When Atlanta took a commanding 28-3 lead with 8:31 left in Super Bowl LI, 29 questions had been answered in POPS PROPS VII and we were starting to see some contenders pull away. The top 29 at the time were within five points of the lead, and 18 of them had picked the Falcons to win.
We all know what happened next. The Falcons laid a big, stinky egg, and New England scored 31 unanswered points. In the end, standing alone amidst the carnage, was Rob A., the POPS PROPS VII champion by four points.
CATEGORY LEADERBOARD
| FIRST FOUR (4 questions) | 6 pts. max |
| Jason G., Kevin L., Tim G. | 6 |
| 15 tied with | 5 |
| EARLY GAME (9 questions) | 10 pts. max |
| Tim B. | 8 |
| Jeff B., Tim W. | 7 |
| 10 tied with | 6 |
| ENTERTAINMENT (11 questions) | 12 pts. max |
| Adam A., Andy B., Kevin K., Matt F., Zach A. | 7 |
| 6 tied with | 6 |
| THE TWO HALVES (13 questions) | 14 pts. max |
| Clayton S., Kris K., Mike A. | 10 |
| Bethany V., Jesse G. | 9 |
| TEAM TOTALS (11 questions) | 12 pts. max |
| Rob R. | 8 |
| Aunt Bobbi, Clayton S., Eric P., Peter K., Rob A. | 7 |
| INDIVIDUAL TOTALS (29 questions) | 32 pts. max |
| Susan D. | 20 |
| Zach A. | 18 |
| 8 tied with | 17 |
| CROSSOVERS (10 questions) | 10 pts. max |
| Dan O. | 9 |
| Eric C., Jill W., Shane D. | 8 |
| 8 tied with | 7 |
A FEW OBSERVATIONS
How did Rob A. do it? Let’s take a closer look:
He correctly guessed the Patriots would win, while the POPS PROPS VII field picked the Falcons by a 39-38 margin!
He tallied three of four points in the pre-game songs by correctly guessing that: Luke Bryan would be standing, not behind a piano, for the National Anthem; the Hamilton performers’ rendition of America The Beautiful would last less than 1:45; the Hamilton performers would be standing, rather than sitting on chairs/stools!
He correctly guessed that Atlanta would cross the 50-yard-line first and score first but wouldn’t win!
He correctly guessed that Lady Gaga would come out for her halftime show with blonde hair, make no political statement and not make a surprise appearance.
He correctly guessed that more than 14 points would be scored in the second quarter, less than 14 points would be scored in the third quarter and more than 14 points would be scored in the fourth quarter!
He correctly guessed that the Pats would score last, the longest TD would be more than 36 yards and there would be a defensive touchdown!
He correctly guessed that Matt Ryan would pass for less than 308 yards, Tom Brady would pass for more than 308 yards, the total passing yards would be more than 602 and there would be more than 76 passing attempts!
He correctly guessed that Atlanta’s leading rusher would gain more than 65 yards, New England’s leading rusher would gain less than 65 yards and the total rushing yards would be less than 227!
He correctly guessed that the leading Pats’ receiver would gain more than 99 yards, the Pats’ second-leading receiver would gain more than 72 yards and the third-leading receivers from both teams would gain more than 80 yards!
He correctly guessed that there would be less than 4 field goals, Matt Bosher would have the longest punt and the longest punt return would be less than 30 yards!
He correctly answered five of the 10 crossover picks!
He correctly guessed that there would be more than 61 points scored and that Tom Brady would win MVP!
QUESTION SUMMARY
1. Who will win Super Bowl LI?
Atlanta: 39
New England: 38
2. How long will Luke Bryan’s rendition of the national anthem last? (The timer rounds to the nearest second, starts at his first note and ends when he concludes singing.)
| Longer than 1:58! | 33 |
| Shorter than 1:58! | 42 |
| Exactly 1:58! (Bonus) | 2 |
3. Which of these things will Luke Bryan wear when he performs the national anthem? (Point awarded for any correct answer.)
