2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) Prop Bet: Dressing Tom Brady's Son

Leading up to the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) between the New York Giants and New England Patriots, we'll be taking a look at Super Bowl proposition betting, or more specifically, the fun or cray Super Bowl 46 (XLVI) prop bets that you hear so much about. That includes props on the Super Bowl coin toss, Super Bowl halftime show (Madonna), the Super Bowl National Anthem (Kelly Clarkson), the Super Bowl Gatorade Shower dump and much more. Follow along on the Super Bowl sidebar to the right and follow us on twitter @stocklemonblog!

There are some truly ridiculous Super Bowl prop bets every year that we like to point out and make fun of and laugh at people who actually wager money on them. And then there are some truly ridiculous Super Bowl prop bets that we get made fun of and laughed at for putting money on. Hey, we're only human, and that's what Super Bowl props are all about.

This prop qualifies as the latter of the two.

If Tom Brady's son is shown on TV during the game will he be wearing a Tom Brady Jersey?
Yes -200
No +150

The juice isn't too bad, so we're going for it. We think Tom Brady follows in Drew Brees' footsteps in terms of dressing his kid like... himself. Whether or not they get a cutesy little moment together as Super Bowl championship father and son remains to be seen.

Our reasoning here is rock-solid: Why wouldn't Tom Brady's son be dressed like his daddy? It's the freaking Super Bowl! Show your team colors, damnit child! The only concern of ours is that the fashion forward Brady family considers themselves above that kind of cliche garb and that Giselle Bundchen opts to dress her child in some kind of European look or something. Uggs, anyone?



Either way, our money is on Tom Brady's kid to wear his dad's jersey at the Super Bowl (-200). Did we really just type that?

And while it's not the most scientific process we've ever gone through in determining a Super Bowl prop bet result, we'll collect 50 cents on the dollar with this kind of prop any day.

For more ridiculous 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) Prop Bets, you know where to find us... stalking the Brady family wherever they may go.

2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) Prop Bet: The Kelly Clarkson National Anthem

Leading up to the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) between the New York Giants and New England Patriots, we'll be taking a look at Super Bowl proposition betting, or more specifically, the fun or cray Super Bowl 46 (XLVI) prop bets that you hear so much about. That includes props on the Super Bowl coin toss, Super Bowl halftime show (Madonna), the Super Bowl National Anthem (Kelly Clarkson), the Super Bowl Gatorade Shower dump and much more. Follow along on the Super Bowl sidebar to the right and follow us on twitter @stocklemonblog!

Before we get to our annual analysis of the duration of the Super Bowl National Anthem, we have good news for those of you who enjoy betting on the Star Spangled Banner--Christina Aguilera so badly screwed it up last year, that she's inspired an entirely new Anthem prop bet! The bad news, however, is that like many others, it is strictly a sucker bet.

The new prop reads:

Will Kelly Clarkson forget or omit at least 1 word of the official US National Anthem?
Yes +250

As we've mentioned before, it's generally a good idea to stray from these types of props that offer only one option, as they are usually trying to capitalize upon a hot topic and coerce people into getting their gambling advice at the water cooler. So no, please don't bet on the above prop bet. Kelly Clarkson will nail this thing.

The question still remains, though. Just how long will it take her to nail it?

How long will it take Kelly Clarkson to sing the National Anthem?
Over 1 minute, 34 seconds (-120)
Under 1 minute, 34 seconds (-120)

This marks our fifth-straight female anthem, following Billy Joel's short but sweet performance in 2007. This year's Anthem length could rival that of Joel's, though, as Clarkson has been quick and to the point in past Anthems on big stages (she's performed in both the World Series and NBA Finals, so she will be completing the major championship trifecta in the Super Bowl). Take a look at the results of our laborious research, which consisted of 15 minutes on Youtube.

Let's start with a National Anthem she sung on the gridiron, since she'll be in a similar surrounding Sunday. This from a Cowboys/Buccaneers Thanksgiving Day Game back on November 23, 2006:



Firstly, did it just make too much sense to have her sing the anthem last year, in her native Texas? Was that it? Anyway, we clocked her here at 1 minute, 28 seconds, six seconds under the over/under set for the Super Bowl (anthem runs from :02-1:30 in the video). As her appearance shows, this was a long time ago, just as she had climbed to the top of the American Idol mountain. Has time impacted her timing on the Star Spangled stopwatch?

