Why should dog lovers cheer for the Super Bowl 54 teams this weekend?
Why should dog lovers cheer for the Super Bowl 54 teams (technically Super Bowl LIV) this weekend?
To start with, Super Bowl Sunday is essentially a national holiday, featuring all the best parts of a holiday – food, sports, getting together with friends and family, and a heaping helping of cleverly-made advertisements.
[What were our favorite doggy commercials from Super Bowl 53? Click here to find out!]
Secondly, both teams have dynamic stars at quarterback, and a ton of history behind the franchises, who will collide at 6:40 p.m. ET on Fox at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
The red and yellow of the Kansas City Chiefs will take on the red and true gold of the San Francisco 49ers, both of which are thoroughly covered by our FanSided Network sister sites Arrowhead Addict and Niner Noise, respectively.
You have the legacies of running back Marcus Allen, defensive end Derrick Thomas and tight end Tony Gonzalez on the Chiefs side, with the ghosts of wide receiver Jerry Rice, quarterback Steve Young and cornerback Deion Sanders haunt San Francisco’s history.
Joe Montana and Alex Smith have run the offenses of both Super Bowl 54 teams, each starting in northern California and then moving on to northwest Missouri.
And then there are the coaches of the Super Bowl 54 teams – Andy Reid has always been considered an offensive genius who’s always gotten his teams close to winning a Super Bowl, but never quite actually getting there, while Kyle Shanahan is following in the footsteps of his father Mike, who guided John Elway’s Denver Broncos to title wins in 1997-98.
While the staff here at Dog O’Day is more interested in Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl XVI earlier in the day 3 p.m. ET), we’ll still be tuned into the big game, though possibly a little distracted by snacks and commercials. (For more on delicious food, see FoodSided and Guilty Eats, and for movie trailer/ad breakdowns, see Bam Smack Pow and Culturess.)
So we had to round up some friends to help us come up with good reasons dog lovers should cheer for each of the Super Bowl 54 teams. First up, Kansas City.
Here’s why dog lovers and casual fans should cheer for the Chiefs.
The best reason dog lovers should pick Kansas City out of the Super Bowl 54 teams is because of their mascot KC Wolf.
KC Wolf is one of only two canine mascots in the NFL that we’re aware of (the Cleveland Browns‘ Swagger is the other), and has been entertaining fans at Arrowhead Stadium since 1989 with his Hawaiian shirt and gigantic beer belly.
Also, offensive lineman Mitchell Schwartz runs an Instagram for his Pomeranian sons Cupcake and Pumpkin, which can be followed at the handle @Cupcake.The.Pom.
As our friend Holland the Pup can attest thanks to a recent visit, the tailgating scene outside Arrowhead Stadium is amazing and very dog-friendly.
For more serious reasons to join the Chiefs Kingdom, we asked Leigh Oleszczak, site expert at KC Kingdom, why casual fans should cheer for Kansas City:
“If your team got knocked out or you’re just loking for a team to pull for in the Super Bowl, the Kansas City Chiefs are the PERFECT team to root for. They haven’t made it to the sport’s biggest game in 50 years and along the way, they’ve choked big in the playoffs, breaking the hearts of all their fans.
“This year’s felt different, though. It’s felt like fate with this team. They’ve got Patrick Mahomes, who is an absolute BLAST to watch. The guy can sling the football like nobody’s business, and if he’s not enough, how about (tight end) Travis Kelce plow over defenders and then dance like a madman?
“The defense is improved and tough (just look at what they did to Tennessee Titans tailback Derrick Henry). The Chiefs are the total package, but they haven’t been here before. Unlike the 49ers, KC hasn’t been in this spot in a lot of Chiefs fans’ lifetimes. That’s why you should root for them in Super Bowl LIV.”
The last time the Chiefs were in the Super Bowl was 1970 when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings 23-7 in Super Bowl IV, the final season before the AFL-NFL merger. They also lost the first Super Bowl 35-10 in 1967 to the Green Bay Packers.
Now, why should you cheer for San Francisco?
Here’s why dog lovers and casual fans should cheer for the Niners.
The best reason the San Francisco 49ers should be the pick of dog lovers everywhere out of the Super Bowl 54 teams is simple – how many NFL teams have an emotional support dog on staff? (Not anywhere near enough, that’s what.)
But the Niners do, in a French Bulldog named Zoe, who we profiled earlier in the season.
She can be followed on Instagram at the handle @The49ersFrenchie.
Social media superstar Coconut Rice Bear the Samoyed is a Cali girl from the Bay Area, so of course she supports her hometown Niners.
Thirdly, both Full House and sequel series Fuller House starred the Golden Retrievers Comet (played by the original Air Bud) and Comet’s descendant Cosmo. Those series obviously took place in San Francisco, with characters often shown to be Niners fans.
For a more serious reason to follow the 49ers, we asked Allen Settle, a contributor at Golden Gate Sports, what he thought.
In a nutshell, “The 49ers like to run the football, and they have a great defense.”
One of their key players and names casual fans should keep an eye on includes tight end George Kittle, who led the NFL in yards after the catch this season.
“He totally fits the stereotype of a jock/athlete, and he’s like a polar bear playing with humans. He’s always smiling and bringing energy; he may enjoy playing football more than anyone else in the league.”
At quarterback is Jimmy Garoppolo, who learned from Tom Brady in New England before coming to the Bay Area several years ago. “He almost has a little bit of Hollywood flair to him, and his teammates constantly talk about how he makes people gravitate towards him.”
On defense, cornerback Richard Sherman is a brash, intelligent presence everyone has to acknowledge. A former piece of the Seattle Seahawks‘ Legion of Boom, Sherman’s bounced back from what should have been a career-ending Achilles injury. “His job is all about shadowing the other team’s best pass catcher and shutting them down, and he’s been the best in the world at it for a pretty long time.”
Finally, San Fran has a secret weapon in Kyle Juszczyk at fullback, who basically combines the best qualities of Friday Night Lights’ Matt Saracen and Tim Riggins. “Most football fans don’t know Juszczyk’s name; he’s essentially a battering ram.” A total team guy, “he’s been really humble in every interview. He’s constantly talking about how he wants his teammates to get the glory.”
The 49ers have been to the Super Bowl six times, winning five games, most recently falling to the Baltimore Ravens 34-31 in 2013 in Super Bowl XLVII, remembered best for the blackout that halted the action for about a half hour.
Which of the Super Bowl 54 teams will you be cheering for? If you’re interested in covering canine sports, entertainment and lifestyle as part of the Dog O’Day pack, the application process starts here.