| Blue jeans! | 13 |
| Boots! | 7 |
| A cowboy hat! | 1 |
| Shades! | 0 |
| A shirt tucked into pants! | 2 |
| A suit! | 1 |
| Two of these things! | 17 |
| Three or more of these things! (Bonus) | 35 |
| None of these things! (Bonus) | 1 |
4. While singing the National Anthem, Luke Bryan will be…
| On a moving platform! | 5 |
| Seated behind a piano! | 0 |
| Seated on a chair or stool (but not behind a piano)! | 4 |
| Standing! | 66 |
| Suspended in air! (Bonus) | 0 |
| None of the above! (Bonus) | 2 |
5. How long will the Hamilton actresses’ version of “America The Beautiful” last?
| Over 1:45! | 51 |
| Under 1:45! | 21 |
| Exactly 1:45! (Bonus) | 5 |
6. While singing, the Hamilton actresses will be…
| On a moving platform! | 10 |
| Seated behind a piano! | 0 |
| Seated on a chair or stool (but not behind a piano)! | 3 |
| Standing! | 44 |
| Suspended in air! (Bonus) | 0 |
| A combination of these things! | 18 |
| None of the above! (Bonus) | 2 |
7. Which team will win the pre-game opening coin toss?
| Atlanta! | 38 |
| New England! | 39 |
8. Will the opening coin toss be heads or tails?
| Heads! | 46 |
| Tails! | 31 |
9. The team that wins the opening coin toss will elect to…
| Defer! | 36 |
| Kick off! | 15 |
| Receive! | 26 |
10. The opening kickoff return will be…
| 0 yards, because the ball will be kicked through the back of the end zone for a touchback! | 20 |
| 0 yards, because the returner will kneel in the end zone for a touchback! | 22 |
| 1 to 15 yards! | 14 |
| 16 to 25 yards! | 17 |
| 26 to 35 yards! | 2 |
| 36 or more yards! | 1 |
| Fumbled, but possession will be regained! (Bonus) | 1 |
| Fumbled, and possession will be lost! (Bonus) | 0 |
| Returned for a touchdown! (Bonus) | 0 |
11. Which team will be assessed the first accepted penalty?
| Atlanta! | 39 |
| New England! | 37 |
| Neither team will be penalized! (Bonus) | 1 |
12. Which team will call the first timeout?
| Atlanta! | 51 |
| New England! | 25 |
| Neither team will call a timeout! (Bonus) | 1 |
13. Which team will cross the 50-yard line first?
| Atlanta! | 42 |
| New England! | 35 |
| Somehow, neither team will cross the 50-yard line! (Bonus) | 0 |
14. Which team will score first?
| Atlanta! | 36 |
| New England! | 41 |
| Somehow, neither team will score at all! (Bonus) | 0 |
15. The first points will be awarded as a result of a…
| Defensive or special-teams touchdown! (Bonus) | 3 |
| Field goal! | 36 |
| Passing touchdown! | 30 |
| Rushing touchdown! | 8 |
| Safety! | 0 |
16. Which head coach will throw the first challenge flag
| Dan Quinn, Atlanta! | 24 |
| Bill Belichick, New England! | 42 |
| Neither coach will throw a challenge flag! (Bonus) | 11 |
17. Will the first points be scored in the first 6 minutes, 29 seconds?
| No! | 20 |
| Yes! | 55 |
| The first points will be scored at exactly 6:30 into the first quarter! (Bonus) | 2 |
18. Will the team that scores first win the game?
| No! | 35 |
| Yes! | 42 |
19. The total number of first-quarter points will be…
| Less than 10! | 24 |
| More than 10! | 36 |
| Exactly 10! (Bonus) | 17 |
20. Which team will lead at the end of the first quarter?
| Atlanta! | 34 |
| New England! | 35 |
| The score will be tied! (Bonus) | 8 |
21. The first commercial after the conclusion of the first quarter will advertise…
| Alcohol! | 17 |
| Automobiles or tires! | 18 |
| Chips, food or snacks! | 16 |
| Computers or technology! | 4 |
| Soft drinks! | 8 |
| None of the above! (Bonus) | 14 |
22. The total number of second-quarter points will be…
| Less than 14! | 42 |
| More than 14! | 30 |
| Exactly 14! (Bonus) | 5 |
23. Which team will lead at halftime?
| Atlanta! | 32 |
| New England! | 41 |
| The score will be tied! (Bonus) | 4 |
24. Which of these songs will Lady Gaga NOT perform? (Performing snippets of these songs count as “performing the song.”)
