We all know that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, and that Donald Trump won the Electoral College. The Super Bowl can help us put that disparity into context.

Trump’s narrow Electoral College win ranks 46th of 58 electoral college decisions. Scaled to match the number of Super Bowls, that is equivalent to having the 40th best out of 50 Super Bowls. This places Trump between:

  • the 2015 Patriots, who defeated the Seahawks by four, and
  • the 1971 Colts, who beat the Cowboys by three

Clinton’s popular vote win is similarly narrow: 41st of 49 recorded popular votes. This happens to place Clinton in the same place as Trump on the Super Bowl list, i.e. between a three and four point win.

So how big a deal is the Electoral College? It took a three-and-a-half point win by for Clinton, and turned it into a three-and-a-half point win for Trump. That is a seven point total swing: the Electoral College acted a a bonus touchdown for Trump.

What would that kind of imbalance do to a football team? Consider the New England Patriots. FiveThirtyEight ran the numbers, and concluded that the Patriots are the NFL’s greatest dynasty. That sounds pretty formidable. Can the Patriots beat their opponents and the Electoral College too?

Not a chance. When the Electoral College spots their opponents a Super Bowl touchdown, the Patriots deflate completely. Worst. Folders. Evah. They have been to eight Super Bowls, and lost every one. How sad. No wonder Tom Brady has a Trump hat.

As Donald Trump says, the Electoral College is a disaster for democracy. It is high time we abolish the Electoral College.