The lowest-scoring Super Bowl set the stage for the closest POPS PROPS. Ken B. and Tony S. tied for the championship with 46 points, holding off Zachery G. (45) by one point. Our top 12, all but one of whom picked New England to win, finished within five points.
Take away the crossover questions, and POPS PROPS IX would have ended in a six-way tie. Ken B., Tony S., Zachery G., Andy B., Ethan N. and Jesse G. all scored 39 points, excluding the 10 crossovers.
POPS PROPS VIII champion Tony S. answered five of the first six crossovers correctly to build a two-point lead. Ken (3/6 crossovers), Zachery (3/6), Ethan (3/6) Andy (2/6) and Jesse (0/6) fell behind. Ken and Zach got the seventh and eighth crossovers correct to move into a three-way tie with Tony, who missed both questions. All three correctly answered the penultimate question: #87 Which will be greater: The final-round score of the Waste Management Phoenix Open champion or New England’s total number of plays. (Waste Management won.)
With a three-way tie at the top and the championship hanging on the final crossover, only Ken and Tony successfully predicted that the final-round score of the Waste Management Phoenix Open runner-up would be higher than the Rams’ total number of plays!
CATEGORY LEADERBOARD
| FIRST FOUR (4 questions) | 6 pts. max |
| 22 tied with | 2 |
| EARLY GAME (9 questions) | 10 pts. max |
| Chad B. | 7 |
| 9 tied with | 6 |
| ENTERTAINMENT (10 questions) | 12 pts. max |
| Jesse G., Terra D. | 7 |
| 10 tied with | 6 |
| THE TWO HALVES (13 questions) | 14 pts. max |
| Ethan N., Jason G., Ken B., Matthew M. | 10 |
| Terra D. | 9 |
| TEAM TOTALS (14 questions) | 14 pts. max |
| Luke B., Mike A., Peter W., Tim C. | 6 |
| 9 tied with | 5 |
| INDIVIDUAL TOTALS (31 questions) | 34 pts. max |
| David W., Jesse G., Mr. Z.D. | 18 |
| Hilary F., Rob R., Tony S. | 17 |
| CROSSOVERS (10 questions) | 10 pts. max |
| Cousin Kay, Eric P., Shane D. | 8 |
| 10 tied with | 7 |
QUESTION SUMMARY
1. Who will win Super Bowl LIII?
| Los Angeles! | 30 |
| New England! | 45 |
2. How long will Gladys Knight’s rendition of the national anthem last? (The timer begins at her first note, stops when she concludes singing and rounds to the nearest second.)
| Longer than 1:56! | 49 |
| Shorter than 1:56! | 23 |
| Exactly 1:56! (Bonus) | 3 |
3. What color of dress, gown, shirt or suit will Gladys Knight be wearing when she sings the National Anthem?
| Black! | 23 |
| Blue! | 9 |
| Gold! | 8 |
| Red! | 11 |
| Silver! | 5 |
| White! | 6 |
| Some other color! (Bonus) | 12 |
| Gladys Knight will not be wearing a dress.. (Bonus) | 1 |
4. While singing the National Anthem, Gladys Knight will be…
| On a moving platform! | 0 |
| Seated on a chair or stool! | 3 |
| Standing, not moving, with hand over heart! | 10 |
| Standing, not moving, without hand over heart! | 54 |
| Walking about the field or stage! | 5 |
| None of the above! (Bonus) | 3 |
5. How long will Chloe X Halle’s version of “America The Beautiful” last? (The timer begins at their first note, stops when they conclude singing and rounds to the nearest second.)
