BOOKIES ROOTING RAVENS
The bottom line: Las Vegas bookmakers are worried a high-scoring 49ers’ Super Bowl cover might beat the house. The 49ers are now 4-point favorites, and the over/under is at 47 ¹/2.
“Our worst-case scenario is going to be a Niners win and the over, so we will probably be rooting for any scenario except for that,” Jay Rood, vice president of the race and sports book at MGM Resorts, told Reuters. “A Niners win by a field goal, and for the game to stay under, would probably be the dream for all the bookmakers.”
Just how high-stakes is the betting surrounding the big game? Bettors worldwide are expected to wager $100 million on the 50-50 proposition that is the opening coin toss, according to gambling expert R.J. Bell of Pregame.com. Though history is no guide, there have been 23 heads and 23 tails in Super Bowl history, and the NFC has won 14 of the past 15 flips.
FAMILY FEUD: MARAS vs. RYANS
Giants co-owner John Mara, whose favorite pastimes appear to include taking shots at coach Rex Ryan and the Jets, was at it again. Discussing the Harbaughs, Mannings and other famous football families, Mara told reporters his only hope is that his own legendary clan ends up “ranking higher than the Ryans.”
SAINTS REAP A BOUNTY
For hosting the Super Bowl in the Big Easy, Louisiana will pay $5 million to the Saints — who ran afoul of the NFL for payments of an entirely different sort in Bountygate. The incentive was part of the 2009 deal between Gov. Bobby Jindal and owner Tom Benson to keep the Saints in-state through 2025.
State officials maintained the payment would not come at the expense of other budget lines such as health services and education programs, rather from New Orleans area hotel tax income.
ESB’S SUPER HIGH LIGHTS
New Yorkers out for a stroll can follow the Super Bowl action by looking up … about 100 stories up. The Empire State Building, trotting out its new, kinetic LED system, will follow the action by rotating 49ers gold and red or Ravens purple and white for each touchdown scored. The winning team’s color scheme will last the night on the landmark display.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
This is the story of how Jim Harbaugh’s dream job offer went in the toilet. The Niners’ coach planned to keep for all time the phone message he received from the late Bill Walsh recruiting him to the top job at Stanford.
“I was intending to leave that message on my phone for the rest of my life, but I lost that phone or I dropped it in the toilet or something,” Harbaugh said. “I can’t remember which it was — lost it or dropped it in the can. … But it truly was one of the most memorable things.”
APE THIS PICK
This monkey’s business is picking the Super Bowl winner — and he’s going with the Ravens. Eli, an orangutan at a Utah zoo, has correctly predicted the winning team each of the past five years.
Hogle Zoo keepers created papier mache goal posts decorated with each team’s logo, and Eli did not hesitate before charging toward the Ravens side. He joins an illustrious line of animal forecasters that includes Paul the Octopus, the “psychic” of the 2010 World Cup, and Punxsutawney Phil, the Groundhog Day fixture whose shadow this morning will determine the duration of winter.