From An Epic Matchup To Extra Room For Cameras, SUPER BOWL LV Shapes Up To Be A Once-In-A-Lifetime Viewing Experience

By BILL HARRIS Special to The Lede SUPER BOWL LV has so many angles that viewers might think they’re back in geometry class. And that doesn’t refer merely to on-field storylines. It applies to physical camera angles, too. SUPER BOWL LV, airing Sunday, Feb. 7 on CTV, TSN, and RDS (6 p.m. ET, with pre-game coverage beginning at noon on CTV, and 10 a.m. ET on TSN and RDS), will be unlike any SUPER BOWL that has come before. Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current TV analyst Tony Romo – who is working the game alongside play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz – has no qualms about setting the bar high. “I’ll tell you, as a football fan, this is as good as it gets,” said Romo, during a virtual panel with TV reporters. “In 30, 40 years from now, I have a funny feeling this might be the greatest matchup, from a story perspective.” On one side there’s wunderkind quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. On the other side there’s 43-year-old QB Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Considering Brady’s remarkable season in his first year with the Bucs after two decades and six championships with the New England Patriots, Nantz said, “If anyone out there has any superlatives that haven’t been used yet, you know how to get in touch with me, because my reservoir is bone dry. And by the way, the same can be said for Patrick. I mean, he’s only 25.” Even though Mahomes and Brady will never be on the field at the same time, many observers – including Romo – see this game as a showdown between the two of them, and not only because of the young-versus-old factor. “I think it’s a legacy game, I really do,” Romo said. “This is the biggest game Patrick Mahomes will ever play in, for the rest of his career. It’s the only way to catch Tom Brady (in the unofficial race to be considered the greatest of all time). He has to win this game. If he loses this game, he cannot catch Tom Brady, in my opinion. Brady, I promise you, shuts the door if he wins this game. If Patrick Mahomes wins, he keeps that door open.” With all the fireworks that are expected on the gridiron, TV viewers will be in a unique position to experience everything that’s going to occur. Obviously everyone wishes Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., could be jam-packed with fans. But with capacity limited to something in the range of 25,000 due to pandemic precautions, there will be more room for TV cameras in uncommon areas. “We are having an opportunity to place cameras in places where normally there would be fans,” producer Harold Bryant said. “There’s going to be a trolley-cam that’s going to be about eight rows back – it’s that height where you would normally see fans sitting there, but there aren’t fans there anymore. So we can place a camera there and, you know, get that field level which is almost the perfect view if you were in the stands. And we’re putting a few more cameras on the field, too, because the (sideline area) isn’t as full. There’s more room down here.” So all things considered, SUPER BOWL LV has the makings of a once-in-a-lifetime viewing feast. The final promise comes from Romo: “This game will be talked about forever.” billharristv@gmail.com @billharris_tv