| Longer than 1:48! | 39 |
| Shorter than 1:48! | 30 |
| Exactly 1:48! (Bonus) | 6 |
6. While singing, Chloe X Halle will be…
| On a moving platform! | 5 |
| Seated on chairs or stools! | 0 |
| Standing, not moving, with hand over heart! | 10 |
| Standing, not moving, without hand over heart! | 38 |
| Walking about the field or stage! | 12 |
| Something else! (Bonus) | 4 |
| Something else! | 6 |
7. Which team will win the pre-game opening coin toss?
| Los Angeles! | 47 |
| New England! | 28 |
8. Will the opening coin toss land on heads or tails?
| Heads! | 41 |
| Tails! | 34 |
9. The team that wins the opening coin toss will elect to…
| Defer! | 36 |
| Kick! | 9 |
| Receive! | 29 |
10. The opening kickoff will be returned…
| 0 yards, due to a touchback! | 45 |
| 1 to 15 yards! | 5 |
| 16 to 20 yards! | 8 |
| 21 to 25 yards! | 9 |
| 26 or more yards, but not for a touchdown! | 4 |
| Returned for a touchdown! (Bonus) | 2 |
| Fumbled, but possession will be regained! (Bonus) | 1 |
| Fumbled, and possession will be lost! (Bonus) | 1 |
11. Which team will be assessed the first accepted penalty?
| Los Angeles! | 48 |
| New England! | 25 |
| Neither team will be penalized! (Bonus) | 2 |
12. Which team will call the first timeout?
| Los Angeles! | 52 |
| New England! | 21 |
| Neither team will call a timeout! (Bonus) | 2 |
13. Which team will cross the 50-yard line first?
| Los Angeles! | 30 |
| New England! | 43 |
| One or both teams will never cross the 50-yard line! (Bonus) | 2 |
14. Which team will score first?
| Los Angeles! | 33 |
| New England! | 42 |
15. The first points will be awarded as a result of a…
| Defensive or special-teams touchdown! (Bonus) | 1 |
| Field goal! | 29 |
| Passing touchdown! | 23 |
| Rushing touchdown! | 19 |
| Safety! | 3 |
16. Which head coach will throw the first challenge flag?
| Sean McVay, Los Angeles! | 17 |
| Bill Belichick, New England! | 41 |
| Neither coach will throw a challenge flag! (Bonus) | 17 |
17. Will the first points be scored in the first 5 minutes, 30 seconds?
| No! | 37 |
| Yes! | 36 |
| The first points will be scored at 5:30 into the first quarter! (Bonus) | 2 |
18. Will the team that scores first win the game?
| No! | 34 |
| Yes! | 41 |
19. The total number of first-quarter points will be…
| 0! | 0 |
| 2-7! | 18 |
| 8-10! | 29 |
| 11-14! | 20 |
| More than 14! | 8 |
20. Which team will lead at the end of the first quarter?
| Los Angeles! | 34 |
| New England! | 32 |
| The score will be tied! (Bonus) | 9 |
21. The first commercial after the conclusion of the first quarter will advertise…
| Alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages! | 18 |
| Automobiles or tires! | 12 |
| Chips, food or snacks! | 16 |
| A movie, television show or streaming service! | 11 |
| Some sort of banking, financial or insurance organization! | 6 |
| Some type of pharmaceutical! | 0 |
| None of the above! (Bonus) | 12 |
22. The total number of second-quarter points will be…
| 0! | 0 |
| 2-7! | 12 |
| 8-10! | 26 |
| 11-14! | 27 |
| More than 14! | 10 |
23. Which team will lead at halftime?
| Los Angeles! | 31 |
| New England! | 36 |
| The score will be tied! (Bonus) | 8 |
24. Which of these songs will Maroon 5 perform first? (Performing snippets of these songs count as “performing the song.”)
| Animals! | 5 |
| Girls Like You! | 10 |
| Makes Me Wonder! | 10 |
| Moves Like Jagger! | 18 |
| One More Night! | 5 |
| Payphone! | 5 |
| She Will Be Loved! | 3 |
| Sugar! | 4 |
| This Love! | 4 |
| Something else! (Bonus) | 11 |
25. Which of these four Billboard #1 songs will Maroon 5 NOT perform? (Performing snippets of these songs count as “performing the song.”)
