It's that time of year again. This Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday. A day where we all get together to watch hilarious commercials with some football to separate the commercials. The focus of this article will be on the football aspect of things. A lot of people who go to Super Bowl parties don't know much about football and hardly anything about the teams playing. So my mission is to explain the basics of the big game to people who didn't watch a down of Panther or Bronco football all season.
Which team should you root for?
In this Super Bowl, neither team is really a villain in my opinion. If you're below the age of 30 I'd root for the young, yet powerful, Carolina Panthers. The team is mostly comprised of young players that are very explosive. They play a very exciting style of offense because their quarterback, Cam Newton, is a very skilled and athletic player. If you are over 30, or just like "the way things used to be," I'd root for the Broncos. Old man Manning is (possibly) on the verge of retirement and this could very easily be his last game ever. The Broncos should be most notable for their NFL-best defense. Bottom line: Probably just root for whoever scores the first touchdown or something.
Which players are important?
I already mentioned a few but I'll talk about a few more as well and go into further detail.
Cam Newton: Carolina's quarterback. They don't call him Superman for nothing. He can throw, he can run and if they ran the wildcat, he would catch. He is my bet for league MVP and Super Bowl MVP so he is someone to talk about before the game.
Peyton Manning: Denver's quarterback. Like I mentioned earlier, he might retire after this season so if he wins it will be big. Manning's career has always been plagued by the fact he's only won one Super Bowl despite so many good seasons. Before the party, definitely question his playoff abilities and age but give him credit for knowledge and experience.
Luke Kuechly: Carolina's middle linebacker. This man is the best player in this game. His high level of production all season will surely be continued in the Super Bowl. He wears number 59 and is probably the guy tackling a Bronco player. 
Von Miller: Denver's outside linebacker. Pretty good linebacker that helps lead the Bronco's defense. When he is mentioned on the TV, definitely bring up how he picked off and sacked Tom Brady in the AFC Championship. He's the guy wearing number 58 and if Cam Newton gets sacked he probably is the one sacking him.
Any cool plays to expect?
Panthers outside linebacker Thomas Davis will intercept Manning and maybe take it to the house. The announcers will mention how he's had tons of surgeries and it's so cool that he has overcome his injuries to play at such a high level. Give him props.
Peyton Manning will do a bootleg or run for a first down. When he does the announcers will be surprised and mention how he's 39 years old. I just hope for his sake he slides or runs out-of-bounds.
Demarcus Ware will cause a turnover. If you can remember this, say early in the game, "It's hard to believe a player with so much skill and experience is playing in his first Super Bowl." You will instantly be recognized as someone who follows the league closely and cares about the players involved.
Who will win?
I could pretend this game will be good and awesome but I won't. Anyone remember the last Bronco's Super Bowl with the Seahawks a few years back. Expect something pretty similar, just maybe not such a high score for the Panthers. When the Panthers have the ball it will be very interesting. The best offense versus the best defense going head to head in the big game. I think eventually the Panthers will find ways to beat the Bronco defense. But when Manning and co. are on the field, expect a bloodbath. The Panthers aren't the 2013 Seahawks, but the Broncos are nothing like the 2013 version of themselves. The Panthers defense will dominate the Broncos and Manning will have to come back next year to redeem himself after another embarrassment on the big stage. I expect the Panthers to win 31-10 and Newton will finally bring the Panthers the Lombardi Trophy.
