One 'prop'er way to enjoy the big game

This just in — some people actually watch the Super Bowl for reasons other than just to enjoy the game.

For some, it’s a chance to go to someone else’s house and eat large amounts of their food.

Others can’t wait for a break in the action so they can watch the clever commercials — then talk about them for the next day or three at work.

And still others are interested in some of the minute details of the game — who wins the coin toss, who scores the first touchdown, whether LeBron and Kobe combine to score more points today than the Saints and the Colts.

They are called “proposition bets.” or “prop bets,” and the Super Bowl is full of the over/under bets:

An example:

n Total points (game) — over/under 57 1/2

n Number of team captains (both teams) at midfield for coin toss — 8 1/2

n Referee’s jersey number — 82 1/2

n Jersey number of first Colt to score a touchdown — 44 1/2

n Coaches challenges — 1 1/2

n Garrett Hartley missed field goals — 1/2 (if you have to ask who Garrett Hartley is ... )

n Time remaining on game clock at two-minute warning — 1:58 1/2

n Letters in last name of Super Bowl MVP — 5 1/2

A couple others:

n First play from scrimmage — run or pass

n First commercial following kickoff — beer or other

Here are some other potential prop bets which have yet to show up on any Vegas board:

n Number of times Brett Favre is mentioned for no apparent reason — 2 1/2

n Number of times Archie Manning, father of Peyton and former Saints quarterback, is shown in some private box — 3 1/2 (the number goes up to 11 1/2 if Peyton is involved in a last-minute drive)

onzaga’s men’s basketball team is mentioned, also for no apparent reason — 1 1/2

n Number of times Tiger Woods is mentioned, and/or number of promos for the Masters — 5 1/2 (this number might be high, as the NFL would like the announcers to actually talk about the game during the Super Bowl, rather than use the broadcast as a promo for their own networks’ shows)

n Number of times Boise State’s football team is mentioned, again for no apparent reason — 2 1/2

n Number of times former Saints general manager Randy Mueller, a St. Maries native, is mentioned — 1/2 (Mueller was the Saints GM for two seasons. In 2000, the Saints went from 3-13 the previous season to 10-6, won the NFC West and won a playoff game for the first time in franchise history. New Orleans went 7-9 the following season, and he was fired the following spring following a dispute with owner Tom Benson)

n Number of songs played at halftime by The Who — 3 1/2

n Number of Peyton Manning commercials — 3 1/2

n Number of references to Drew Brees’ birthmark — 1 1/2

n Number of references to Hurricane Katrina — 42 1/2

n Number of references to, or signs saying, “Who Dat!” — 59 1/2

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via e-mail at mnelke@cdapress.com.