# Super Bowl XLV **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 1, 2011, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlv/569789 "2011-02-01T16:32:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlv/569789/121 "2011-02-06T21:11:34Z")
With Pouncey out for Pittsburgh, I think this will be the difference in the game throughout. It may be easier to pressure Rothlisberger or even cause a turnover. That said, I’m rooting for the Packers and picking Packers 27, Steelers 24. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlv/569789/122 "2011-02-06T21:44:06Z")
God, I love it when **Dio** is rendered speechless.😃 Pack 17, Steelers 10. Nobody’s throwing for 300+ today. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlv/569789/123 "2011-02-06T22:56:55Z")
Minutes away now. I’m surprised the Packers are so heavily favored. I hope it’s a good, hard-fought game. Go Steelers. ---
**Author:** ![Pitchmeister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pitchmeister/32/3459_2.png) [@Pitchmeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pitchmeister)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlv/569789/124 "2011-02-06T23:11:56Z")
Can someone shortly explain to an ignorant German what those towels are that most players have hanging over their crotch? ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlv/569789/125 "2011-02-06T23:24:43Z")
> [@Pitchmeister](#): > > Can someone shortly explain to an ignorant German what those towels are that most players have hanging over their crotch? Don’t overthink it. They’re towels. Clean, dry hands help your grip on the ball. ---
**Author:** ![UncleNito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/7cd45c/32.png) [@UncleNito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleNito)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlv/569789/126 "2011-02-06T23:26:11Z")
Whitney Houston remains the only singer to pull off the personal interpretation of the national anthem without disaster. ---
**Author:** ![Pitchmeister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pitchmeister/32/3459_2.png) [@Pitchmeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pitchmeister)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlv/569789/127 "2011-02-06T23:26:17Z")
Just seems a bit dangerous, dangling like that - but what do I know? Also, has PSXer found a party or is he going to hang out here? ---
**Author:** ![Xan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ac8455/32.png) [@Xan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xan)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlv/569789/128 "2011-02-06T23:29:43Z")
It’d be murder if she did that to a human being. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlv/569789/129 "2011-02-06T23:32:18Z")
Green Bay won the toss and will ‘defer to the second half’. What does that mean? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlv/569789/130 "2011-02-06T23:32:33Z")
McCarthy defers the kickoff after winning the toss. His first stupid decision of the game. It’s the Superbowl, moron, you take the fucking ball. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlv/569789/131 "2011-02-06T23:33:33Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Green Bay won the toss and will ‘defer to the second half’. What does that mean? It means he chooses to receive after halftime rather than to start the game. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlv/569789/132 "2011-02-06T23:35:10Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > It means he chooses to receive after halftime rather than to start the game. No, it means he gives the choice to the other team. The Steelers could’ve chosen to kick instead. I’ve noticed it a lot this season. I’m not sure what the strategy is instead just say they will kick. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlv/569789/133 "2011-02-06T23:39:31Z")
Oh good. I hope Dio will be with us all game. Hopefully GB gets up by 21 and he finally has the complete breakdown. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlv/569789/134 "2011-02-06T23:42:25Z")
The reason you don’t say you’ll kick–and this has never really been implemented properly in Madden–is that your opponent gets to choose at the start of the second half. So, if you choose to kick to start the game, your opponent will then choose to receive at the start of the second half. So you’ve now kicked to start off both halves. The way Madden and the other football games have always implemented it is that if you choose to kick to start you automatically receive to start the second half. Basically, the deferral option made the real game closer to the way the videogames work. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlv/569789/135 "2011-02-06T23:49:47Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > McCarthy defers the kickoff after winning the toss. His first stupid decision of the game. It’s the Superbowl, moron, you take the fucking ball. You forgot to complain about the blatant favoritism shown by the coin. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlv/569789/136 "2011-02-06T23:50:40Z")
Refs arent being very Ricky tacky yet. I like it. Of course I’m sure there have been 92 uncalled fouls on the Packers by now due to ref conspiracy. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlv/569789/137 "2011-02-06T23:51:33Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Oh good. I hope Dio will be with us all game. > > Hopefully GB gets up by 21 and he finally has the complete breakdown. Will it be because the referees are obviously in favour of the Packers? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlv/569789/138 "2011-02-06T23:51:40Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > No, it means he gives the choice to the other team. The Steelers could’ve chosen to kick instead. Functionally it means he chose to receive the ball after halftime. This is pointless, pedantic nitpicking. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlv/569789/139 "2011-02-06T23:53:24Z")
asterion, they changed the rule either this year or the last. Now, a team really can choose to receive the 2nd half kickoff. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlv/569789/140 "2011-02-06T23:57:04Z")
Well, deferring your choice to the second half allows that. You’ll never see a team win the toss, defer their choice to the second half, and then the other team choose to kick, because then they’ll never get the ball to start. Functionally, it’s the same as choosing to kick first and then receive the second half kickoff, but it’s not the same as winning and choosing to kick. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlv/569789.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xlv/569789.md?page=8)