A Super Bowl Respite From Reality

New England Patriots logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

After two weeks of talk about deflated footballs, a player who spoke to the media only because he had to, and an NFL commissioner whose horrible year exposed him as an empty suit, it was time to kick off the 49th Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.  A record TV audience (according to NBC) of 114 million witnessed quite a spectacle.

The Game

The New England Patriots claimed their fourth Vince Lombardi trophy since the tandem of quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick started winning them in 2002, defeating the defending champion Seattle Seahawks 28-24.  Brady, who threw for four touchdown passes, won the game's Most Valuable Player award and the keys to a new pickup truck.

But the Patriots would have lost this game had it not been for one of the dumbest calls in football history.  With seconds to go and the ball near New England's goal line, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson threw an ill-advised pass that was intercepted in the end zone by Patriots rookie Malcolm Butler.  Wilson talks a lot about dreams in his insurance commercials, but this one was a nightmare he may never live down.  And his coach Pete Carroll can explain all he wants about why he called the play the way he did.  Well, it didn't work and the Seahawks have to live with it until next season.

No matter what you think about the way the Patriots do business, whether it's allegedly spying on other teams, allegedly deflating footballs during a conference championship game, Brady gets away with too much, or Belichick is really Beli-cheat, you can't argue with the results.  Seven Super Bowl appearances in 15 years.  Four championships.  Not many others can say that.

The Halftime Show

Katy Perry isn't the greatest singer in the world, but she does know how to put on a show.  A mechanical lion during "Roar" that puts "The Lion King" to shame.  Dancing sharks.  Reviving the careers of Missy Elliot and Lenny Kravitz.  Kids knowing the meaning of "I Kissed a Girl" before parents did.  And a fireworks display during Perry's performance of --what else?--"Firework".  Only one question:  Where was Snoop Dogg?

The Commercials

Companies poured tons of money into this year's Super Bowl ads, hoping to make an impact on the biggest TV audience of the year.  So how come most of them were pointless and depressing?

• Budweiser once again topped the charts with another puppies-and-Clydesdales  ad, which makes it official:  America loves cute puppies.  So what does that have to do with selling beer?
• McDonalds is offering hugs and fist bumps in exchange for burgers in a limited-time promotion.  Considering how much trouble the Golden Arches has been having lately, this can't end well.
• Someone spills a bottle of Coke on Internet wires, leading to a takeover of communications with positive messages.  Now that's creepy.
• Nationwide insurance sees dead children.   Haley Joel Osment, call your agent.
• Why is Nissan using "Cat's In The Cradle", a song made famous by Harry Chapin, to promote safety in its cars?  Chapin died in a car accident in 1981.
• The ad about refuting stereotypes concerning running or throwing like a girl would have been a lot more effective if it came from a more mainstream product than feminine pads.
• The NFL-approved domestic violence ad looked more like it belonged on an episode of "Law & Order:  Special Victims Unit".
• Were the so-called "dad ads" really intended to shame fatherless children and those who choose not to be parents?

There it is, your brief respite from the real world.  Because soon enough, the NFL will be back in the news as controversies over concussions, domestic violence, racist team nicknames, deflated footballs and whatever else happens to come up dominate before next season begins.  That's why football is America's Game.