Fast forward to Opening Day for the New York Yankees, hosting the Cleveland Indians on April 16, 2009 in another big-time performance:



Here, Clarkson goes just 1 minute, 27 seconds (:25-1:52), even with a little ad-libbing at the end. Could it be that she's actually taken time off of her Star Spangled Banner? Or was she just too comfortable whipping through that at such a dinky event as the opening game for the most storied franchise in all of sports?

Let's find out in the World Series, where the Fort Worth native actually was able to sing in front of the home crowd on the biggest stage in the MLB, the World Series (arguably less of a stage than the Thanksgiving Day Game, mind you). This from Game 3 of the Texas Rangers/San Francisco Giants series on October 30, 2010:



In four years, she added five seconds, finishing this one just a hair under the Super Bowl over/under at 1 minute, 33 seconds (from :17-1:50). This is subject to some debate, as it's not quite clear when she ends it, but it is certainly no later than 1:50 and possibly as early as 1:48 1/2. Either way, it's still at least one second under the Super Bowl mark of 1 minute, 34 seconds, and on a championship stage.

The success of her local Texas clubs means that we haven't seen the last of Clarkson on said stage, as she was also asked to sing at the NBA Finals this past season when the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat faced off. This from Game 4 of the Finals on June 7, 2011:



Once again, and on a similar Championship-level performance, Clarkson hit 1 minute, 33 seconds on the button (:16-1:49). It's clear that the oddsmakers are betting on this kind of consistency from Clarkson in her last two performances, both beautiful renditions of America's song, rather than the even shorter first version.

The results:
2006 NFL Thanksgiving Day Game, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys (November 23, 2006): 1 minute, 28 seconds
2009 Yankes Home Opener, Cleveland Indians at New York Yankees (April 16, 2009): 1 minute, 27 seconds
2010 MLB World Series Game 3, San Francisco Giants at Texas Rangers (October 30, 2010): 1 minute, 33 seconds
2011 NBA Finals Game 4, Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks (June 7, 2011): 1 minute, 33 seconds

So with the over/under set at 1 minute, 34 seconds, and all four of her past performances provided by Youtube set at 1 minute, 33 seconds or less, we'll definitely bet the under on the length of the Super Bowl National Anthem, right?

Not so fast, friends. While we do lend the appropriate amount of weight to this type of time-consuming research, sometimes, you just have to go with your gut. And there is something to be said about the grandest stage of them all, the Super Bowl, leading to additional seconds in the performance of the National Anthem.

We saw the nerves get to Christina Aguilera last year, who we correctly predicted to go over 1 minute, 50 seconds--even with the omission of an entire verse! We think Clarkson will go slightly over the 1 minute, 34 second mark, possibly in the 1:36-1:38 range, but it will be the closest call in recent memory. All we can do is provide the evidence, even if it does not support us in this case. Take these videos for what they are worth, but likewise go with your own gut.

Speaking of guts, we have one more Kelly Clarkson/National Anthem-related prop bet to warn you about:

Will Kelly Clarkson's bare belly be showing when she sings the National Anthem?
Yes +300

Not only is this another sucker bet, it's actually kind of mean considering the fluctuating weight of Kelly Clarkson in recent years. Sure, in her younger days as a hot new diva, she was privy to showing some skin via the bare midriff, but it would take the most disastrous of wardrobe malfunctions yet to get Kelly Clarkson to show her stomach to the entire world on Super Sunday.

What will she wear instead, you ask? Let's take a look at our options:

What will Kelly Clarkson wear to sing the National Anthem?
Super Bowl XLVI or official NFL shirt +200
Colts Jersey or shirt +1200
Patriots Jersey or shirt +1200
Giants Jersey or shirt +1500
Anything else -300

Our original lean was the anything else option at -300, playing it safe and guessing that Clarkson dresses conservatively but within her own style. Looking at the videos above, though, the other options available are more her style than anything. She dresses the part, to be sure, wearing Cowboys, Yankees, Rangers, and Mavericks apparel in each of the above videos.

