My Super Sunday

I really hate what the Super Bowl has become.

I say that as a real sports fan who has seen what should be the most important football game of the year become of tertiary concern on its day--behind commercials and entertainment.  I've been at Super Bowl parties where side-conversations are going on during the actual game play--but then everyone shuts up when the commercials come on--or people who have spent the entire first half chatting in the kitchen suddenly appear for the halftime show.

NBC will be providing FIVE HOURS of pregame show for this year's Super Bowl.  That is about an hour-and-a-half longer than the ACTUAL GAME will take to play!!  I'd rather they back end the five hours by replaying the game with talking heads breaking down each individual play.  An NFL halftime is 12-minutes--the perfect amount of time for the networks to get in a few commercials, show you the highlights of other games and give you a chance to get something to eat and go to the bathroom.  The Super Bowl halftime is 31-minutes.  The players actually have to come back out and re-warm up and stretch because they've been sitting around for so long--waiting for the portable stage and the fake "fans" to get off the field.

If I said David Tyree's catch, James Harrison's interception or Scott Norwood's kick--could you recall the Super Bowl moment I was talking about?  But I bet you would have no problem recall the ads that featured Darth Vader, cat wranglers and Clydesdales.

Does that mean I'm boycotting the Super Bowl?  No.  I'll enjoy the company of friends and making my Authentic Recipe Anchor Bar Buffalo Wings.  But I'm not going to treat this like a real sporting event.  For me, Super Sunday is the final round of the Masters.

Somehow, the Masters has managed to avoid becoming over-commercialized and sensationalized like every other thing in our society today.  Commercials?  Augusta National allows CBS to air just FOUR MINUTES of ads an hour.  That means 56-MINUTES of actual golf coverage every hour.  And the Masters has had the same four sponsors for the last two decades--so apparently that little exposure is still worth it.  And let's not forget a few years ago when boycotts were threatened against those sponsors, there were NO COMMERCIALS DURING ANY OF THE FOUR DAYS OF BROADCASTS!!!  It was the greatest four days in sports broadcasting history!!

Entertainment?  If something as tacky as a jukebox was allowed in the Augusta National Clubhouse, it would still be spinning 78s featuring Frank Sinatra and Benny Goodman.  Besides, they have Tiger Woods EVERY YEAR!!  Why would you need Madonna or the Rolling Stones?

So enjoy the Big Game on Sunday.  I'll be waiting for that Sunday in April when real sports fans get their special day.