Day: February 3, 2020

Dunkirk NY – I’ve been alive for every Super Bowl, and I believe the only two I missed were the first and the second (I did see the Ice Bowl, so I know at least I was watching football at that age). I’ve seen all the others, although the memories for each SB are a bit spotty. But last night, I think I watched my last one. The Super Bowl has become an over-the-top disaster, and at this point there is so much overblown and over-hyped content that watching the game has become more of an effort to avoid the hype rather than enjoy a game.

The game itself was actually pretty good. I thought the teams were evenly matched, with two young and talented QBs at the helm. Kansas City staged a great comeback to win the game in the 4th quarter, and as games go, you couldn’t ask for much more. I found myself enjoying the game as it was being played. I had no particular favorite going in, and as each team grabbed the lead, I became a “fan” of that team. The final really hinged on the interceptions made by both teams that led to points. If all I had to focus on was the game, I would have said I had a good time.

Try as I might, though, I could not avoid the continual bombardment of hype and hypocrisy that are the TV commercial and so-called public service announcements. I watched none of the pre-game, none of the half-time show (choosing to gorge on some local take-out BBQ ribs and shrimp), and little of the post-game show. My attempt was to try and concentrate on the game itself. Were there not commercials between action breaks, I might have succeeded. But even with all that avoidance, the sheer weight of they hype became too much. Continue reading →