday having already earned Guinness World Records titles this season, although only Denver's will likely have any bearing on the game itself.
See, the Broncos offense basically went Megazord on the NFL this year. Led by all-universe quarterback Peyton Manning, Denver broke records for most points scored (606) and most touchdowns (76) by an NFL offense. Manning captained this 11-man destroyer with records of his own for most passing touchdowns (55) and passing yards (5,477) in a single season. And that's just the beginning. While not all world records, check out this complete list of insane accomplishments by the Broncos offense this season, courtesy of Mile High Report.
Seattle, meanwhile, relied on its fans to get into the record books this year. They twice broke the record for loudest crowd roar at a sports stadium in the friendly (except to opponents) confines of CenturyLink Field. Read all about the 12th Man's accomplishments here, and then be sure to ask the San Francisco 49ers (see video above) how they feel about Seahawks fans.
Due to the game being played not only on a neutral field, but on the complete opposite side of the country, Seattle's 12th Man won't be a factor at the Super Bowl. The same probably can't be said for Manning.
HE'S THE MANNING
Already universally regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play, the conventional argument stands that if Peyton were to win Sunday - earning a second career ring and defeating one of the league's most ferocious defenses - he would basically cement himself as the greatest quarterback to ever play.
In fact, should the Broncos pull it off, Manning would become the first quarterback to ever win the Lombardi Trophy with multiple teams (Indianapolis Colts, Super Bowl XLI), thus by default earning him the record for most Super Bowls won with different franchises by a starting quarterback.
Already a legend in his own right, Manning will have to outduel the quarterback play of a young, Pacific Northwest cult hero. Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson is just the sixth quarterback to ever appear in a Super Bowl in either his first or second year. Aged 25, Wilson had yet to celebrate his 10th birthday when Peyton Manning took his first career NFL snap. The 12-year age difference between Wilson and the 37-year-old Manning would be the largest age disparity between starting quarterbacks in the Super Bowl.
DIP BOWL
Just like the dip bowl at your Super Bowl party, here's the section where you never know what you're going to find.
Have you heard the Super Bowl is outside this year? In New York City New Jersey? Searching "Super Bowl New York cold" brings back 192 million hits, so you probably have. But it's a popular narrative for a reason. With an expected gameday high temperature of 37 degrees (2.8 C) and a low of 27 (-2.8 C), the safest bet you could make in Vegas is that this will be the coldest Super Bowl ever, out-frigiding New Orleans' 39-degree Super Bowl VI in 1972.
It'll be cold because the game will take place at open-air MetLife Stadium, home to the New York Giants and New York Jets. MetLife, opened in 2010 at a cost of $1.6 billion, is the most expensive sports stadium ever built, and of course that price tag did not include a retractable roof.
Meanwhile, this appearance puts Denver in the Super Bowl for the 7th time. That leaves them just one shy of the record for most Super Bowl appearances by a franchise, held jointly by the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers. Manning has already said he'd certainly like to come back next year...
And, of course, we can't preview the Super Bowl without talking about the commercials. Due to its being the highest-watched TV program in America each year, the contest routinely draws the highest advertising spend to air a commercial during the contest. That record keeps rising with the times. This year, a 30-second spot during the game costs an average of $4 million, the most expensive advertising slot in the history of television. Quite the hike from the just-under $1 million it cost to air Apple's iconic "1984" ad, which happens to be celebrating its 30th anniversary.
So there you have it. Go Broncos? Go Seahawks? Either way, go get those wings. You don't want to be that host waiting for the food to arrive after kickoff.
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