Here we are — this one is for all the marbles, as they say.
Two teams after a long and grueling season: wins, losses and injuries – and on top of that, a stressful last few games. Now they have arrived upon the big stage: Super Bowl Sunday.
Super Bowl LIV is going to be a battle for the ages. On one side, the Kansas City Chiefs are led by Patrick Mahomes, last year’s MVP and the current face on a box of cereal, Mahomes Magic Crunch. The opposing San Francisco 49ers, meanwhile, are led by Tom Brady’s former backup, Jimmy Garoppolo –also known as Jimmy GQ, the quarterback who should be a model. These two tremendous athletes have great teams surrounding them and especially great coaches. The Chiefs are coached by the great, long-tenured Andy Reid and the 49ers are led by third-year coach Kyle Shanahan. It will be a Super Bowl to remember.
This past Sunday the world was shocked and disheartened with the horrible news that Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna died along with seven others in a helicopter crash. The world is truly going to miss one of basketball’s greatest players. He was a five-time NBA champion, appeared in 15 All-Star games, won two NBA Finals MVP awards and many others. Bryant was all of this and more – more importantly he was by all accounts a loving father to four daughters, one of whom was lost in the accident. Bryant was involved in numerous charity works, youth organizations and foundations. He used basketball as a steppingstone to do great things; he accomplished numerous things, yet the true tragedy is what was else was he going to do and how we will never see it come to fruition. The world has truly been robbed of a great person.
Thank you, Kobe, for the greatness on the court and off the court. You will be remembered forever.

TOM SWICK
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