Super Bowl Prediction Post

It's that time of year where I make my annual post about the Super Bowl and connect it to some cards depicting the cities involved.

Let's start with the defending champs, the Kansas City Chiefs.  Similar to last year's post I can show off a card from the 2012 All-Star Game which was held in Kansas City.

Cutch participated in the Home Run Derby that year and Topps released a lot of cards from the annual event.  I already showed off my 2012 Topps Update Black parallel with a serial number prefix of 15 (Patrick Mahomes jersey number) last year.  

This year I am going to go with a much bigger card from the collection that I didn't own at the time of last year's Super Bowl.

Above is a 2013 Triple Threads laundry tag booklet card 1/1 featuring the jersey worn during batting practice and on field events for the 2012 All-Star Game, held in Kansas City.

Now for Tampa Bay.  The Buccaneers haven't been in the Super Bowl for nearly two decades.  Tom Brady left the New England Patriots last off season and there was many conversations about who was the most valuable asset to the New England Patriots dynasty.  Was it Tom Brady, the quarterback, or the mastermind coach, Bill Belichek?

Well, as the Patriots missed the playoffs and the Buccaneers are in the Super Bowl, it should be obvious that the guys who play the game often are the ones who win the games.  

This is true for nearly all sports.  In baseball, Joe Maddon In is often regarded as one of the most innovative and strategic managers in the game, yet he only won 1 World Series (thanks in large part to a late inning rainshower in Game 7).

Maddon got a lot of recognition for his time in Tampa Bay when he took a team with a bottom 5 payroll year after year to the Postseason year after year. 

Maddon is a Superstar coach and recognized a Superstar impression on the back of this 2013 Prizm Cutch card.

As you can see the Tampa Bay coach was impressed by another player.

I have a feeling another Tampa Bay will be admiring the player on the other side of the field today.

My prediction KC over TB 30-28

Serial History: Super Bowl Connection

In case you're living under a rock, today is Super Bowl Sunday.  The Kansas City Chiefs will be facing off against the San Francisco 49ers.

I am going to show off a pair of Black parallels that relate to the cities and then I will talk about the best black athlete from each team in my opinion.

Cutch played only a few months with the San Francisco Giants to start the 2018 season.

This particular autograph from 2018 Topps Brooklyn Collection, black parallel is numbered 7/10.

There is a lot of Super Bowl connections with that serial numbering.

The 7 represents the former 49ers Quarterback who was under center the last time the San Francisco 49ers were in the Super Bowl.

I am of course talking about Colin Kaepernick.  Kaepernick was an above average quarterback, but in his final two seasons was below average.  He has Been out of the NFL for a few seasons and has a career passer rating of 88.9 and a completion percentage under 60%.  In his final two seasons the 49ers went 3-16 under his guide and his QBR was 43.4 and 49.5 resepectively in those final two seasons.  50 is average QBR.

He began to become an activist and spokesperson for racial inequality when he took a knee during the National Anthem.  Kaepernick started the movement in response to police brutality, but has continued to be outspoken regarding equal rights for all races.

In addition to being an activist he is also a devoted Christian with several tattoos representing God and Jesus Christ on his arms.

In 2015 he became a vegan and has been following that lifestyle ever since.

He has recently been in the news because the NFL refused to air a PETA commercial that Kaepernick endorsed.



The card that the print run is numbered to /10) represents the current quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo.

I won't go into any comments about Jimmy G but I think that Patrick Mahomes is the better QB in this year's Super Bowl.

Andrew McCutchen is a five time All-Star.  One of his All-Star game appearances was in 2012 in Kansas City.  Cutch had two cards in 2012 Topps Update to represent his All-Star appearance.  In addition to being selected as a participant he also took Giancarlo Stanton's place in the Homerun Derby.  I am still missing a homerun derby (US9) card but do have his All-Star game card in the Black parallel.

My particular copy of US87 is numbered 15/61.

Wanna guess the connection of 15/61 to this year's Super Bowl?

Well Patrick Mahomes, the superstar Quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs is number 15.

Mahomes was born the son of longtime journeyman relief pitcher, Pat Mahomes.

He showed a promising career as a pitcher and toolsy outfielder and was drafted out of high school by the Detroit Tigers.  He ultimately decided to play football and in his first full season won the NFL MVP.  Were it not for an injury early in this past year, he would have likely garnered some additional MVP votes.

He is only 24 years old and has a completion percentage of nearly 66% with a 76-18 TD-INT ratio.

If he has a big game today he could become not only the face of the NFL, but one of the most popular athletes in any sport globally.

I am picking Chiefs to win 36-20.