Will It Always Be This Super?

A couple of us played a little game the other day at the office. He had heard there were nine quarterbacks who have won two Super Bowl rings. Who were they? Together we could only come up with eight, and then checked online to see that neither of us could remember Jim Plunkett. Kurt Warner has a chance today.

I remember the first Super Bowl, the newly formed AFL vs the veteran NFL. Bart Starr & Vince Lombardi took it to Lamar Hunt's Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10. I sat in my family room taping the game on my reel-to-reel tape recorder, keeping score on notebook paper, recording every play... and hoping Len Dawson could pull it off. No such luck. Note: A television spot cost $75,000 then.

Here's a rundown of what to expect today.

The Commercials
NBC will net $206 million dollars in commercial revenue for today's game. Average price for a thirty second spot, if you want to save your quarters for next year: 3 million. But don't kid yourself. You also need a quality spot. Average price to produce that: 2 million. How would you spend 5 million dollars if that were your money?

For some people, the commercials are the most interesting part of the game. I myself purchase a USA Today on the Friday before this event, and review the commercials so I know what to expect and what I don't want to miss. Even this activity has lost some of its luster as it has become over-hyped along with everything else associated with the big game, but I am certainly looking forward to a few of these.

The Pre-Game
Like much that passes for sport these days, it's all about the party. The evolution of the Super Bowl as a playoff game to ultra hyped circus is illustrated by the manner in which the sports channels begin 24 hours of historical reviews before the main event to get us in the mood. And NBC starts Super Bowl Party coverage before Midwest families are even home from church.

The Game
How can this game ever live up to the hype?

Halftime
It's a spectacle. This year, Bruce Springsteen and what's her name. Cost is probably somewhere in the neighborhood of Haiti's entire 2008 GNP.

The Rest of the Game
Usually it's boring. One team has clamped its teeth down hard and the other team just tries not to embarrass itself. Occasionally, like the Giants' upset over the invincible Tom Brady, there is a real game played right down to the wire. Everyone hopes for a good close game, especially those who paid 3 million dollars for a commercial that is airing after the halftime show.

Post Game
Often, if not usually, a phone call from the president congratulating the winners. My guess is that President Obama has two sets of talking points in his pocket. If the Cardinals win, he will no doubt comment on how underdogs can be winners if they never give up. If the Steelers win, well, hmmm.... some kind of comment about the best offense being a good defense? We'll find out soon enough, if you keep tuned in.

Nothing profound today. What did you expect? It's Super Bowl Sunday.

Here's a sneak preview of Miller's one second ad. Bookmark this page when you get the urge for Miller Time.

PHOTO NOTE: Bart Starr, Johnny Unitas, Bobby Layne & the Green Bay Packers. Layne was quarterback for the Steelers back in the late fifties and sixties. I was a Browns fan and the Steelers were our arch rivals. Bart Starr was the first quarterback to earn two Super Bowl rings, leading Lombardi's Packers to wins in the first and second Super Bowls.