Ex-49er Terrell Owens Reveals Surprising Super Bowl Pick
"Now, I just don't want to pick a team just because I played there. Obviously, that's the political way to go about it," Owens told THR.
Former star wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers Terrell Owens made his pick for Super Bowl XLVII -- and it isn't what you'd expect.
Owens, who played for the New Orleans-bound team from 1996-2003 and was a four-time Pro Bowler during that span, didn't take the obvious road when asked who he thought would come out on top on Sunday, the 49ers or the Baltimore Ravens. His answer? The Ravens.
PHOTOS: Touchdown! Hollywood's Best Football Movies
"It's tough for me, playing for San Francisco for eight years. Now, I just don't want to pick a team just because I played there. Obviously, that's the political way to go about it," Owens, who recurs on NBC comedy Go On, told The Hollywood Reporter of his choice. "Realistically, the way I'm factoring in my pick is, you look at the Ravens and what they've done: They've hit a hot streak, and if you look at the last couple of Super Bowls that have been played, those teams have hit hot streaks."
He continued: "If you look at what the Ravens have done, it's not by circumstance that they're winning. They're playing overall team ball from offense, special teams and defense. If you look at it from where I see it, I'm leaning more so toward the Ravens because their defense is solid."
VIDEOS: Super Bowl's Most Iconic Commercials
Owens brought up the Ravens' last Super Bowl appearance and victory in 2001, when they trounced the New York Giants with a score of 35-7. "You think about when they won Super Bowl XXXV. They had a solid defense, but the offense was so-so. You look at now, they still have a formidable, solid defense, [but] their offense is dramatically better than it was in Super Bowl XXXV," he said. "That's where I feel like the edge is."
He's not alone in picking the Ravens. In a Madden NFL '13 simulation of the Super Bowl, the Ravens beat the 49ers by a score of 27-24.
Kick-off for Super Bowl XLVII, being broadcast on CBS, is set for 3:30 p.m. PT/6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday. Beyonce will perform at halftime, while Jennifer Hudson and the chorus from Sandy Hook Elementary School will sing "America the Beautiful" and Alicia Keys will perform the national anthem. CBS will air a new episode of Elementary after the football game, followed by a broadcast of Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson from New Orleans.
E-mail: Philiana.Ng@thr.com
Twitter: @insidethetube
THR's Daily Must Feeds
-
Emma Roberts Joins 'American Horror Story: Coven'
-
The Lesson Zach Braff Taught Woody Allen
-
Jessica Chastain & Zachary Quinto: 'All is Lost' Cannes Premiere
-
Ken Jeong's 'Hangover' Pay: $5 Million
-
Teen Choice Awards 2013 Nominations Revealed
-
Robert Redford Wows At Cannes Film Festival With 'All Is Lost'
-
Mitch Hurwitz Explains His 'Arrested Development' Rules
-
Metallica’s Lars Ulrich on the Band’s New Movie
