Leading up to the 2011 Super Bowl XLV (45) between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, we'll be taking a look at Super Bowl proposition betting, or more specifically, the fun or funny Super Bowl 45 (XLV) prop bets that you hear so much about. That includes props on the Super Bowl coin toss, Super Bowl halftime show, Super Bowl National Anthem, Super Bowl postgame Gatorade Shower dump and much more. Follow along on the Super Bowl sidebar to the right!
2011 Super Bowl XLV (45) prop betting is finally here! Let's continue our Super Bowl prop betting analysis with one of our favorite Super Bowl prop bets of the year: The Gatorade Shower.
This is an interesting year in that, with both AFC and NFC Championship games being perhaps a bit too cold for this ritual, there were no Gatorade dumps in either game, so neither the Packers nor the Steelers tipped their hand in that regard. Usually, we would have a better idea of what color Gatorade dump is preferred by either Mike McCarthy or Mike Tomlin, but no so this year.
Here are the odds for the Super Bowl prop bet: What color liquid will be doused on the Super Bowl winning head coach:
Clear +200
Any Shade of Green +200
Yellow +300
Red +300
Blue +500
Purple +500
Field (Any Other) +500
Before we dive into our predictions, let's get yo up to speed on this tradition. The Gatorade dump, which originated back in 1984 when Chicago Bears' lineman Dan Hampton gave Head Coach Mike Ditka a Gatorade shower after clinching a division title, has since become so much more--a fixture during Super Bowl prop betting season. The Bears went on to win the Super Bowl in 1985, but it wasn't until 1987 that the Gatorade Shower made its first Super Bowl Appearance. Following a New York Giants win over the Denver Broncos is Super Bowl XXI (21), Giants lineman Harry Carson soaked Coach Bill Parcells in Gatorade, creating one of the most unlikely traditions. In fact, his trend caught on quickly, as he even gave a Gatorade shower to President Ronald Reagen on the team's subsequent visit to the White House (of course, he used popcorn rather than actual Gatorade, the one flavor Gatorade has not yet come out with).
Nowadays, Gatorade showers are overdone. Head coaches earning their first career victory against horrible teams, Head coaches earning a win over any team better than theirs, obese women at charity events, every youth sports coach ever, and even owners in nice suits after wins against 1-15 teams have all received Gatorade showers.
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Even with the Gatorade dump becoming more commonplace, it wasn't until the turn of the century that they became almost automatic following the country's biggest sporting event--the Super Bowl. Let's take a look at the Gatorade showers of the 21st century, beginning way back in 2001.
In 2002, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots upset the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI (36), but the Hoodie did not receive a Gatorade shower--more on that in a bit.
In 2003, though, Jon Gruden did get wet after a game of football, rewarded with the rare Purple shower from his Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers after a win over the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII (37).
And so, the breakdown of the last ten Super Bowls looks like this:
In Super Bowl XXXVIII (38) in 2004, Bill Belichick again won the Super Bowl, this time over the Carolina Panthers, and again did not receive a Gatorade shower.
Finally, the following year in Super Bowl XXXIX (39) in 2005, Belichick was soaked in clear liquid after his third Super Bowl in four years, a win over the Philadelphia Eagles and a quarterback who could probably use more electrolytes in his life. But why the long wait for the traditional shower?
Well, the first two of the Patriots' three Super Bowls came down to a last second field goal, preventing a shower at the conclusion of the game. Though the Pats still won by virtue of an Adam Vinatieri boot in 2005, the kick came with more than eight minutes left, plenty of time to fill a bucket full of water and dump it on another human being.
And since the Hoodie finally took his, we haven't missed a beat, with the last six Super Bowls all culminating in Gatorade baths for the winning head coaches. In Super Bowl XL (40) in 2006, Bill Cowher took the clear liquid like a Super bowl champ after beating the Seattle Seahawks.
In 2007, Super Bowl XLI (41), already rain-soaked Colts coach Tony Dungy got more clear liquid poured on him after his Colts defeated the Chicago Bears. Interestingly enough, a second bucket of Gatorade was almost immediately dumped on Dungy, containing an orange liquid (which you can see remnants of here, but the bet was settled with the first cooler--giving liquid its third straight win.
In Super Bowl XLII (42) in 2008, Giants coach Tom Coughlin received the fourth consecutive bucket of clear liquid in Gatorade Shower annals after preventing the Patriots from completing a perfect 19-0 season. Talk about a dynasty!
Onto the 2009 Super Bowl XLIII (43), Mike Tomlin and the Steelers returned to the Super Bowl and won it again, this time over the Arizona Cardinals. There was one upset, though, as Tomlin received a yellow Gatorade shower, the first since Brian Billick's in 2001, ending a string of four-straight clear liquid dumps and proving that the same team won't necessarily stick with the same color Gatorade should they return to the game a couple years later.
Finally, last year in Super Bowl XLIV (44) in 2010, there was another Gatorade (or G) upset as Sean Payton took a bucket of orange liquid to the face.
With that, over the last 10 Super Bowl's, here's what we've seen in the Gatorade bath department:
2001 Super Bowl XXXV (35): Yellow (Ravens)
2002 Super Bowl XXXVI (36): None (Patriots)
2003 Super Bowl XXXVII (37): Purple (Buccaneers)
2004 Super Bowl XXXVIII (38): None (Patriots)
2005 Super Bowl XXXIX (39): Clear (Patriots)
2006 Super Bowl XL (40): Clear (Steelers)
2007 Super Bowl XLI (41): Clear (Colts)
2008 Super Bowl XLII (42): Clear (Giants)
2009 Super Bowl XLIII (43): Yellow (Steelers)
2010 Super Bowl XLIV (44): Orange (Saints)
Clear - 4
Yellow - 2
None - 2
Purple - 1
Orange - 1
Our analysis: Clearly, the clear/water option is the most viable, having the most clear baths in the last 10 years. However, the last time the Steelers won the Super Bowl, current coach Mike Tomlin received a yellow shower (though his predecessor Bill Cowher took a clear bath). Getting Clear at +200 or Yellow at +300 are strong bets. Red, Blue, Green and Purple are all sucker bets, in our minds, though we have had an instance of Purple in the last 10 years. We were surprised to find Orange, the color liquid used last year, as part of the field, so the +500 odds are enticing as well.
At the end of the day, though, we're going with Clear (+200). That is, if there even is a Gatorade dump on Mike Tomlin or Mike McCarthy, neither of whom took the shower after their championship game victories.
Speaking of the end of the day, we're just getting started with our Super Bowl prop bet analysis on the unofficial prop bet Thursday. We'll have plenty to come as we approach the 45th Super Bowl.
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