| Girls Like You! | 7 |
| Makes Me Wonder! | 4 |
| Moves Like Jagger! | 5 |
| One More Night! | 11 |
| They will NOT play two of these songs! (Bonus) | 21 |
| They will NOT play three of these songs! (Bonus) | 1 |
| They will NOT play four of these songs! (Bonus) | 1 |
| They will play all four of these songs! (Bonus) | 24 |
26. Which of these things will Adam Levine wear during Maroon 5’s halftime show?
| A chain wallet! | 5 |
| A flannel shirt! | 2 |
| Shades! | 3 |
| Shiny pants! | 12 |
| A sleeveless shirt! | 1 |
| A tuxedo! | 0 |
| He won’t wear any of these things! | 16 |
| Two or more of these things! (Bonus) | 27 |
| Three or more of these things! (2-pt bonus) | 9 |
27. Which of these songs will Travis Scott perform during the halftime show?
| Butterfly Effect! | 11 |
| Know No Better! | 7 |
| Love Galore! | 5 |
| Sicko Mode! | 11 |
| Watch! | 4 |
| He will perform two of these songs! | 29 |
| He will perform three or more of these songs! (Bonus) | 8 |
28. Which of these things will happen during the halftime show?
| Maroon 5 will play SpongeBob SquarePants’ “Sweet Victory”! | 1 |
| Big Boi will perform an OutKast song! | 20 |
| Kylie Jenner will appear! | 1 |
| Cardi B will sing on “Girls Like You”! | 9 |
| Two or more of these things will happen! (Bonus) | 14 |
| None of these things will happen! (Bonus) | 30 |
29. The total number of third-quarter points will be…
| 0! | 2 |
| 2-9! | 24 |
| 10-14! | 36 |
| 15-20! | 6 |
| More than 20! | 7 |
30. The total number of fourth-quarter points will be…
| 0! | 1 |
| 2-9! | 13 |
| 10-14! | 32 |
| 15-20! | 20 |
| More than 20! | 9 |
31. In which half will there be a greater number of points scored?
| The first half! | 12 |
| The second half! | 62 |
| The two sums will be equal! (Bonus) | 1 |
32. Which team(s) will score in the final 4 minutes?
| Only Los Angeles! | 12 |
| Only New England! | 12 |
| Both teams! (Bonus) | 44 |
| Neither team! | 7 |
33. Which team will score last?
| Los Angeles! | 31 |
| New England! | 44 |
34. What will be the jersey number of the first player to score a touchdown?
| 1-20! | 24 |
| 21-40! | 27 |
| 41-60! | 7 |
| 61 or higher! | 16 |
| No one will score a touchdown! (Bonus) | 0 |
| No one will score a touchdown! | 1 |
35. How many letters will be in the last name of the first player to score a touchdown?
| 1-3! | 0 |
| 4-6! | 26 |
| 7-9! | 46 |
| 10 or more! | 3 |
36. The total number of touchdowns will be…
| 0! (Bonus) | 0 |
| 1-2! | 0 |
| 3-4! | 14 |
| 5-6! | 41 |
| 7-8! | 17 |
| 9 or more! (Bonus) | 3 |
37. The longest touchdown will be..
| 1-15 yards! | 0 |
| 16-25 yards! | 7 |
| 26-35 yards! | 30 |
| 36-45 yards! | 24 |
| 46 yards or longer! (Bonus) | 7 |
| 46 yards or longer! | 7 |
38. The shortest touchdown will be…
| 1 yard! | 33 |
| 2 yards! | 18 |
| 3-4 yards! | 16 |
| 5-7 yards! | 5 |
| 8 yards or longer (Bonus) | 3 |
39. The total number of successful third-down conversions will be…
| 0! (Bonus) | 1 |
| 1-5! | 10 |
| 6-9! | 29 |
| 10-13! | 25 |
| 14 or more! | 10 |
40. The total number of successful fourth-down conversions will be…
| 0! | 7 |
| 1! | 28 |
| 2! | 29 |
| 3! | 6 |
| 4 or more! (Bonus) | 3 |
| 4 or more! | 2 |
41. How many accepted penalties will be assessed in the game?
| 0! (Bonus) | 0 |
