Note to Readers:?This is the first of several columns I’ll be writing this semester that cover some interesting topics in sports. I decided to call the column “Box Score” in line with a sports theme. The views expressed in these columns are my own opinions. It is my hope that you will enjoy reading “Box Score.”?I?know I certainly have fun wrting it!
Amidst a troubling slew of current events – an economic recession, an alleged (and fortunately averted) terror plot on Christmas Day, increasing concerns over climate change, and the earthquake in Haiti – Americans took comfort last Sunday in coming together to celebrate the “unofficial American holiday.” The Super Bowl, the annual NFL championship game between the top team in the AFC and the NFC’s top dog, is “super” in every sense of the word. From the TV viewership numbers to the money dished out by companies for advertising (both numbering in the millions) to the countless household gatherings complete with buffets and betting, the Super Bowl is an extravaganza of American culture. No other American sports championship is quite as anticipated, and celebrated, as is this one annual football game.
It is more than a football game, of course. Case in point: for years growing up I always attended Super Bowl parties at a house in Becket, MA (the hosts operate a cross-country ski business in winter), and my parents and I and everyone else in the small community would be there bonding over buffalo wings, pizza and Sam Adams. My dad and I would run the “pools” – next player to score and predict the final score of the game. Hey, a little gambling makes the game more interesting, right? I’m not a huge football fan myself, so while I would still watch the game, for me the Super Bowl was always defined by these parties – the food, the pools and laughing at those ridiculous ads.
Speaking of ads, this year’s Bowl featured some ones worth mentioning. One of my faves, airing early on in the first quarter, was the Snickers ad in which Betty White was knocked to the ground in the mud during a football scrimmage. Celebrities are a popular resource used in Super Bowl advertising. Danica Patrick heated up the screen in a sexualized ad for GoDaddy.com, and the Simpsons (cartoon celebrities) gave market giant Coca Cola a boost. Probably one of the most talked about ads this time made use of the recent hoopla over late night television. It featured David Letterman and Jay Leno sitting on a couch watching the game with Oprah as peacemaker sitting between them. Will CBS get a boost in ratings for Letterman by taking a shot at Leno? Stay tuned to find out.
So if you actually watched the game, you would know by bow (even if you didn’t watch) that the New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl, their first in franchise history, 31-17 over the Indianapolis Colts. The game may be over, but in New Orleans the party is just beginning. Talk about a festive Marti Gras!
Related posts:
- Q: Who do you think should win the Super Bowl?
- Super Bowl ads show no sign of recession
- Super Bowl Preview: Patriots vs. Giants
- Playing the Field:
- Are sports in England better?
