It’s no secret I love sports. Especially sports called football in various parts of the world. But the thing about the Super Bowl, at least for me, is that unless my team is playing (Go Colts!) it’s really more of a television event than a game. Sure I’ll always watch it, but it’s almost more like a variety show than an actual competition. So while I certainly had a blast rooting against the evil empire on Sunday night and still hope their balls all deflate, what I’ll ultimately remember about SB XLIX is all the other stuff.
The pregame – Confession time, I didn’t watch much of the pregame this year. I hadn’t watched the newest episode of Arrow yet and I had some laundry to fold. Really that sentence is a pretty good indication of how much I didn’t care this year. But from what little I did watch I know that John Legend was awesome. And I was able to get in a short nap during the national anthem. Not because of the quality, Idina Menzel is always incredible, but could it have been any longer? Maybe I only notice because I watch so much international soccer, but why are we the only country that doesn’t just sing our national anthem the same way every time? Seriously everyone else does.
The commercials – For a lot of people this is what it’s all about. Unfortunately we’ve left behind the days when we watched cuddly polar bear cubs enjoy refreshing Coca-Colas. Now apparently it’s all about good vs. sucky fathers and kids that are dead. Bit of a downer if you ask me. Some of these car makers and insurance companies need to remember that 90% of their audience on Super Bowl Sunday is a little drunk and not exactly ready for an emotional missile. Thank goodness for that puppy and those horses. Leave it to the beer guys to get it right. There was also the “like a girl” commercial that prompted me to get in a rather heated Facebook argument, but that’s another post.
Halftime – I’m not ashamed to admit that Katy Perry is one of my guilty pleasures. Ok I am a bit ashamed, but probably not as much as I should be. Apparently I have a certain affection for the kind of catchy tune that will worm its way into my brain and play on repeat for the next month, so clearly “Firework” is my jam.
So you can see why I was genuinely excited for the halftime show this year, and I wasn’t disappointed. Based on the tweets I saw during the show and texts from my dad, it would seem people’s opinions were largely influenced by their age. Those of us who came of age watching Missy Elliott wear trash bags in music videos couldn’t have been more excited when she showed up. There was dancing in my apartment at that point, and some rather inadvisable rapping. And I didn’t know there was a hole in my life that only dancing sharks could fill, but now I know. The over/under for dancing sharks at any costume party you attend in 2015 is probably at 7.5 right now. But mostly, Lenny Kravitz singing “I Kissed a Girl” with my girl Katy? Yes. Yes. Yes.
The football – Last (and probably least) there was also an actual game. And I did watch most of it, except for bathroom breaks. (Obviously I wasn’t going to take them during the commercials.) Football-wise I think it was one of the best Super Bowls I’ve ever watched. I especially enjoyed Tom Brady’s interceptions and the parts of the game where the Pats were losing. So I guess the end wasn’t exactly my favorite. Despite a lifetime of fandom I don’t actually know anything about play calling, but even I think I would have just handed the ball off to the Skittles guy. But that’s just me (and seemingly every other person on the planet who has access to Twitter, Facebook, or a street corner and a soapbox). Luckily I’ve become quite adept at blocking anything good happening to the Patriots out of my memory. By next week I’ll think the game ended with that crazy bouncing catch. Go Hawks!
Now we wait through the darkest part of the year, also known as the football offseason. The good part about this time is we all just know that our team will win it all next year. And we can imagine a world in which Andrew Luck has finally shaved his neck beard. Ah dreams.