| Applause! | 1 |
| Bad Romance! | 5 |
| Born This Way! | 2 |
| Edge of Glory! | 1 |
| Just Dance! | 0 |
| Paparazzi! | 5 |
| Perfect Illusion! | 4 |
| Poker Face! | 8 |
| She won’t play two of these songs! | 24 |
| She won’t play three of these songs! | 19 |
| She won’t play four or more of these songs! | 7 |
| She won’t play any of these songs! (Bonus) | 1 |
25. What color will Lady Gaga’s hair/wig be when she first appears during her halftime show?
| Black! | 2 |
| Blonde! | 31 |
| Blue! | 1 |
| Pink! | 6 |
| Red! | 1 |
| Silver! | 8 |
| White! | 10 |
| More than one color! (Bonus) | 16 |
| None of these colors! (Bonus) | 0 |
| Some other color! (Bonus) | 2 |
26. Will Lady Gaga make a political statement during the halftime show!
| No! | 16 |
| Yes, but she won’t mention Donald Trump by name! | 54 |
| Yes, and she will mention Donald Trump by name! (Bonus) | 7 |
27. Which of these things will Lady Gaga wear during her halftime show?
| Glasses or sunglasses! | 3 |
| A hat or headdress! | 10 |
| A mask! | 1 |
| Those crazy-ass McQueen shoes! | 0 |
| Pants! | 1 |
| Wings! | 2 |
| She will wear none of these things! (Bonus) | 3 |
| She will wear two of these things! (Bonus) | 42 |
| She will wear three or more of these things! (Bonus) | 15 |
28. Who will make a surprise appearance during Lady Gaga’s halftime show?
| Tony Bennett | 14 |
| Joe Biden | 0 |
| Kendrick Lamar | 6 |
| Mark Ronson | 4 |
| Florence Welch | 1 |
| Zedd | 1 |
| More than one of these people! (Bonus) | 2 |
| Someone else! | 41 |
| No one at all! | 8 |
29. How many outfits will Lady Gaga wear during her halftime show?
| More than 3! (Bonus) | 15 |
| 3! | 27 |
| 2! | 28 |
| 1! | 7 |
30. The total number of third-quarter points will be…
| Less than 14! | 50 |
| More than 14! | 21 |
| Exactly 14! (Bonus) | 6 |
31. The total number of fourth-quarter points will be…
| Less than 14! | 29 |
| More than 14! | 45 |
| Exactly 14! (Bonus) | 3 |
32. In which half will there be a greater number of points scored?
| The first half! | 13 |
| The second half! | 61 |
| The two sums will be equal! (Bonus) | 3 |
33. Which team(s) will score in the final 4 minutes?
| Only Atlanta! | 16 |
| Only New England! | 15 |
| Both teams! (Bonus) | 33 |
| Neither team! | 13 |
34. Which team will score last?
| Atlanta! | 40 |
| New England! | 37 |
35. The total number of touchdowns will be…
| Less than 6! | 31 |
| More than 6! | 32 |
| Exactly 6! (Bonus) | 14 |
36. The longest touchdown will be…
| Less than 36 yards! | 9 |
| More than 36 yards! | 67 |
| Exactly 36 yards! (Bonus) | 1 |
37. The shortest touchdown will be…
| Less than 3 yards! | 59 |
| More than 3 yards! | 14 |
| Exactly 3 yards! (Bonus) | 4 |
38. The total number of successful third-down conversions will be…
| Less than 12! | 32 |
| More than 12! | 38 |
| Exactly 12! (Bonus) | 7 |
39. The total number of successful fourth-down conversions will be…
| Less than 2! | 36 |
| More than 2! | 26 |
| Exactly 2! (Bonus) | 15 |
40. How many accepted penalties will be assessed in the game?
| Less than 12! | 61 |
| More than 12! | 13 |
| Exactly 12! (Bonus) | 3 |
41. Which team will have the most penalty yards against?
| Atlanta! | 45 |
| New England! | 30 |
| The two sums will be equal! (Bonus) | 2 |
42. Will there be a defensive or special-teams touchdown?
| No! | 40 |
| Only defensive! | 19 |
| Only special teams! | 6 |
| Both! (Bonus) | 12 |
43. The total number of sacks will be…
| Less than 6! | 53 |
| More than 6! | 18 |
| Exactly 6! (Bonus) | 6 |
44. The total number of interceptions will be…
| Less than 2! | 24 |
| More than 2! | 21 |
| Exactly 2! (Bonus) | 32 |
45. The total number of lost fumbles will be…
| Less than 2! | 52 |
| More than 2! | 14 |
