DEDHAM — If you’re a sports fan, chances are you believe in superstitions. If the Patriots score a touchdown when you start wearing your hat backwards, you keep it the way. Same goes for if the Patriots scored once you turned on the air conditioner.
If you really believe in superstitions and love over-analyzing, you’ll look at any stat and convince yourself your team will win based on that stat.
Maybe these stats will help convince you the Patriots will beat the Eagles in Super Bowl LII, or, possibly, the other way around:
The last time the Super Bowl was held in Minneapolis, the NFC team came out victorious, as the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills 37-24 in Super Bowl XXVI.
NBC has broadcast 19 Super Bowls (including Super Bowl I when both NBC and CBS broadcasted the game).
The AFC is 10-8 when NBC broadcasts the Super Bowl (including Super Bowl III, when the New York Jets were in the AFL before the AFL-NFL merger). The last time the NBC carried the game, in 2015, the Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28-24. The time before that, the Patriots lost to the New York Giants, 21-17. In 2009, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals, 27-23
The Patriots are 1-2 when the Super Bowl is on NBC, having lost in Super Bowl XX against the Chicago Bears 46-10, and again vs. the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI. They beat the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.
Michaels has called eight Super Bowls, his first coming in Super Bowl XXII, a 42-10 Washington Redskins win over the Denver Broncos.
The AFC is 3-6 in games Michaels has called (3-7 if you include Super Bowl XIX when Michaels served as the pregame host for ABC’s broadcast.)
However, the AFC has won three of the last four Super Bowls Michaels has called - the lone NFC win coming in Super Bowl XLII, when the Patriots lost to the Giants in 2012.
Eric Getzoff is an intern in the Boston 25 Sports department
Cox Media Group
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