Welcome to the latest episode of Hot Takedown, our podcast where the hot sports takes of the week meet the numbers that prove them right or tear them down. On this week’s show (Feb. 2, 2016), we look at all things Super Bowl. We touch on why Peyton Manning is the worst quarterback to ever play in the final game of the playoffs, whether defense really wins championships, and why hot takery consumes our airwaves during the week before the Super Bowl. Plus, a Significant Digit on how the flu affects Super Bowl teams’ hometown fans in the year after the game.
Stream the episode by clicking the play button, or subscribe using one of the podcast clients we’ve linked to above. Links to what we discussed are here:
- Neil Paine’s “hot take” on the Carolina Panthers’ 11-0 start, from November 2015.
- Neil explains why the Panthers became so good this season.
- More Neil: Peyton Manning was really, really bad this season.
- ESPN’s Bill Barnwell on the making of the Denver Broncos’ defense.
- Sig Dig: 18 percent. That’s how much flu deaths increased in areas that had teams in the Super Bowl, relative to other places with NFL teams that didn’t make the Super Bowl that year.
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