| 1-5! | 15 |
| 6-9! | 44 |
| 10-13! | 12 |
| 14-17! | 3 |
| 18 or more! | 1 |
42. Which team will have the most penalty yards against?
| Los Angeles! | 50 |
| New England! | 22 |
| The two sums will be equal! (Bonus) | 1 |
| The two sums will be equal! | 2 |
43. How many interference (defensive or offensive) penalties will be assessed in the game?
| 0! | 1 |
| 1! | 5 |
| 2! | 33 |
| 3-4! | 30 |
| 5 or more! (Bonus) | 6 |
44. Will there be a defensive or special-teams touchdown?
| No! | 37 |
| Only defensive! (Bonus) | 31 |
| Only special teams! (Bonus) | 3 |
| Both! (Bonus) | 4 |
45. The total number of sacks will be…
| 0! (Bonus) | 1 |
| 1-3! | 32 |
| 4-6! | 36 |
| 7-9! | 4 |
| 10 or more! (Bonus) | 2 |
46. The total number of interceptions will be…
| 0! | 1 |
| 1! | 17 |
| 2! | 40 |
| 3! | 12 |
| 4! | 4 |
| 5 or more! (Bonus) | 1 |
47. The total number of lost fumbles will be…
| 0! | 15 |
| 1! | 38 |
| 2! | 12 |
| 3! | 7 |
| 4 or more! (Bonus) | 3 |
48. Los Angeles total passing yards will be…
| Less than 301! | 34 |
| More than 301! | 40 |
| Exactly 301! (Bonus) | 1 |
49. New England total passing yards will be…
| Less than 329! | 38 |
| More than 329! | 34 |
| Exactly 329! (Bonus) | 3 |
50. The total number of passing yards in the game will be…
| Less than 635! | 41 |
| More than 635! | 33 |
| Exactly 635! (Bonus) | 1 |
51. The total number of passing attempts in the game will be…
| Less than 80! | 43 |
| More than 80! | 29 |
| Exactly 80! (Bonus) | 2 |
| Exactly 80! | 1 |
52. The total number of passing attempts by someone other than a starting quarterback will be…
| 0! | 23 |
| 1-2! | 39 |
| 3-4! | 5 |
| 5-7! | 5 |
| 8-10! | 1 |
| 11 or more! (Bonus) | 2 |
53. The Rams’ leading rusher will gain..
| Less than 75 yards! | 20 |
| More than 75 yards! | 53 |
| Exactly 75 yards! (Bonus) | 2 |
54. The Patriots’ leading rusher will gain…
| Less than 75 yards! | 35 |
| More than 75 yards! | 39 |
| Exactly 75 yards! (Bonus) | 1 |
55. Which team will gain the most rushing yards?
| Los Angeles! | 48 |
| New England! | 26 |
| The two sums will be equal! (Bonus) | 0 |
| The two sums will be equal! | 1 |
56. The total amount of rushing yards will be…
| Less than 255! | 48 |
| More than 255! | 25 |
| Exactly 255! (Bonus) | 2 |
57. The longest play from scrimmage will be…
| 1-15 yards! | 1 |
| 16-25 yards! | 5 |
| 26-35 yards! | 22 |
| 36-45 yards! | 27 |
| 46-55 yards! | 4 |
| 56 or more yards! (Bonus) | 16 |
58. The Los Angeles receiver that gains the most receiving yards will tally…
| Less than 105 yards! | 33 |
| More than 105 yards! | 38 |
| Exactly 105 yards! (Bonus) | 4 |
59. The Los Angeles receiver that gains the second-most receiving yards will tally…
| Less than 70 yards! | 46 |
| More than 70 yards! | 27 |
| Exactly 70 yards! (Bonus) | 2 |
60. The New England receiver that gains the most receiving yards will tally…
| Less than 105 yards! | 29 |
| More than 105 yards! | 44 |
| Exactly 105 yards! (Bonus) | 2 |
61. The New England receiver that gains the second-most receiving yards will tally…
| Less than 70 yards! | 44 |
| More than 70 yards! | 27 |
| Exactly 70 yards! (Bonus) | 4 |
62. The sum of the receiving yards by the Los Angeles and New England players with the third-most receiving yards will be..
