BEHIND THE BOOK

As former President George H. W. Bush looked on, referee Carl Cheffers turned to New England Patriots wide receiver Matthew Slater. “Captain, what is your choice?” he asked.

Slater, a six-time Pro Bowl selection, has called heads every time he has participated in a coin toss for the past six years. Super Bowl LI was no different. Heads it was. Cheffers, playing in his first NFL championship, handed a silver-plated brass coin to President Bush, who flipped it into the air.

Tails.

Heads had come up 24 times in the 50 prior Super Bowls;