Super Bowl face-off

It's anticipated just over 100 million viewers will tune in to Super Bowl LI this evening to see the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons battle. Included in the masses will be a pair of Clovis residents who are fervent fans of the competitors.

Marvin Cox was raised in a state that didn't have a professional football team, but he found himself drawn to the ATL.

"I grew up in Mobile, Alabama, and there's no NFL team there, so you're either a New Orleans Saints or an Atlanta Falcons fan," said Cox, sporting a Julio Jones Falcons jersey. "I wasn't really feeling the Saints, so I've been rolling with the Falcons pretty much since I knew what football was."

Meanwhile, Joseph Tapia garnered allegiance to his team through familial ties.

"My grandfather was a huge Patriots fan and I watched a lot of football with him," the Tom Brady jersey clad Tapia said. "He really liked (former New England quarterback) Drew Bledsoe and his passion for the team and the sport of football in general grew on me. The passion was naturally passed down. I love my Pats!"

Atlanta is making its second Super Bowl appearance while attempting to claim the Lombardi Trophy for the first time. New England is representing the AFC for a record ninth time, sporting a record of 4-4 entering play in Houston tonight.

"I was overjoyed after the Falcons defeated the Packers to get to the Super Bowl," said Cox, who, like Tapia, travels through the streets of the city with team flags adorning his vehicle. "They played well throughout the regular season and proved a lot of doubters wrong with strong performances against Seattle and Green Bay in the playoffs. I hope people continue to overlook us. Atlanta is a young, hungry, aggressive team that has a chance to do some great things. I'm excited!"

Tapia said the Falcons will serve as a formidable foe.

"We've just got to do our job," he said in assessing New England's chances. "Atlanta is a good team and both defenses will be tested by the potential explosiveness of the offenses. It's going to be an intense matchup and I'm looking forward to a great game."

As far as the final outcome is concerned, Cox said Atlanta will ultimately claim the crown.

"We just have to play Falcons football," he said. "We've got to run well, control the line of scrimmage and get those underrated receivers the ball. Our defense is young, but athletic and capable of making big plays. I'm looking at a Falcons win — with the final being 38-28 and (Falcons quarterback) Matt Ryan the MVP."

Needless to say, Tapia had a different opinion.

"It's the Drive for 5," he said. "I believe in the Brady-Belichick combo, the attention to detail and the coaching staff's ability to put together a game plan that will put the Pats over the top. Everybody comes together to do their job. Brady becomes the first quarterback to earn five Super Bowl rings while also taking home the MVP trophy. 31-28, New England."