Going Deep
Commercialization Clutters Super Bowl
Remember when the Super Bowl was all about the actual game and not about the halftime show, the new string of commercials or even the weeklong events leading up to it?
I don’t.
Ever since I can remember, my clearest memories of the Super Bowl have been the latest Coca-Cola commercial or the halftime performer lip-syncing the music. That’s what happens when you live in an era of globalization, and you are watching the biggest event in the world of sports.
But it’s nobody’s fault. Worldwide notoriety and the almighty dollar have made advertising companies and network affiliates more powerful than the game itself. So this February, as you gear up for the end of the season and get ready for Super Bowl XLII, try not to blink. You may miss the fact that this is still football.
A week too long
I think there’s a big problem with giving a weeklong break between the conference championships and the Super Bowl. Sure, hosting cities love it because it’s their chance to bank on tourists from all over the world who are visiting and spending money. Plus, a bit of attention never hurt anyone. I’m sure this year, the state of Arizona is licking its chops not just for the Feb. 3 game, but also for the week leading up to it when everybody heads to Glendale and paints the town red.
But while all of this is great for the city, great for the average fan and even great for the NFL, I think it takes away from the true fan’s experience because it makes the Super Bowl less about football and more about parties.
I know it will never happen, but as a serious NFL fan, I would love it if we could finish the conference championship and get right into football the following Sunday. It would be a good thing for the players, too. Not only does having a week off kill the momentum that is crucial in the playoffs, but many athletes have a tendency to splurge a little too much before the Super Bowl, and it affects their level of play once the big game rolls around.
How can they not splurge with the environment surrounding them for two weeks? Most coaches try to shelter their athletes from all the hoopla, but there’s only so much they can do.
True fans left out in the cold
One thing that can get pretty annoying in the Super Bowl is the guy — or gal — who hasn’t watched a single football game all season and all of a sudden wants to become a fan in February. I don’t mind mothers or wives sitting in front of the TV waiting for the halftime show, but it certainly bothers me when politicians and celebrities who are never interested in football get first dibs on tickets, while season ticket holders have a hard time watching their favorite teams play.
Media attention gets tiring
At what point do you run out of things to write about when you’re doing daily stories on two teams for two weeks? Based on previous years’ coverage of the Super Bowl, pretty quickly. When you stretch out a big game like this, you get constant coverage of the same, useless things that don’t mean anything once the opening kickoff ensues. Like an overplay of the same, tiring quote, a player’s childhood story, a relationship between the two head coaches who used to work together or, even worse, a player who starts talking trash about the opposing team because he wants quick fame even though his role on the team is very limited.
The wrong memories
Don’t get me wrong. Despite how I feel about the commercialization of the Super Bowl, I will still watch this year’s game. I love football too much not to. But it won’t be fun. In fact, all the graphics during the game and the attention to useless information may blur my recollection of the actual contest. It’s happened before. For instance, what do you remember about Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004? Do you remember Adam Vinatieri’s 41-yard field goal with four seconds left to give the New England Patriots a 32-29 win over the Carolina Panthers? No, you remember Janet Jackson exposing her breast to a worldwide audience on a Sunday afternoon.
See what I mean?
Alden BIO