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The Super Bowl

New England Patriots 28 Seattle Seahawks 24

Let me say straight away that I do not follow American football. I have never mastered the tactics nor rules and have a problem spending 4 hours watching a game that takes one. I like sports like football where there is both simplicity and continuity of action and the staccato nature of grid iron bores me.

Whilst the Super Bowl is not as big as event as hyped, it is a huge fixture in the sporting calendar. I duly went to bed early knowing I would awake in the early hours.

In the best traditions of the Rust I purchased the Racing Post for their analysis and betting advice. They predicted a New England Patriot victory so I put a tenner on a winning margin of 1-7 and Tom Brady as most valuable player.

It turned out to be an enthralling contest as dramatic sport as I have seen. It went to the wire with only a interception by Butler depriving the Seattle Seahawks of a touchdown victory. After this there was massive brawl. If this happened in soccer with its love of incident then the fallout would have lasted all week but the referee ejectd one player and it settled down.

Tom Brady was indeed MVP. I enjoy watching the quarterback the best. Like a Glenn Hoddle or Danny Murphy a great quarterback sizes up the place of players on the pitch and executes a pass of precision often under the severest of pressure.

Much of the analysis was incomprehensible to me and as in most American sport there was the love of statistics. Yet it had all the best ingredients of sporting theatre: a ding-dong battle, missed chances and a nail biting climax.

I may just go to Wembley to see live one of the NFL games. With my bets winning I cannot wait to call John Pargiter too.

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About Tom Hollingworth

Tom Hollingsworth is a former deputy sports editor of the Daily Express. For many years he worked in a sports agency, representing mainly football players and motor racing drivers. Tom holds a private pilot’s licence and flying is his principal recreation. More Posts