Super Bowl 51: Highlights from a semi-wild media week opening night

Last night brought us the opening night of the media blitz leading up to the Super Bowl, which always brings some interesting, weird moments. This one promised to be a little quieter than usual, though, and it was.

These are two of the most boring, professional teams you can imagine. That’s not to say the Falcons and Patriots don’t have interesting, personable players—they do—but the culture that both teams have built up revolves around keeping that stuff largely under wraps so you don’t equip the media with a lot of sound bites, and let your play on the field speak volumes.

That doesn’t mean there weren’t a few highlights, and we’ve rounded them up here for your enjoyment. So, you know, enjoy.

Opening Night

I’m not an Atlanta native, obviously, but it’s impossible to miss just how much a Super Bowl win would mean for the city and fans of the city’s teams, who have been mired in a long championship drought. It’s great to hear this from the players.

This is kind of what I mean. Lot of media types here who are just trying to get a soundbite or a reaction.

Ricardo Allen has shown from the very beginning of his career that he’s not fazed by much, and he’s certainly not fazed by Tom Brady.

I love Ben Garland.

The Patriots aren’t going to be guilty of underestimating the Falcons. Something to remember when you’re angry at the likes of Skip Bayless for doing exactly that.

Bryan Cox remains a national treasure.

Levine Toilolo, meanwhile, remains extremely tall.

Stay tuned, we’ll have plenty more to talk about in the days ahead.