Taking into account that she is actually a fan of most of those teams, we don't foresee her picking favorites with Patriots or Giants gear (though she may be actively rooting against New York), and any Colts apparel would be out of place in a game in which they aren't playing, despite the location of the game. Which leads us to believe that she'll go with some other form of NFL apparel, likely a simple t-shirt with the Super Bowl XLVI logo on it. We're going to finally step outside the box and go with Kelly Clarkson to wear anything in the Super Bowl/NFL apparel option at +200. One that covers the stomach region, mind you.

And if coverage is what you're looking for, you're in the right place, as we'll dish out plenty more 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) prop bet goodness throughout the hype and hoopla that is Super Bowl Week. We'll keep those fun and crazy Super Bowl prop bets coming as long as we're promised Kelly Clarkson keeps her clothes on.

2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) Prop Bet: The Super Bowl MVP

Leading up to the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) between the New York Giants and New England Patriots, we'll be taking a look at Super Bowl proposition betting, or more specifically, the fun or cray Super Bowl 46 (XLVI) prop bets that you hear so much about. That includes props on the Super Bowl coin toss, Super Bowl halftime show, Super Bowl National Anthem, Super Bowl Gatorade Shower dump and much more. Follow along on the Super Bowl sidebar to the right and follow us on twitter @stocklemonblog!

They've both won it. Tom Brady twice. Eli Manning once. The award usually goes to a quarterback. So, what exactly are we risking with this one? Before we give you our analysis of this popular prop bet, check out the complete 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) MVP odds below:

Tom Brady... 13/10
Eli Manning... 9/4
Rob Gronkowski... 15/2
Hakeem Nicks... 14/1
Victor Cruz... 14/1
Aaron Hernandez... 15/1
Wes Welker... 15/1
Ahmad Bradshaw... 22/1
BenJarvus Green-Ellis... 22/1
Jason Pierre-Paul... 25/1
Deion Branch... 30/1
Brandon Jacobs... 35/1
Mario Manningham... 35/1
Danny Woodhead... 50/1
Antrel Rolle... 75/1
Justin Tuck... 75/1
Chad Ochocinco... 100/1
Devin McCourty... 100/1
Jake Ballard... 100/1
Jerod Mayo... 100/1
Kyle Arrington... 100/1
Lawrence Tynes... 100/1
Osi Umenyiora... 100/1
Stephen Gostkowski... 100/1
Vince Wilfork... 100/1
Field... 20/1

With the NFL steadily becoming a pass-happy league and quarterbacks serving as the main attraction in the marketing machine, it's no surprise that the QB has claimed 24 of the 45 Super Bowl MVPs (53%), including four of the last five. And, like last year, we don't expect that to change in 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46).

Tom Terrific is vying to tie Joe Montana for the most Super Bowl MVPs in history, while Eli is looking to join the likes of Brady, Montana and Bradshaw as the game's multiple award winners. Both teams have been handed three Super Bowl MVPs, two of which have gone to quarterbacks (Brady conceded one to a player he was throwing to, Deion Branch, while Phil Simms and Eli won the award for the Giants and running back Otis Anderson claims their only non-QB MVP).

The strategy for us here is simple: don't get too crazy. We know what the odds are that a quarterback wins the MVP, and this is a prop bet where we like to play it relatively conservative. Sure, it'd be great to tell your buddies you nailed the Antrel Rolle bet at 75/1 odds when he's returning a pick for a touchdown, but the likelihood of that occurring is far worse than even 75/1 odds (until the Stock Lemon jinx has its way with this Super Bowl!). Dexter Jackson, he is not.

Last year we copped out and told you to bet either Ben Roethlisberger or Aaron Rodgers, depending on whether you thought the Steelers or Packers would come out victorious. The strategy is the same for us this year, but we're going to take it one step further. Sticking with our original lean of the Patriots, we're going for the most square, boring pick of them all, Tom Brady for the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) MVP at 13/10 odds.

The odds are, obviously, terrible, as they are for Eli (9/4), but it's the right play. That is, if you think the Patriots will win. If you like the Giants, go with Eli, just as we instructed last year.

