Usually the Super Bowl is on during a time on Sunday when I am at church. I get to see some of it; maybe the last half. This year, though, I got to see a little more because of its later start.

I was pulling for Denver, but not because I’m a Denver fan. It was for one reason only and that was their quarterback. The reason? He’s old like me.

He’s not as old as I am in years. He’s Jack Benny’s age, only 39, not too old if one is in any kind of vocation other than the athletic ones. But 39 is right up there with Methuselah if you are a NFL quarterback.

The opposing quarterback, Cam Newton, is of a more appropriate age when it comes to professional football. There are all levels of football from youth to high school to college; each progressively faster and requiring more athletic ability. Professional football, though, is a horse of a different color. It is definitely the top of the mountain when it comes to football.

In the year of our Lord, 2016, the players are bigger, faster, more accomplished than ever. Here is an interesting factoid I read about the current sizes of professional football players. I read this in a national newspaper and I guess one might say “you can’t believe everything you read in the newspaper.” (The Post-Searchlight is the exception, of course.)

Cam Newton is 6’5” and weighs 245. I read that he was bigger than any of the players who were on the first Super Bowl champions, the Green bay Packers. I’m sure the ESPN writer would have checked the statistics of his story but it does show that Newton is quite a physical specimen.

If you saw the Carolina Panthers, Cam’s team, in their fifteen victories this season, you saw the very gifted and ebullient Newton prancing and parading around as hyper as a second grader on Ritalin.

By contrast, Peyton Manning, using the same medicinal analogy, seemed to be a great advertisement for Geritol. If Cam Newton is a member of Generation Y, Manning is the previous Generation X. Anyone who remembers Geritol is Generation O for old!

Actually, neither of the quarterbacks won the game for their teams. The old saying is that “Defense wins championships” and Super Bowl 50 was about as fine an example of that maxim as you will ever see.

Both quarterbacks spent more time in the prone position than in the upright. Newton, especially, was literally running for his life the entire game. No steak dinners for the Carolina offensive line.

Other than the football game itself, I was unimpressed with Super Bowl 50, but not because CBS didn’t try. Millions enjoyed the halftime show although I didn’t know any of the musicians. I guess I had heard of Beyonce, but she is not my cup of tea. I’m so far out of tune, myself, that I still like a good marching band.

One more thing. I did not get home in time to see the opening moments which included the National Anthem. Lady Gaga (what a name) was chosen for the honor and, later, I found her rendition online and listened. She did a great job and, thankfully, did not try to “jazz it up” too much. I like a straight version of that great song.

With all of the hype around the game, it was wonderful to hear that song and see most of the players, Peyton Manning included, holding their hands over their hearts. It was good.