The P54.8-million heartbreak

I still haven’t come to grips with Atlanta’s loss in the Super Bowl,” sulked my California-based friend Pepe Mariano. “I’m still in mourning because of the loss of my $100 bet on the Falcons.”

Burdened by a classic meme, Mr. Mariano vented via Facebook “Purong ginto na naging malamig na bato pa (Pure gold has turned into cold stone).

“At least you are not in the same boat as the guy with the bet of $1.1 million (P54.8 million),” I consoled my friend via private message.

“You’re darn right,” Mariano retorted. “To heck with Brady and the Patriots.”

Quarterback Tom Brady set a Super Bowl mark with 466 passing yards Sunday as the New England Patriots, 3-point favorites over the Falcons, stormed back from a 28-3 second half deficit on the way to a 34-28 victory in the first Super Bowl in 51 years to go to overtime.

The greatest comeback in Super Bowl history also ignited record wagering in the state of Nevada—home to Las Vegas, Reno, Lake Tahoe and other gambling centers.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board said the state’s 196 sports books recorded $138.5 million wagered on Sunday’s game. The handle surpassed the $132.5 million wagered in last year’s 24-10 victory by the Denver Broncos over the Carolina Panthers.

According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, Super Bowl 51 is the fourth consecutive year that the state’s handle has surpassed $100 million.

“New England’s 28-24 win over Seattle in 2015 produced a handle of $115.9 million and Seattle’s 43-8 win over Denver in 2014 generated $119.4 million—and a record profit for the books of $19.7 million (16.5 win percentage),” said the state’s biggest newspaper.

A bettor used his phone app to make a $1.1-million wager on the Falcons at the MGM Resorts sports book.

That bettor must have been somersaulting with joy for most of the game until the unflappable Brady and the determined Patriots went to work to win their fifth Super Bowl.

The Super Bowl refers to the annual championship game of the National Football League—the biggest sporting event in the United States.

Held on the last Sunday of January or first Sunday in February, the Super Bowl has not only become part of the world’s sports lexicon; it is an imagery chiseled into our consciousness to connote something grand in scope.

In a way, the Sinulog Festival in Cebu is the Super Bowl of all religious and cultural festivals.

Its current political problems notwithstanding, the campaign that helped elect President Rodrigo Duterte to power won the equivalent of the Super Bowl last May.