I think people enjoy movies and television for much the same reason that they like sports. Sure, at the end of the day it's all just entertainment. But the best entertainment has an under layer of deeper meaning; something fans and audiences can latch onto and draw bigger conclusions. It's one of the reasons movie-goers were so impressed with Michael Keaton's multi-faceted Riggan Thomson in "Birdman" this year or why Amazon just snagged its first Golden Globes award thanks to "Transparent."
It's also why Super Bowls are about much more than just the game. They're about crafting a narrative that affects a legacy and leaves some type of lasting impression on us.
So what are the three biggest "meaning" questions for this year's Super Bowl matchup between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks?
1. What does this Super Bowl mean for Tom Brady?
The New York Post currently has Tom Brady as the second-best quarterback of all time right behind Joe Montana. But they argue that a fourth ring would elevate Brady to the top spot. Forget about SpyGate and DeflateGate for a second. Brady has enjoyed an unparalleled stretch of individual excellence and team success since he became New England's full-time starter back in 2001.
I think "clutch" arguments are overrated but there is no denying how great Brady has been in the post-season for his career. Brady has the most passing yards (7,017), touchdowns (49) and wins (20) in playoff history among quarterbacks. Is it fair to argue that a league-wide increase in passing and changing rules that favored quarterbacks and receivers allowed Brady to be this successful in his age 37 season as well as prolong his career? Absolutely. But we also have to give Brady credit for doing nothing else but honing his craft over the last 14 years. Joe Flacco and Eli Manning have the same advantages awarded to Brady, but they are unlikely to be mentioned in the same breath as Brady from a historical standpoint.
Brady is about to start in his sixth Super Bowl. That's an NFL record for quarterbacks. I'm not saying that he is the greatest of all time, but I will say that a fourth Lombardi Trophy would make him the most impressive quarterback I've ever seen.
2. What does this Super Bowl mean for Russell Wilson?
Wilson has unquestionably been the most successful of the recent crop of "mobile" quarterbacks (Robert Griffin III, Colin Kaepernick, Cam Newton, even Andrew Luck to a lesser degree). He's now trying to become the first quarterback to win back-to-back Super Bowls since the afforementioned Tom Brady did it in the mid 2000s. The opportunity couldn't be coming at a better time either. Wilson will enter the last year of his rookie deal next season and it would behoove Seattle to come to terms on an extension sooner rather than later. Remember when Flacco leveraged Baltimore's Super Bowl win to snag a $100 million contract? Wilson has the chance to dwarf that number.
If the 26-year-old can secure another Lombardi Trophy, he'll likely get a deal that surpasses Aaron Rodgers' annual value of $22 million. Another win will also have the side effect of reinvigorating the support of dual-threat quarterbacks as viable franchise cornerstones.
From an individual standpoint, Wilson will probably be elevated into the top tier of quarterbacks among most NFL observers. Ben Roethlisberger got the same treatment after he won two Super Bowls early(ish) in his career as a QB who extends plays and relies on a strong defense and running game.
A lot is riding on this game for Wilson, both from a financial point of view and garnering respect amongst the current landscape of great quarterbacks.
3. What does this Super Bowl mean for Bill Belichick?
One storyline I find particularly interesting entering this year's Super Bowl is that it is a matchup between old school and new school. Patriots coach Bill Belichick is the tight lipped, curt mastermind who controls every aspect of the franchise and is all about the bottom line when it comes to his players. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is the jovial, rah-rah motivator who collaborates with his general manager and is beloved by his players.
Whether it's fair or not, the team that wins will be seen as a successful model for other franchises to emulate.
Belichick has to be in the conversation as one of the best head coaches of all time across all sports, along with Phil Jackson, Greg Popovich, Vince Lombardi and Tony La Russa. Six Super Bowl appearances with at least three victories. Twelve first-place finishes in the AFC East in 15 seasons. The fifth most career wins as a head coach (211 and counting) of all time.
I've never seen a coach better at adapting on the fly than Belichick. I've never seen a coach able to throw in additional wrinkles from week-to-week that confound opponents better than Belichick. I've never seen a coach make wiser roster moves year after year than Belichick. And it's not even close.
Belichick doesn't need another win to confirm his legacy (again, we're not talking about any type of "gate" right now) as one of the greatest sports coaches of all time. Period. But another Super Bowl ring wouldn't hurt either.