Here's Who A Maritime Aquarium Seal Picked To Win Super Bowl

Norwalk CT

03 February, 2021

12:53 PM

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NORWALK, CT — Leila, a harbor seal at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, has picked the underdog Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the win Super Bowl LV this weekend over the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. See the video below. The trained, 32-year-old female seal made her choice Wednesday morning during the annual prediction event at the aquarium by briefly holding her nose against the glass next to the Bucs team logo. After gaining attention for comically getting Super Bowl picks wrong five years in a row, the aquarium's seals have correctly predicted the winners of three of the last four titlegames, according to officials. Last year the seals also picked against the Chiefs, who went on to defeat the San Francisco 49ers. The Chiefs are 3-point favorites over the Buccaneers. Leila, which is pronounced like the Eric Clapton song "Layla," is a long-time resident of The Maritime Aquarium, but Wednesday marked the first time she got to predict a winner. She is 7 years older than Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but 11 years younger than the Buccaneers' Tom Brady. "Although harbor seals are a species native to New England waters, the Aquarium's seals showed no loyalty to Brady in his time with the New England Patriots," officials said. "This is the sixth year that the seals will be picking a Super Bowl involving Brady. They're 2 & 1 in games they picked Brady to win, and are 1 & 1 in Super Bowls in which they picked Brady to lose." To date, the Aquarium's seals are 3-6 in their Super Bowl picks, listed below. Leila picked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win this weekend over the Kansas City Chiefs: X • Rasal picked New England in 2012. The Giants won 21-17.X • Orange chose the 49ers in 2013. The Ravens won 34-31.X • Orange had the Broncos in 2014. The Seahawks crushed them, 43-8.X • Polly came off the bench in 2015 & picked the Seahawks and would have been right if notfor a boneheaded Seattle play call at the goal line as time ran out. The Patriots won 28-24.X • Orange in 2016 went for the Carolina Panthers, who were overrun by Denver 24-10.√ • Orange selected New England in 2017 and, when the Patriots fell way behind, it looked likethe seals' perfect record of futility would be extended. But New England's incredible fourth-quarter rally to beat Atlanta 34-28 gave the seals their first-ever correct pick.√ • Orange jumped on the Nick Foles bandwagon in 2018 and selected the Philadelphia Eagles,who topped the Patriots 41-33.√ • Rasal assumed the duties in 2019 and ran the seals' winning streak to three in a row bypicking the Patriots, who beat the Rams 13-3.X • The streak ended last year as Rasal chose the 49ers, who lost to the KC Chiefs 31-20.