Participants,

It’s come down to the two teams representing their respective conferences.  After 2 weeks of fanfare, controversy, dialogue and analysis, the game will finally be played this Sunday evening.  That extra week of prep (it hasn’t always been 2 weeks between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl) has allowed the Offices of the NFL to further provide you with in-depth analysis and a prediction of the actual game score!

If you’re a bettor, your best chance of winning this Sunday will be the coin flip.  50/50 odds, which must frustrate Vegas to no end.  After that, you’re on your own for wagering.

Let’s get into the analysis and predictions:

When Kansas City has the Ball
Do you dare bet against Patrick Mahomes?  He’s magical at times and will need to be fleet of feet to avoid getting sacked by the 49er’s terrific DE duo – Nick Bosa and Chase Young.  Will angry RB Isiah Pacheco go on a tear?  Will the pressure of the Big Game be too much for rookie WR Rashee Rice?  Will TE Kelce stay focused with that Swift distraction?  And, will her private jet make it in time for kickoff after her concert in Tokyo?

Look for a classic battle in the trenches, too.  The Chiefs are maybe 1 offensive weapon away from dominating this game.

When the 49ers have the Ball
So many weapons and so many ways they use them to be effective.  McCaffrey, Deebo, Aiyuk and Kittle.  Will the pressure of the SB be too much for QB Brock?  He’s been Purdy special in the playoffs so far.  Can the Chiefs D be opportunistic and get 1 or 2 key takeaways?  Can anyone stop RB McCaffrey?  Nobody has yet.

The 49ers have unfinished business to take care of in their SB loss to the Chiefs 4 years ago, when Kansas City erupted for 21 points in the 4^th quarter to win, 31-20.

A rookie kicker vs. one of the best in the business.  Will it be the difference?  Kickers have a way of doing that in big games – just ask the Bills fans.  Ouch.

In the longest game in Super Bowl history, the 49ers win in a shootout.  Wait, that’s hockey or soccer.

San Francisco 34, Kansas City 31
The game ends tied, 24-24.  After 34 minutes of overtime, rookie K Moody makes the 47-yarder as Taylor Swift album sales plummet

Your SB picks are due no later than 6:30pm EST this Sunday.  The largest comeback to win the HSBT is 356 points.

• Rookie Ice Cold will need to set a new comeback record of 358 points to capture the trophy. His game score prediction should be interesting
• Pete the Terp has an even higher mountain to climb. 49er’s 70, Chiefs 13?
• Greg the Great has a sizeable mountain to climb, but watch out for him, even though he has picked only 4 of 12 game winners correctly so far
• There is a 3-way logjam with Buffalo Bill, Comeback and HenricoFiveOh, with only 12 points separating them. Edge to HenricoFiveOh who has the record for points in a SB game with 684
• 2024 Winner is sitting comfortably in 2^nd place and has the 49er’s as his Super Bowl Bonus pick. With those added 100 points, he is a scant 82 points behind the current leader
• JTB leads the pack and is looking for trophy #2. The pressure is on for the top point getter since January 21

Picks are due via the website no later than 6:30pm EST.  Real-time scoring updates and HSBT results will be available throughout the game and Slack remains available (with a special 1-day free trial) for those interested in some smack talk.  Final menus are being carefully planned to be sure you are nutritiously fed during the game.  Those items include, nachos, chicken wings, assorted dips and chips, sub sandwiches, BBQ and plenty of adult beverages.

An email announcing the victor will be sent out immediately after the game.

Enjoy and be careful with those picks!

Until then I remain,
The Commish