The Major League Baseball offseason continues to dwindle down, as the Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers and catchers are less than two weeks out from reporting to Spring Training. Baseball returning coincides with the NFL season coming to a close.
Along with discussing their offseason, the Logan Forysthe trade and a look to the 2017 season, some Dodgers were posed with Super Bowl LI questions and asked to predict a winner between the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots.
“I would like to see the Falcons, but Tom Brady is special,” Joc Pederson said while speaking at the Dodgers’ recent FanFest event. “He’s a competitor, stays composed, and he’s a winner. So, I think the Patriots are going to win, even though I want the Falcons.”
Although Pederson is a San Francisco 49ers fan, he had a rooting interest in the Green Bay Packers when they squared off against the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship game. Pederson’s high school teammate Davante Adams is a wide receiver with the Packers.
Dodgers ace and Dallas native Clayton Kershaw, who also attended the game at AT&T Stadium is of course a noted Cowboys fan. That set the stage for a friendly bet between Kershaw and Pederson, with the loser making a donation to charity.
The Cowboys came up short in a thrilling game, and the donation was the extent of the wager. “He would never put [a Packers] jersey on,” Pederson said with a laugh.
Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager also provided a Super Bowl LI prediction, joining Pederson in his selection. “Ah man, I like Tom Brady,” Seager said. “I’m going to go with the Patriots.”
In further discussing the Super Bowl, Seager noted the similarities between this year’s Falcons team and his hometown Carolina Panthers that reached the 2016 Super Bowl, only to fall short against the Denver Broncos and their vaunted defense.
Entering Sunday, the Patriots are a three-point favorite heading into their second Super Bowl game in Houston. Kickoff is set for 3:30 P.M. PST and will be televised on FOX.