If we were to look outside the quarterback position, we do see some value in the pass-catchers, particularly the guys who live in the slot--Wes Welker and Victor Cruz, both at 15/1. So even if we were to get crazy, we're not getting too crazy.

As we've said in the past, many of these guys are thrown on the board because they have name value, but the bookies know that they have an extremely limited chance of being named MVP (1000/1 odds might even be a stretch for a few of the names on this year's list). They then cover the rest of the scraps with the field bet at 20/1, which might be the biggest ripoff of them all.

Much like many of the annual Super Bowl prop bets, they are all about getting public money on crazy and improbable bets, because betting on the Super Bowl is like going to Vegas--it's an event that only occurs every so often, and people accept the fact that they're likely to lose money in exchange for the excitement and potential to strike it big (or just have fun and get really drunk).

Could Vince Wilfork (100/1) hilariously intercept another pass? Yes. Could Lawrence Tynes (100/1) kick eight field goals, including the game winner? Sure. Could Chad Ochocinco (100/1) finally have a big game for the Patriots on the biggest stage of them all? Well, no, but you get the point.

Anything is possible, obviously, but the safe bet on the Super Bowl MVP prop bet is the correct bet.

Nicaragua: Where the 19-0 Patriots Beat the Giants in 2008 Super Bowl XLII (42)

During the hype of Super Bowl week, stories like this are always good for a fascinating read... or entire SportsCenter segment. Above are children in Nicaragua, which, as explained below, received the shipment of 19-0 Patriots Super Bowl Champions t-shirts following the 2007 NFL season.

We've posted on the topic before as well, but it's always hilarious (and heart-warming?) to see discarded merchandise on the backs of those in underdeveloped nations, so we thought we'd share the relevant information as we prepare in the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) for a rematch of the 2008 Super Bowl XLII (42), which saw the Giants upset the Patriots in dramatic fashion.



We're back with much less human interest puff pieces and much more Super Bowl prop betting tomorrow, when the official master list of 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) props is released.

Potential 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) NBA Cross-Sport Prop Bets

Leading up to the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) between the New York Giants and New England Patriots, we'll be taking a look at Super Bowl proposition betting, or more specifically, the fun or cray Super Bowl 46 (XLVI) prop bets that you hear so much about. That includes props on the Super Bowl coin toss, Super Bowl halftime show, Super Bowl National Anthem, Super Bowl Gatorade Shower dump and much more. Follow along on the Super Bowl sidebar to the right and follow us on twitter @stocklemonblog!

What should we do?

Should we admit that we've made mistakes? Should we remind you that we've done this before? Should we ignore the other professional sports in action Sunday just because its the Super Bowl?

What should we do?

Well, LeBron James and other like-minded readers looking for our answer on how to handle the rest of the sports docket on Super Bowl Sunday, it's simple. Combine them!

There are two NBA games on tap for Sunday, February 5th, but out of respect for some other event goign on later that day, both games will occur in the early afternoon and be done by kickoff of the Super Bowl. Still, that gives us two games to work with in the NBA for some good ole fashioned cross-sport betting.

Last year, we hit on our Black Griffin prop going about against the Green Bay Packers offense, and we look forward to the opportunity to take LeBron James' point total over the Patriots offense total or Eli Manning completions or Rob Gronkowski touchdowns when the Heat host the Raptors. The Grizzlies will also take on the Celtics earlier in the day, so there's plenty of opportunity for some Celtic/Patriot New England connections.

You see, there's nothing wrong with combining a random day in the NBA with the biggest day in the NFL (and all of sports). In fact, the two have been merged before:



Poor Cleveland. Who knew that playful commercial would now sting so much. That shot of LeBron James as a "World Champion" for the Browns, something he obviously didn't accomplish with any sports franchise in Cleveland, cuts deep.

And would you guess who "LeBrown" and his NFL squad defeat in this faux Super Bowl (er... AFC Championship)? That's right, it's your Miami Dolphins. Taking his talents to South Beach, indeed.

We'll keep you posted on which cross-sport wagers are worthy of your Super Bowl prop betting attention next week, which could even include some NHL or college basketball, as we eagerly anticipate the complete list of 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) prop bets to be released late tonight early tomorrow--at which point our extensive coverage of the crazy prop betting action will Heat up even more.