6 super-lux Super Bowl homes
Before deflategate, there was real estate.
The multimillion-dollar paydays earned by National Football League players -- not to mention team owners and coaches -- have paid for some truly extravagant homes. Before Sunday's big game, which will undoubtedly feature fully inflated footballs, take a look at where members of the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots royalty have hung their hats.
Because whether Seattle or New England takes the game, both sides seem to agree that enormous swimming pools are pretty great.
Here are six lux properties that have been owned by this year's NFL finest.
Richard Sherman
Outspoken Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman helped lead Seattle to its first Super Bowl victory last year, in which the team absolutely destroyed the Peyton Manning-led Denver Broncos 43-8. And to the victor went the spoils.
In this case, the spoils included a $56 million contract and this $2.3 million estate 24 miles from Seattle with an indoor swimming pool and basketball court.
Richard Sherman
Sherman bought the 9,435-square-foot, four-bedroom, six-bathroom, Mediterranean-style home from National Basketball Association star Jamal Crawford, who plays guard for the Los Angeles Clippers. Crawford paid $3.2 million for it in 2006, according to Zillow. It features a large wrought-iron front gate and security system, almost five acres of land, a double chef's kitchen, three private decks, two stone fireplaces, Tuscan columns, a curved staircase, billiards room, wet bar, hot tub, media room, beauty salon and six-car garage.
The cornerback may spend a lot of time in the NFL's loudest stadium, but this relaxing retreat is where Sherman can play his arcade games in peace.
Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski
Patriots star tight end Rob "Gronk" Gronkowski is known for partying as hard as he plays. He's been with the team since 2010, and after receiving a $54 million contract extension in 2012, he decided Tampa, Florida, might be a good spot to spend some money and crush some beers. That November, he bought this 4,781-square-foot, four-bedroom, six-bathroom Eastshore Yacht Club party manse for $1.6 million.
Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski
But the fiesta wasn't to last. Nine months later, Gronkowski put the property back on the market for $2.4 million. The flip wasn't as much of a touchdown he'd hoped, but he still ended in December 2013 with a respectable $2.1 million sale. The reason for the price reduction, according to Realtor.com, could be that the new buyer wasn't interested in Gronk's furniture or 26.5-foot speedboat.
The gated three-story home has an infinity pool and hot tub, a spa, iPhone-controlled speakers throughout the property, custom built-in fish tanks, 10 flat-screen TVs, two fire pits, a wood-paneled elevator, billiards room, media room, outdoor kitchen and wet bar.
Tom Brady
Patriots darling QB Tom Brady and rapper/producer/headphones mogul Dr. Dre have more in common than you might think: Namely, this sprawling 18,298-square-foot eco-friendly estate in the swanky Brentwood neighborhood Los Angeles.
Brady and his supermodel wife Gisele Bündchen bought the five-bedroom, nine-bathroom, four-acre property in 2008 for $11.75 million and spent four years building their then-dream-retreat. In June 2014, Dr. Dre bought it for $40 million -- $10 million below the couple's asking price.
Tom Brady
The French-style limestone chateau has a moat, waterfalls, an infinity swimming pool and spa, a weight room, seven fireplaces, a winding staircase, library, solar electricity, a gray water system, antique doors and a lot of neutral colors.
Brady and Bündchen are currently awaiting construction on a new palatial abode in Brookline, Massachusetts, near Patriots owner Robert Kraft. The 5.2-acre, 14,000-square-foot property will include another fancy fitness room, a wine storage room, yoga studio and interior balcony, according to Variety.
Tom Brady (again)
Brady and Bündchen upped their real estate game in October 2013 when they bought a Manhattan condo comprising the entire 47th floor of the ultra-high-end One Madison building on East 22nd Street for $14 million. According to Zillow, the building has attracted other famous buyers like Vera Wang and Bündchen's ex, Leonardo DiCaprio.
Tom Brady (again)
The 3,310-square-foot, three-bedroom home was once the building's model apartment, with an interior by famed Danish designer Thomas Juul-Hansen that features white oak flooring, two walk-in closets, an open chef's kitchen with white marble, oversized doors, floor-to-ceiling windows and access to a residents' screening room, dining room, children's play room, pool and fitness studio.
The power couple will currently rent the property to anyone willing and able to spend $42,000 to $45,000 per month.
Paul Allen
Microsoft co-founder, Seahawks owner and multibillionaire philanthropist Paul Allen bought this 22,000-square-foot Silicon Valley mansion -- in what was the country's most expensive ZIP code at the time -- for $27 million in 2013. According to Zillow, the area's current median home value is more than $4.7 million.
Paul Allen
The six-bedroom, four-bathroom contemporary property sits on almost two acres of land and features a home theater, seven fireplaces, an actual spa and a spa-like master bath, pool and patio area, a five-car garage with a manager's suite, glass walls and vaulted ceilings. Also included is a detached guest house with two bedrooms and its own kitchen.
Marshawn Lynch
Seahawks running back Marshawn "Beast Mode" Lynch spent a whopping $3.6 million on this contemporary Bay Area home, not too far from where he grew up in Oakland, California, in October 2012. The purchase came soon after he signed a $31 million deal with the Seattle team and ultimately ran them to last year's Super Bowl win.
Marshawn Lynch
The 7,000-square-foot, five-bedroom, 5.5-bathroom house right on the San Francisco Bay has a wine cellar, home theater, music room, elevator, home office, lots of floor-to-ceiling windows, a fireplace and a custom 58-foot boat dock.