Seakhawks, Patriots meet for Super Bowl XLIX

On Sunday, millions will spend four or more hours, possibly with friends or at a party, and watch one of the biggest sporting events: the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl XLIX will be a matchup between the Seattle Seahawks, the defending champions, and the New England Patriots.

The Seahawks are the 2014 champions and might have been picked by some to return. But with only 5 minutes left in the NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers, a return did not appear probable. With about 2 minutes left in the fourth quarter, it looked as if the Packers would be heading to a 14th Super Bowl. They led 19-7. But the comeback by Seattle tied the game and sent the teams to overtime. With quarterback Russell Wilson leading the offense, Seattle won the game 28-22.

The Patriots had an easier road in the AFC contest. New England faced Andrew Luck and the Colts at home. The final score was 45-7. The game received less attention than the footballs. With people claiming the footballs were underinflated, which presumably gives the advantage to the quarterback, the Pats faced a lot of scrutiny. Still, there's no question New England, with legendary coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady, have a talented team and a rich history.

The edge this weekend appears to go to Seattle, but that means very little when the teams square off on the gridiron.

The game will begin at 5:30 p.m. Sunday on NBC. We hope you enjoy the game, and encourage you to be safe if you plan to celebrate.

A final note: It's been said in the past that more people read a newspaper every day than watch the Super Bowl. This speaks volumes about the influence newspapers still have, and we say thank you to our readers.