NFL legend Joe Theismann on the Tremendous Bowl, player security and sports betting

Tremendous Bowl LVI has a lot to dwell up to. This year’s Nationwide Soccer League playoff video games have been amid the most enjoyable of all time, and Tremendous Bowl champion quarterback Joe Theismann thinks Sunday’s game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals will proceed to have lovers on the edge of their seats.

“If the playoffs are any sign of what we may perhaps see in this Tremendous Bowl, it need to be a basic,” the NFL MVP explained to Yahoo Finance Are living.

The Rams will be likely for their second Super Bowl get soon after their victory in 2000 from the Tennessee Titans, although the Bengals are hoping to provide house the Lombardi trophy for the first time in franchise historical past.

“I imagine it is really likely to be really aggressive,” Thiesmann said. “When you seem at the playoffs that we have had about the previous two or 3 months, you have to consider that this game is going to be that sort of a soccer game. The Rams are favored by 4 and a 50 percent. I never assume they can win by that numerous. I imagine it will be a much closer soccer activity. I am finding the Rams. This is the earliest I’ve at any time picked a crew.”

Theismann predicts the Rams will beat the Bengals by a discipline objective, but did not discounted a Bengals upset.

“If the Bengals acquire, I will not consider any one would be stunned. I know it really is their first opportunity. The Rams have been below just a couple of a long time back, and failed to really get it performed. So now they’re again once more to have a further shot at the brass ring, but I imagine it really is heading to be a terrific football game.”

Feb 10, 2022 Inglewood, CA, Usa The Super Bowl LVI roman numerals are viewed at SoFi Stadium. The Los Angeles Rams will participate in the Cincinnati Bengals on Feb. 13, 2022. Required Credit rating: Kirby Lee-United states of america Right now Sporting activities

A record 117 million men and women are envisioned to observe the Tremendous Bowl on NBC Sunday. That would be a 21% maximize around previous year’s major recreation, and it would leapfrog the latest No. 1, the Tremendous Bowl in 2015 in between the Tom Brady-led New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, which drew 114 million viewers.

This year’s Tremendous Bowl is also set to develop into the largest legal gambling occasion in football historical past, with bettors predicted to wager a lot more than $7.6 billion on the video game.

“We did not have legal betting for so extensive so we need to be setting records all the time. Folks love to bet on football,” stated Theismann. “I imagine we’re heading to see handheld equipment in the stadiums in the not way too distant future wherever people will be equipped to bet, irrespective of whether it truly is heading to be a move or a run, or whether or not they’re going to select up the initial down or not, or irrespective of whether the punt will be 42 yards or 47 yards. I assume all those diverse propositions will wind up coming into the activity as we transfer even further and additional with the growth of engineering and the earth of gaming.”

A new legacy

Theismann, who received the Tremendous Bowl in 1983 with the then-Washington Redskins, thinks the team’s new identify, the Commanders, is appropriate.

“To me, it speaks to Washington itself as a seat of electric power when it will come to the armed forces, which I honor enormously,” he claimed. “You are going to never consider absent the championships we received as a Washington Redskin, and we have that as our legacy. Now it’s a chance for these youthful fellas to have a new legacy likely forward.”

Theismann also explained he liked the reality that the team’s colours, burgundy and gold, stay the same.

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 18:  Quarterback Joe Theismann #7 of the Washington Redskins is helped by teammate Mark May #73 and others after being injured when sacked by linebacker Lawrence Taylor #56 of the New York Giants during a Monday Night Football game at RFK Stadium on November 18, 1985 in  Washington, DC.  Theismann suffered a broken leg.  Talking with Taylor is defensive lineman Leonard Marshall.  (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 18: Quarterback Joe Theismann #7 of the Washington Redskins is served by teammate Mark May possibly #73 and other people just after currently being wounded when sacked by linebacker Lawrence Taylor #56 of the New York Giants during a Monday Night time Soccer game at RFK Stadium on November 18, 1985 in Washington, DC. Theismann suffered a broken leg. Conversing with Taylor is defensive lineman Leonard Marshall. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)

‘It’s not contact football’

Theismann famously endured a single of the worst career-ending accidents in opposition to the New York Giants in 1985 when he broke his leg in two spots during a sack by Lawrence Taylor. 4 decades later on the league proceeds to grapple with participant basic safety, including the discussion over brain accidents.

“It’s a get hold of sport. It really is a violent sport,” reported Theismann. “That’s what it is, primarily at the experienced level. And you might be going to have injuries… but I feel the league continues to strive to make it safer and safer. I would dislike to see the integrity of the match entirely annihilated due to the fact it truly is not touch football. It is really specialist deal with soccer, and we can keep on to do the finest we maybe can to be in a position to secure the athletes.”

Revisions to NFL rules due to the fact the 1980s are created to defend quarterbacks — some thing Theismann needs he experienced 40 several years ago.

“I’d nonetheless have my possess tooth. Are you kidding me?” explained Theismann, adding that it wasn’t a penalty “when Byron Hunt took my teeth out. That to me would have been roughing the quarterback.”

In some respects, he thinks endeavours to secure QBs have gone way too much. “It goes to a stage from time to time where by I just shake my head and say, wow, it is like they want to make it two-hand contact for the quarterback.”

When questioned about controversies plaguing the NFL, together with troubles of racism, sexual harassment, and accusations of throwing video games, Theismann said, “I will not know more than enough about it to make people comments. I do know that the league will do anything it can to be in a position to make it correct, to be in a position to be the varied firm that they want to be heading ahead, and that hopefully the prospects will be presented to every person who is competent to be able to be a head mentor in the Countrywide Football League, and some of the other items that will need to be dealt with.”

He added, “But people are all things I guess you could say are over my spend quality when it comes to the Nationwide Soccer League. But I feel the National Soccer League will be in this article. And we get a likelihood to rejoice I feel what is actually likely to be an amazing football match on Sunday.”

Alexis Christoforous is an anchor and reporter for Yahoo Finance. Adhere to her on Twitter @AlexisTVNews.

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