Football Fans, sitting: Pete Toppan, Kathy Heberlein, Edie Jones, Kathy Zumann, Susan Parker, Melodye Rogers, Vickie Bone and Nancy Toppan; standing: Ed Heberlein, Connie Bjella, Jere Bone, Ed Jones, David Parker, Patricia Moore, Henry Moore, Tom Zumann, Diane Ace, Bobby Rogers and Joseph Ace
Nancy Toppan
Kathy and Ed Heberlein hosted a super NFL Championship 51 party for the Game Gang and friends. Dressed in their favorite team shirts, fans chose their football pool squares and rooted for their favorite team while munching on game-day party food and drink.
Pro Football Championship 51 was hosted on February 5, 2017 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. It was the second NFL Championship to be held at NRG Stadium.
The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots faced the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Atlanta Falcons. The event marked the 50th anniversary year of the first “Big Game,” which was first played on January 15, 1967. This was the Patriots ninth NFL Championship appearance, the most appearances of any team. The Falcons made their second NFL Championship appearance.
For the first two-and-a-half quarters it looked like the Falcons were going to blow the Patriots out of NRG Stadium. Instead fans got one of the most dramatic comebacks in NFL history, and the Big Game went into overtime for the first time ever. That’s right, in the 50 previous Championship Games no title game had ever gone to overtime. The Patriots trailed 28-3 but completed the largest comeback in NFL Championship history, capping it with a touchdown drive in overtime that ended with a two-yard score by James Whit.
Brady was named MVP for the fourth time in his career and became the first quarterback to win the game five times.
Belichick also surpassed all other coaches, breaking a tie with Chuck Noll as the only coaches with four Championship wins.
What a game and what fun we all had at the Heberlien’s, “Superb Owl” Championship Sunday Playoff Party.