Super Bowl teams keep the message positive days before the big game

Players from both the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers have a championship state of mind after winning their respective AFC and NFC divisions. That confidence is key as both teams head into Super Bowl 50, just days away.

“I’m not a superstar, I don’t want to be a superstar, I just want to be myself,” said Carolina Panthers safety Kurt Coleman.

While some players are talking about the ups and downs over the past few years, Coleman took a quiet and confident approach leading up to Super Bowl 50.

“You know we’ve played against top teams this whole season, so, this is no other game than us versus the Denver Broncos,” Coleman said.

For the Denver Broncos’ defensive end Demarcus Ware, it’s 11 years in the making.

“When you go through the OTA’s and mini-camp and through the season, you’re goal is to make the Super Bowl,” Ware said.

It sounds positive for now. But some sports analysts are taking it with a grain of salt. Mercury News sports columnist Mark Purdy points to Super Bowl 48 between the Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks.

“We’re working hard, practices are great, the Broncos said those things two years ago in New Jersey,” Purdy said. “And then the first play of the game, there was a safety, they got blown out by Seattle.”

Purdy said a lot of what you hear ahead of the game shouldn’t be taken too seriously. He thinks players will be honest about are topics that cover the bigger picture, like concussions or Cam Newton’s recent comments about race.

One thing you will not hear is serious smack talk, which could give the opponent more motivation to win. Purdy points to a comment leading up to Super Bowl 13.

“He’s so dumb, he can’t spell cat if you spot him the C and the A, alright? That made Terry Bradshaw mad. On Sunday, Terry Bradshaw went out and beat the Cowboys,” Purdy said.

Purdy said he’s seen flagrant statements come back to bite, depending on the final score of the game.