GENE'S BLOG: Super Bowl Sunday

Milan Lucic is a Vancouver boy who grew up cheering for the Canucks. He is a hockey player and hockey was a popular sport for the Lucic's. He did play some rugby and there were other sports. However, one that didn't really get a lot of attention from the family was football.
"A little bit I guess you could say," was the way Lucic put it when describing his interest as a youth in four down football from south of the border. "I didn't really grow up in an NFL household and football just wasn't that big."
While the natural geographical connection would be Seattle, the winger's eventual attraction to the game took him to Minnesota.
"As a young fan I liked the Vikings" explained Lucic "and I really liked Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss."

His taste in football started to change when he was drafted by Boston.
"It was my rookie year with the Bruins and New England went 16-0. At that point, it was pretty easy to start cheering for the Patriots."
Once he started, he never really stopped and it didn't hurt when his favourite receiver hooked up with his favourite quarterback.
"When Randy Moss went to the Pats and had that incredible year with Tom Brady they really started to win me over."
It seems like New England hasn't really stopped winning over Lucic since he entered the NHL.
"They'll be after their 4th Super Bowl since I started with the Bruins. I hope that Belichick (Bill) and Brady end the debate. To me they have already solidified their legacy but one more championship and it proves they are the best QB/coach duo of all time."
In case you aren't an NFL fan by now you have figured out New England is one team in the big game. The other is Atlanta and it features a quarterback matchup of a superstar and a star.
"I'm looking forward to a great game and arguably this might be the best, or one of the best, QB battles ever in a Super Bowl with the years Matt Ryan and Tom Brady had."
The meeting with the men behind centre reminds Lucic a little bit of what he went through in 2011 at the Stanley Cup Final.
"Ryan went to BC (Boston College) and I think a lot of their alumni and others would be cheering for him if he wasn't up against the Pats," said Lucic. "It was like the Cup Final and people might have been cheering for me if we (Boston) weren't playing Vancouver."
With football season running September to late January or early February, getting a chance to see New England in person was a little more difficult to do for the 28 year old who has a full fall and winter schedule.
"The first game I went to was in my third year with the Bruins. I went to watch Minnesota because I wanted to see Brett Favre. It's quite a time commitment to go see the Pats."
Lucic went onto add. "It's a full day so I would say I went to Foxboro and took in maybe 5-6 games."
Now the only football game he has on his mind is the one that will happen in Houston Sunday afternoon.
"When New England played Seattle in the Super Bowl I predicted Patriots 28-21. The final was 28-24. This time I think both teams will have four TD's but a field goal will win it for the Pats. 31-28 final."
That result would certainly make it a super Super Bowl Sunday for Milan Lucic.