| Exactly 2! (Bonus) | 11 |
46. Matt Ryan’s (ATL) total passing yards will be…
| Less than 308! | 26 |
| More than 308! | 49 |
| Exactly 308! (Bonus) | 2 |
47. Tom Brady’s (NE) total passing yards will be…
| Less than 308! | 31 |
| More than 308! | 44 |
| Exactly 308! (Bonus) | 2 |
48. The total number of passing yards in the game will be…
| Less than 602! | 28 |
| More than 602! | 47 |
| Exactly 602! (Bonus) | 1 |
49. The total number of passing attempts in the game will be…
| Less than 76! | 35 |
| More than 76! | 40 |
| Exactly 76! (Bonus) | 2 |
50. The total number of passing attempts by backup quarterbacks (i.e., not Ryan or Brady) will be…
| More than 10! (Bonus) | 3 |
| 6-10! | 3 |
| 3-5! | 9 |
| 2! | 2 |
| 1! | 5 |
| 0! | 55 |
51. Atlanta’s leading rusher will gain…
| Less than 65 yards! | 22 |
| More than 65 yards! | 53 |
| Exactly 65 yards! (Bonus) | 2 |
52. New England’s leading rusher will gain…
| Less than 65 yards! | 38 |
| More than 65 yards! | 38 |
| Exactly 65 yards! (Bonus) | 1 |
53. Which team will gain the most rushing yards?
| Atlanta! | 48 |
| New England! | 27 |
| The two sums will be equal! (Bonus) | 2 |
54. The total amount of rushing yards will be…
| Less than 227! | 52 |
| More than 227! | 23 |
| Exactly 227! (Bonus) | 2 |
55. The Atlanta receiver that gains the most receiving yards will tally…
| Less than 99 yards! | 24 |
| More than 99 yards! | 51 |
| Exactly 99 yards! (Bonus) | 2 |
56. The Atlanta receiver that gains the second-most receiving yards will tally…
| Less than 72 yards! | 47 |
| More than 72 yards! | 28 |
| Exactly 72 yards! (Bonus!) | 2 |
57. The New England receiver that gains the most receiving yards will tally…
| Less than 99 yards! | 39 |
| More than 99 yards! | 37 |
| Exactly 99 yards! (Bonus) | 1 |
58. The New England receiver that gains the second-most receiving yards will tally…
| Less than 72 yards! | 35 |
| More than 72 yards! | 39 |
| Exactly 72 yards! (Bonus) | 3 |
59. The sum of the receiving yards by the Atlanta and New England players with the third-most receiving yards will be…
| Less than 80 yards! | 31 |
| More than 80 yards! | 44 |
| Exactly 80 yards! (Bonus) | 2 |
60. Which player will gain the most all-purpose (receiving + return + rushing) yards?
| LeGarette Blount (NE)! | 6 |
| Julian Edelman (NE)! | 13 |
| Devonta Freeman (ATL)! | 17 |
| Taylor Gabriel (ATL)! | 1 |
| Julio Jones (ATL)! | 25 |
| Dion Lewis (NE)! | 7 |
| Someone else! (Bonus) | 6 |
| There will be some sort of tie! (Bonus) | 2 |
61. How many times will an Atlanta player be tackled or forced out of bounds for a loss of yards?
| Less than 7! | 54 |
| More than 7! | 19 |
| Exactly 7! (Bonus) | 4 |
62. How many times will a New England player be tackled or forced out of bounds for a loss of yards?
| Less than 7! | 48 |
| More than 7! | 26 |
| Exactly 7! (Bonus) | 2 |
| Exactly 7! | 1 |
63. Who will lead Atlanta in tackles?
| Ricardo Allen! | 5 |
| Vic Beasley Jr.! | 18 |
| Deion Jones! | 22 |
| Keanu Neal! | 12 |
| Brian Poole! | 5 |
| Someone else! (Bonus) | 9 |
| There will be some sort of tie! (Bonus) | 6 |
64. Who will lead New England in tackles?
| Malcolm Butler! | 11 |
| Patrick Chung! | 7 |
| Donta Hightower! | 24 |
| Devin McCourty! | 6 |
| Logan Ryan! | 12 |
| Someone else! (Bonus) | 9 |
| There will be some sort of tie! (Bonus) | 8 |
65. Which kicker will have more total points?
| Matt Bryant, Atlanta! | 37 |
| Stephen Gostowski, New England! | 39 |
| Someone else! (Bonus) | 0 |
| There will be some sort of tie! (Bonus) | 1 |
66. Which team will make the longest field goal?
| Atlanta! | 40 |
| New England! | 37 |
| Neither team will make a field goal! (Bonus) | 0 |
67. The longest field goal will be..
| Less than 43 yards! | 16 |
