Whitefish Bay Reader Wins Patch's Prediction Contest

More than 100 readers from Pittsburgh and Milwaukee entered Patch's Super Bowl score prediction contest, but one Whitefish Bay man's historical insight placed him a head above the rest.

Gordon Lang said he was at Super Bowl XXII in San Diego, when the Packers lost 31-24 to the Denver Broncos. He was hoping for the exact opposite at this year's Super Bowl, so he picked the Packers to beat the Steelers 31-24.

"I thought that they would reverse the score this time and that is why it picked the score I did," he said. "I would have been totally correct if the Steelers didn't go for the two-point conversion...after the touchdown."

Like other Packers fans, Lang was nervous in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

"I was very concerned in the late fourth quarter and feared that the Steelers would score and Green Bay would lose 32-31," he said. "Fortunately, it did not happen.  The best team won.  I can't wait to see what they do next year."

Lang was one of three Patch readers who came within one point of predicting the final score of Sunday's big game. Carol Runge in Oak Creek and Sadie Nerswirk of Waukesha also predicted a final score of Packers 31, Steelers 24. All three were entered into a drawing for Patch's first- and second-place gift cards. Based on a random drawing, Lang won the $100 first prize and Nerswirk won the $50 second prize. Runge will receive a consolation prize for her nearly perfect prediction. 

The three finalists were among more than 100 readers in the Milwaukee and Pittsburgh areas to enter Patch's Football Championship Prediction Contest. Another 10 Patch readers came within just two points of the correct score. 

Patch's contest included three additional questions: 
Who will score the first TD? What will be the halftime point total? What color outfit will Fergie from the Black-Eyed Peas wear during the halftime show? 

Here's results for each question: 

First score

Dozens of readers correctly predicted the Packers would score the first TD, but only three Patch readers correctly predicted wide receiver Jordy Nelson would be the one to do it. Nelson opened the game's scoring with a 29-yard TD reception in the first quarter. Nerswirk; Sheryl Cerniglia of Oak Creek; and reader "falcons fan" in Greenfield guessed the Packers' third-year wide receiver would score the game's first six points. All three were entered into a random drawing and Cerniglia won a Patch-themed prize.  

Halftime total 

Eight Patch readers correctly foresaw a high-scoring first half, predicting the Packers and Steelers would combine for 31 total points. Nerswirk and Jake Leonard, of both of Waukesha; "Nick" in Greenfield; Robert Crytzer in Caledonia; reader "jjh" in Menomonee Falls; "Paul B" in Oak Creek; and Clare Lynch and Lori Gehr, both of Cranberry, PA, all had the correct number. Lynch's named was pulled in a random drawing for a Patch-themed prize. 

Fergie's Dress

A whopping 41 readers correctly predicted the color of Fergie'sddress. The judges accepted black or silver as correct answers. Christine DeMao, a reader of Dormont-Brookline Patch near Pittsburgh, won a random drawing for a Patch-themed prize.

Contest notes

In Cranberry, PA, reader Lori Gehr came within five points of the final score. In her entry she credited her husband for coming up with the 31-20 final score. Gehr's husband was even closer with her halftime total score guess. She got it exactly right with 31 points.

Nerswirk turned in the most impressive ballot. She correctly answered three of the four questions, and came within one point of predicting the final score. (And, yes, we did check to make sure the entry was submitted before kickoff!)
 
Milwaukee- and Pittsburgh-area readers were confident in their teams. Only a handful of sites saw readers go against the home team in their final score predictions, include three readers in Steelers country who picked the Packers to win.