THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: Super notes to munch on before the ‘big game’
Mark Nelke
I admit it — I was a Chiefs fan once.
OK, so it was in 1970. For one game.
Super Bowl IV, the Kansas City Chiefs against the Minnesota Vikings.
Not sure why I rooted for the Chiefs — maybe because they were playing the Vikings. Maybe because they were from the “underdog” AFL (I usually rooted for the Raiders, though).
The game became more famous over the years with Chiefs coach Hank Stram, miked on the sideline by NFL Films, encouraging his offense to “keep matriculating the ball down the field.”
I remember being a fifth grader in Salem, Ore., playing a basketball game that day at some other Catholic school in town. After our game, while our older team was playing, a few of us wandered the halls, found a classroom with a TV, and watched part of the second half.
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A study by BettingSites.co.uk analyzed Google search data from the past 12 months to see which players were most popular in each state.
In 31 states, Travis Kelce was the most popular player. Aaron Rodgers was the most popular in 13.
According to an email from journoresearch.org, “in California, on average, there are 321,067 searches a month for the Chiefs’ tight end, 245,983 a month in Texas, and 185,250 a month in Florida.
The Great Russell Wilson was the most popular player in Washington, with 72,125 searches a month.
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TheSportsDaily.com ranked the top 10 Super Bowl commercials of all time.
The top five:
5. New Year. New Neighbor (T-Mobile) — Super Bowl LVII (I don’t remember this one, but the description is, “T-Mobile enlisted the help of John Travolta and the Grease soundtrack for a Super Bowl commercial to promote their home Internet service.”)
4. Betty White (Snickers) — Super Bowl XLIV (includes her famous “that’s not what your girlfriend said” insult)
3. Wassup (Budweiser) — Super Bowl XXXIV (several friends yelling “Wassup!” into the phone)
2. Hey Kid, Catch! (Coca-Cola) — Super Bowl XIV (I thought this would be No. 1 — “Mean” Joe Greene and the kid offering him a Coke)
1. 1984 (Apple) — Super Bowl XVIII (I don’t remember this one either, but description is, “The commercial led to increased sales for Apple’s Macintosh computer.”)
My favorite …
Robo Dog (2022). Of course.
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Also according to TheSportsDaily.com, the top five Super Bowl halftime shows of all time are:
1. Prince — Super Bowl XLI
2. U2 — Super Bowl XXXVI
3. Beyoncé — Super Bowl XLVII
4. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, And Kendrick Lamar — Super Bowl LVI
5. Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band — Super Bowl XLIII
What, no “Up with People”?
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According to Front Office Sports, some Taylor Swift-themed prop bets include:
Will Travis Kelce propose to Swift at the game?
Will the Super Bowl MVP mention Swift in his acceptance speech?
Will Swift appear in Usher’s halftime show?
Will Swift make it from Tokyo in time for the game?
Or, as a reader suggested …
What is the over/under on how many times Taylor Swift will be targeted by the CBS-TV directors?
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According to LuckyGambler.com, which touts itself as “a trusted source for legal online gambling U.S. sites” (as opposed to those “untrusted” sources), Olivia Culpo is the most influential “WAG” (wives and girlfriends) for the San Francisco 49ers.
Culpo, who was Miss Universe in 2012, and is engaged to 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, has “the potential to make up to $30,700 per post” on Instagram, according to the survey.
No. 2 on the Niners is Kristin Juszczyk, wife of fullback Kyle Juszczyk. The fashion designer makes NFL-logoed football jersey puffer jackets, including one Taylor Swift wore to a recent Chiefs game. Kristin has an earning potential of up to $7,700 per post.
You can probably guess the most influential “WAG” for the Chiefs.
Hmmm …
Looking at my profile, I have made roughly 32,900 posts on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
At that rate …
According to my “ influencer marketing calculator,” my “social media earning potential” is …
…probably much less than Miss Culpo and Mrs. Juszczyk are receiving.
Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @CdAPressSports.