| Less than 60 yards! | 15 |
| 61-70 yards! | 18 |
| 71-80 yards! | 15 |
| 81-90 yards! | 8 |
| 91 or more yards! (Bonus) | 19 |
63. Which player will gain the most all-purpose (receiving + return + rushing) yards?
| C.J. Anderson, Los Angeles! | 3 |
| Brandin Cooks, Los Angeles! | 8 |
| Todd Gurley II, Los Angeles! | 19 |
| Robert Woods, Los Angeles! | 3 |
| Julian Edelman, New England! | 23 |
| Rob Gronkowski, New England! | 3 |
| Sony Michel, New England! | 3 |
| Cordarrelle Patterson, New England! | 4 |
| James White, New England! | 6 |
| Someone else! (Bonus) | 3 |
64. How many times will a Los Angeles player be tackled or forced out of bounds for a loss of yards?
| Less than 6! | 46 |
| More than 6! | 19 |
| Exactly 6! (Bonus) | 10 |
65. How many times will a New England player be tackled or forced out of bounds for a loss of yards?
| Less than 6! | 47 |
| More than 6! | 22 |
| Exactly 6! (Bonus) | 6 |
66. Who will lead Los Angeles in tackles?
| Mark Barron! | 4 |
| Lamarcus Joyner! | 14 |
| John Johnson II! | 3 |
| Cory Littleton! | 24 |
| Aqib Talib! | 18 |
| Someone else! (Bonus) | 12 |
67. Who will lead New England in tackles?
| Patrick Chung! | 14 |
| Devin McCourty! | 18 |
| Elandon Roberts! | 4 |
| Kyle Van Noy! | 24 |
| Someone else! (Bonus) | 15 |
68. Which kicker will have more total points?
| Stephen Gostkowski, New England! | 36 |
| Greg Zuerlein, Los Angeles! | 34 |
| Someone else! (Bonus) | 1 |
| There will be some sort of tie! (Bonus) | 4 |
69. Which team will make the longest field goal?
| Los Angeles! | 40 |
| New England! | 31 |
| There will be some sort of tie! (Bonus) | 2 |
| Neither team will make a field goal! (Bonus) | 2 |
70. The longest field goal will be…
| 17-25 yards! | 0 |
| 26-35 yards! | 4 |
| 36-45 yards! | 25 |
| 46-50 yards! | 23 |
| 51 yards or longer! (Bonus) | 22 |
| There will be no field goals! (Bonus) | 1 |
71. The shortest field goal will be…
| 17-25 yards! | 47 |
| 26-35 yards! | 24 |
| 36-45 yards! | 3 |
| 46-50 yards! | 0 |
| 51 yards or longer! | 0 |
| There will be no field goals! (Bonus) | 1 |
72. The total number of field goals will be…
| 0! | 0 |
| 1! | 1 |
| 2! | 6 |
| 3! | 29 |
| 4! | 22 |
| 5 or more! (Bonus) | 17 |
73. The total number of missed field goals will be…
| 0! | 38 |
| 1! | 27 |
| 2! | 6 |
| 3! | 2 |
| 4 or more! (Bonus) | 1 |
| 4 or more! | 1 |
74. Which punter will have the longest punt?
| Ryan Allen, New England! | 17 |
| Johnny Hekker, Los Angeles! | 54 |
| Someone else! (Bonus) | 2 |
| There will be some sort of tie! (Bonus) | 2 |
75. The total number of punts will be..
| 0! (Bonus) | 0 |
| 1-4! | 24 |
| 5-8! | 45 |
| 9-12! | 4 |
| 13 or more! (Bonus) | 2 |
76. The total number of returned punts (non safe-catches) will be…
| Less than 3! | 38 |
| More than 3! | 28 |
| Exactly 3! (Bonus) | 9 |
77. The longest punt return will be…
| 0-10 yards! | 5 |
| 11-20 yards! | 32 |
| 21-30 yards! | 25 |
| 31 yards or longer! (Bonus) | 13 |
78. The longest kickoff return will be…
| 0-10 yards! | 1 |
| 11-20 yards! | 10 |
| 21-30 yards! | 38 |
