A report Friday (2/4) on the NPR website states, “The Green Bay Packers are a slight favorite over the Pittsburgh Steelers in this Sunday’s Super Bowl. Oddsmakers and football analysts typically base their predictions on the strength of offenses, defenses, players and coaches. But Morning Edition music commentator Miles Hoffman has broken down the game differently: by weighing the musical talents of the teams and their home cities. … ‘Pittsburgh is one of the great musical cities—not just of the country, but of the world,’ Hoffman says. ‘There are musical groups from Renaissance ensembles to barbershop quartets. And, of course, there’s the great Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, which is really one of the great orchestras of the world.’ That seems like a huge advantage for Pittsburgh. But Hoffman says the competition is closer than many may think. ‘Green Bay has its own excellent musical institutions,’ Hoffman says. ‘It has a symphony—the Green Bay Symphony—which is 97 years old.’ … On the teams’ lineups, though, the winner is clear. Several Steelers have held positions on the board of the Pittsburgh Symphony. But Green Bay players sweep the field with their musical talent. ‘There are a whole bunch of Packers who have taken piano lessons in Green Bay,’ Hoffman says.” To listen to the original Morning Edition segment, click here.
Posted February 4, 2011