| More than 43 yards! | 59 |
| Exactly 43 yards! (Bonus) | 2 |
68. The shortest field goal will be…
| Less than 26 yards! | 45 |
| More than 26 yards! | 30 |
| Exactly 26 yards! (Bonus) | 2 |
69. The total number of field goals will be…
| Less than 4! | 36 |
| More than 4! | 28 |
| Exactly 4! (Bonus) | 13 |
70. Which punter will have the longest punt?
| Matt Bosher, Atlanta! | 50 |
| Ryan Allen, New England! | 27 |
| Someone else! (Bonus) | 0 |
| There will be some sort of tie! (Bonus) | 0 |
71. The total number of punts will be…
| Less than 8! | 38 |
| More than 8! | 28 |
| Exactly 8! (Bonus) | 11 |
72. The total number of returned punts (non safe-catches) will be…
| Less than 5! | 44 |
| More than 5! | 24 |
| Exactly 5! (Bonus) | 9 |
73. The longest punt return will be…
| Less than 30 yards! | 41 |
| More than 30 yards! | 34 |
| Exactly 30 yards! (Bonus) | 2 |
74. The longest kickoff return will be…
| Less than 35 yards! | 37 |
| More than 35 yards! | 37 |
| Exactly 35 yards! (Bonus) | 3 |
75. Which number will be greater on Sunday, Feb. 5?
| [The average price (in cents) of gasoline in the United States, according to AAA] + 70! | 36 |
| The midpoint between Tom Brady and Matt Ryan’s total passing yards! | 41 |
| The two numbers will be equal! (Bonus) | 0 |
76. Which number will be greater on Sunday, Feb. 5?77 responses
| (The price, at kickoff, of an ounce of gold in U.S. dollars) divided by 10! | 21 |
| (Julio Jones receiving yards) + 20 | 54 |
| When rounded, the two numbers will be equal! (Bonus) | 2 |
77. Which number will be greater on Sunday, Feb. 5?
| The price, at kickoff, of an ounce of silver in U.S. dollars! | 35 |
| LeGarrette Blount rushing attempts! | 38 |
| When rounded, the two numbers will be equal! (Bonus) | 4 |
78. Which number will be greater on Sunday, Feb. 5?
| (The price, at kickoff, of a bushel of corn in U.S. dollars) times 10! | 36 |
| Taylor Gabriel receiving yards! | 38 |
| When rounded, the two numbers will be equal! (Bonus) | 3 |
79. Which number will be greater on Sunday, Feb. 5?
| (The value of the Euro in U.S. dollars) times 100! | 45 |
| Julian Edelman receiving yards! | 29 |
| The two numbers will be equal! (Bonus) | 3 |
80. Which number will be greater on Sunday, Feb. 5?
| Matt Ryan passing touchdowns! | 34 |
| (Total goals scored by Celtic and St. Johnstone) + 1! | 28 |
| The two numbers will be equal! (Bonus) | 15 |
81. Which number will be greater on Sunday, Feb. 5?
| Total number of sacks! | 34 |
| (Total goals scored by Manchester City + Swansea City) + 2! | 32 |
| The two numbers will be equal! (Bonus) | 11 |
82. Which number will be greater on Sunday, Feb. 5?
| Total number of turnovers! | 25 |
| (Total goals scored by Leicester City + Manchester United) + 1! | 42 |
| The two numbers will be equal! (Bonus) | 10 |
83. Which number will be greater on Sunday, Feb. 5?
| The final-round score of the winner of the Waste Management Phoenix Open! | 35 |
| Atlanta’s total number of plays! | 39 |
| The two numbers will be equal! (Bonus) | 2 |
| For some reason, the Waste Management Phoenix Open won’t conclude on Sunday! (Bonus) | 1 |
84. Which number will be greater on Sunday, Feb. 5?
| The final-round score of the runner-up of the Waste Management Phoenix Open! | 29 |
| New England’s total number of plays! | 46 |
| The two numbers will be equal! (Bonus) | 2 |
| For some reason, the Waste Management Phoenix Open won’t conclude on Sunday! (Bonus) | 0 |
85. How many total points will be scored in the game?
| Less than 61! | 47 |
| More than 61! | 29 |
| Exactly 61! (Bonus) | 1 |
86. Will the total number of points scored be even or odd?
| Even! | 34 |
| Odd! | 43 |
87. Who will be the MVP of Super Bowl LI? (3-point bonus question)