| 31-40 yards! | 16 |
| 41 yards or longer! (Bonus) | 10 |
79. Which number will be greater on Sunday, Feb. 3?
|
[The average price (in cents) of
gasoline in the United States, according to AAA] + 85! | 41 |
|
The midpoint between Tom Brady and
Jared Goff total net passing yards! | 32 |
| The two sums will be equal! (Bonus) | 2 |
80. Which number will be greater on Sunday, Feb. 3
|
(The price, at kickoff, of an
ounce of gold in U.S. dollars) divided by 10! | 36 |
| (Brandin Cooks receiving yards) + 40! | 35 |
| When rounded, the two numbers will be equal! (Bonus) | 4 |
81. Which number will be greater on Sunday, Feb. 3?
| The price, at kickoff, of an ounce of silver in U.S. dollars! | 46 |
| (C.J. Anderson rushing attempts) + 1! | 25 |
| When rounded, the two numbers will be equal! (Bonus) | 4 |
82. Which number will be greater on Sunday, Feb. 3?
| (The price of a single Bitcoin in U.S. dollars) divided by 10! | 22 |
| Tom Brady total passing yards! | 49 |
| When rounded, the two numbers will be equal! (Bonus) | 2 |
| (The price of a single Bitcoin in U.S. dollars) divided by 100! | 2 |
83. Which sum will be greater on Sunday, Feb. 3?
| Los Angeles touchdowns! | 43 |
| (Total goals scored by Velez Sarsfield and River Plate) + 1 | 24 |
| The two sums will be equal! (Bonus) | 8 |
84. Which sum will be greater on Sunday, Feb. 3?
| Total number of sacks! | 33 |
| (Total goals scored by Millionarios and Bucaramanga) + 1 | 31 |
| The two sums will be equal! (Bonus) | 11 |
85. Which sum will be greater on Sunday, Feb. 3?
| Letters in the first name of the last player to score in the game! | 54 |
| (Total goals for Academia Puerto Cabello and Dep. Metropolitano) + 2 | 15 |
| The two sums will be equal! (Bonus) | 1 |
| The two sums will be equal! | 5 |
86. Which sum will be greater on Sunday, Feb. 3?
| Letters in the last name of the last player to score in the game! | 44 |
| (Total goals for Zulia and Deportivo Tachira) + 3! | 26 |
| The two sums will be equal! (Bonus) | 3 |
| The two sums will be equal! | 2 |
87. Which sum will be greater on Sunday, Feb. 3?
|
The final-round score of the
winner of the Waste Management Phoenix Open! | 29 |
| New England’s total number of plays! | 39 |
| The two sums will be equal! (Bonus) | 1 |
|
For some reason, the Waste
Management Phoenix Open won’t conclude on Sunday! (Bonus) | 6 |
88. Which sum will be greater on Sunday, Feb. 3?
|
The final-round score of the
runner-up of the Waste Management Phoenix Open! | 29 |
| Los Angeles total number of plays! | 37 |
| The two sums will be equal! (Bonus) | 3 |
|
For some reason, the Waste
Management Phoenix Open won’t conclude on Sunday! (Bonus) | 6 |
89. How many total points will be scored in the game?
| Less than 30! | 1 |
| 31-35! | 1 |
| 36-40! | 4 |
| 41-45! | 10 |
| 46-50! | 11 |
| 51-55! | 13 |
| 56-60! | 14 |
| 61-65! | 11 |
| 66-70! | 2 |
| 71-75! | 5 |
| 76-80! | 1 |
| 81 or more! | 2 |
90. Will the total number of points scored be even or odd?
| Even! | 27 |
| Odd! | 48 |
91. Who will be the MVP of Super Bowl LIII? (3-point bonus question)