The Super Bowl… it’s kind of nuts, and a little ridiculous. Every year around this time, football fans go batty about the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl has become like an unrecognized holiday. It’s like a display of pagan worship. Great, loyal fanatics pay a sort of homage-like respect to their football deities! Citizens of all ages splurge on weird outfits and face-paints, team jerseys, hats and other assorted paraphernalia.
More importantly, people spend thousands upon thousands of dollars either to go sit in whatever Superdome it’s being played in, or to show family and friends the next best thing-their own private Super Bowl experience in the confines of their living rooms. Fully supplied with all the necessary accessories that accompanies this Sunday sit-in! Of course it is even more dramatic this year because it’s “our” own New England Patriots trying to “Romp the Rams In the Bayou.”
The red, white and blue of our “Patriots” have had a budding significance since Sept. 11th. People have returned to the comforts of television and the unique familiarity the Pats bring to this old past time. The Patriots being in the Super Bowl is huge for New Englanders, I understand believe me, but the hype that comes with the Super Bowl itself, is something quite intriguing.
For the last two weeks it’s all we have heard about, literally. Radio and television stations, political personalities, have all been talking about the game and what it means, or who won last year or where the Patriots were last year etcetera. They have been sponsoring commercials, trivia questions for money, team paraphernalia giveaways, and a few more prestigious stations have actually given trip packages to support their team in New Orleans.
People must feel obligated in some way to at least mention the game in passing or conversation. Newspapers, magazines, even Wheaties (I thought they stopped doing that) are advertising the alpha “Bowl!” Two weeks prior to the game, while play-offs are still going on, it becomes the buzz in the air. Everywhere you go-work, friends, family, even UMass, everyone’s got a finger dipped in it! There is no escape, and this is all prior to the actual game.
No! I’m not really a sports fan, or football fanatic by any stretch of the imagination. I’m more concerned with the idea that with our plummeting economy, people, families and businesses cans till afford to empty their wallets on this game. Tickets for the game are outrageous, back in September they were about $400, and a week before the game they ring in at about $1400, airfare at its cheapest is probably around $200 (or gas and car tune-ups). After hotel accommodations and the other necessary accessories, we are looking at close to $2000 for one game, per person! It’s crazy, why not just stay home and watch the game on television with a much better, more efficient view?
Another piece that relates directly to our economy is the advertisements, and the dollar amount whored for a 30-second time slot. It is the only day of the year where numerous entrepreneurial and hot off the shelf commercials air successively, every time there is a break in the action! A couple of years ago I can remember the price for a Super Bowl commercial was roughly 1 million dollars. Mind you-that is to air more damned advertisements promoting “Bud Light,” a beer that’s cooled the throats of Americans for years now. It’s nothing new, just another chance for large brand name corporations to try and out do each other. Of course this is all the more reason to sit down on your hiney for close to four hours, on a Sunday evening, with your eyes glued towards not only the game, but the commercials as well.
And here’s one for the women. NBC is going to lure the Super Bowl audience away from Fox by having a special “Fear Factor” with ex-Playboy Bunnies! Trying to salvage your Sunday night ratings by having scantily clad women bopping around on rooftops, eating flies, or of course swimming, is pathetic, and plain greedy. Imagine that one-Playboy Bunnies in bathing suits! Huh, that’s genius. This was NBC’s sure-fire way to retain profits on the same night as the Super Bowl.
One last crucial element-the Super Bowl is a party, and with parties come food, excitement and alcohol. We all know it’s a blast to get all fired up about something we love or care passionately about. The only problem with the Super Bowl is that one team is going to lose! My point being that the Super Bowl is the day with the highest amount of domestic violence of the entire year. Sure, there are a great number of people that just placidly kick back and watch the game from the sofa. But, those people, like me, are probably the ones that don’t care who wins.
People drink and get way too excited and put a lot of energy on their team, and when they lose, their “trip” turns bad and people lose their tempers. Being a good sport doesn’t register if your team loses, apparently, far too many people become the stereotypical asshole and take it out on family and friends. Relax and enjoy the game, if that’s your thing.