Super Bowl For Once Lives Up To Its Hype

Well, there was a real football game this year. That helped. The commercials ran the usual gamut from clever to "O.K.". And the half-time entertainment... over-the-top as necessitated y the occasion. In short, Super Bowl LI was good to the last drop.

You have to really be a fan to watch all those hours of pre-game, and I missed most of it, but I did catch the one segment about how the Falcons brought in Navy Seals to teach the players the meaning of teamwork. Back in the 70s, sports psychologists were in vogue. The Seals and others of their ilk definitely embody the insights of psychology as they build team morale, motivation and resilience.

Bill Belichick's Patriots have been the embodiment of the word "teamwork" for a decade, so their competition is required to do what it takes to catapult their game to another level.

The Coin Toss
Wheelchair bound George HW Bush gave it his best shot, with Barbara standing over his shoulder. He didn't look comfortable. The flip left his hand and rolled into the midst of the Falcon players. Patriots called head. The coin read tails.

The Commercials
Normally I watch the commercials in advance when possible and read the teasers. USA Today provides plenty of pre-game coverage of this important segment of the Big Show. As usual the commercials proved to be a mixed bag, from memorable to quickly forgotten. I liked the Avocados from Mexico spot with the secret society (Illuminati?), though I do not know what the point was. The Skittles spot was funny, with no secret messages. Hollywood has films they want us to see including Logan and A Handmaid's Tale. The Honda spot with celebrity yearbook photos talking was engaging. I'd buy a Honda after watching that. The Fabreze spot was perfectly timed to remind you that when everyone takes that mid-game bathroom break, their product will be put to good use. (Noteworthy: There were numerous commercials with a political theme. This may require a second blog post. Timely and sensitive. Coca-Cola is an international brand.)

The Game
These two high powered offenses had one difference. The Patriots have been to the big dance numerous times and the Falcons were seriously lacking in experience as regards the pressures of the big game. Nevertheless, that Falcons defense -- which has been defined by speed more than size -- tore into the Patriots like cheetahs hunting down gazelles. Speed kills, and amped with adrenaline the Falcons weren't messin' around. The Falcons flew into the face of Tom Brady like air through a wind tunnel, tossing aside linemen like paper dolls.

The Patriots, however, appeared to hamstring the Falcons in the same manner and rather than a rout it started to appear that this would be a defensive battle. Until the dam broke. Suddenly the Falcons were up 14. Then 21. And as the half ended the Pats settled for a lame field goal to get on the board.

You can read about the comeback elsewhere. By the end of Lady Gaga's halftime show I imagine that some folks believed the drama was over and that it was time to channel surf. If you gave in to the temptation you missed a dramatic and memorable second half. In fact, I can't seem to recall the commercials at all. The second half was all about the game. Tom Brady achieved his fifth Super Bowl ring. Bill Belichick affirmed his legacy.

The Pepsi Halftime Show
I know at least one fan from Clear Lake, Iowa who couldn't give two figs about the game itself. How did Lady Gaga do? "Awesome bananas!! Loved the patriotic lead-in and the rooftop leap!" (A former president from Iowa talking.)

I watch these massive choreographed halftime shows and wonder who puts these things together. Does some outfit approach lady Gaga and suggest sets. "Back to the drawing board, team." This one had shades of Michael Jackson written over it... Leaping into the stadium from the rooftop, she proved she not only has pipes but athleticism. Cirque du Soleil has nothing on Lady Gaga. Fireworks and spectacle, lightning and wonder.

At the end of it all, the Patriots succeeded in producing a thrill ride for their fans. Falcons fans cringed as the game went into overtime, another Super Bowl First. The Pats won the toss, and several plays later... Game Over.

* * * *
Most dramatic Super Bowl ever? Certainly one that will be talked about for a long time. At least until the end of the dayTuesday.

Throwback Thursday: Super Bowl XLII & This Year's LI

Have you ever wondered why Super Bowls are numbered using Roman numerals? This year it will be Super Bowl LI, or 51 if inscribed the usual way we write numbers.

I used to think that Roman numerals were used because NFL Football is attempting to identify itself with the gladiators of ancient times. The argument can easily be developed that the games are a modern form of "bread and circuses." In point of fact, the use of Roman numerals was an attempt to create less confusion. For example, if they used the year, as in Super Bowl 2016, which is technically a final playoff for the 2016, this would be confusing because the game is held in 2017. That, however, does not explain why they couldn't just call it Super Bowl 51.

For the record, this year's Coin Toss will be conducted by former president George HW Bush and the former first lady Barbara B.

The big stories this year revolve around the Patriots. Tom Brady has an opportunity to get the most wins of any quarterback in Super Bowl History, passing (pun intended) Joe Montana. Bill Bellicek is aiming toward the most wins, a record currently held by the Steel Curtain's coach Chuck Noll. (Trivia: I was walking thru a suburban neighborhood in Pittsburgh back in 1976 when the young woman I was with said, "This is Chuck Noll's house." It was quite nondescript and non-ostentatious. Just a house in a nice neighborhood. I touched his mailbox.)

In theory, this should be a great game. The Atlanta Falcons looked so dominating this year, and the New New England Patriots looked like a team with a mission. Can the NFL's top offense break the NFL's top defense?

One match-up to watch will be the Patriots defense vs. Julio Jones. Jones is the Matt Ryan as Jerry Rice was to Joe Montana. The Pats have built a tradition around defanging "top weapons" though, so we'll see what they have up their sleeve. (Maybe a car accident before the game? Deflated tires? Sliced brake lines?)

Terry Bradshaw is the only other quarterback to have garnered four Super Bowl rings, besides Brady and Montana. Will he be rooting for the Falcons then? Will he be a good sport if Brady acquires his fifth ring and lifts that Lombardi Trophy skyward this Sunday?

All in all, it should be a good game.

* * * *
Meantiime, for Throwback Thurz, here's my post from nine years ago going into Super Bowl XLII.

Super Bowl Sunday In Cincy

GLENDALE, Ariz.–Most Super Bowls never live up to the endless barrage of hype and tonight's 42nd version, held in a large Airstream trailer of a stadium parked in the desert, might not, either. But we'll either get history being made by the New England Patriots, who are on the verge of a level of perfection unknown in football, or we will see history denied by the New York Giants in a monster upset. ~ Dave Perkins, The Toronto Star

Well, there's nothing quite like having your own team in the Big Game. The Browns are not there, but Bill Bellicek, unquestionably one of the greatest pro football coaches of all time (unless they discover his brain is on steroids) used to coach the Browns early in his career. I liked him then so I will be rooting for him today. Go Patriots.

In case you have not heard, the Patriots are living a dream season. There are one step away from the magical undefeated season, only the second in NFL history, and the longest run yet. Supposedly football is a game where "any given Sunday" either team can win. But despite the era of free agency and huge egos, Bellicek has assembled a no nonsense, awe inspiring record of dynastic proportions. It's not supposed to happen this way, yet it has. Which means this guy is the real deal, worthy of being compaed to the greats, Lombardi and Landry.

For this reason, all eyes will be on Glendale. Or a least, seventy million will be... or is that seven hundred million? Who knows. I am sure the talking heads who host today's game will be letting us know.

In the meantime, however you spend the day, enjoy it. Preferably with friends. By tomorrow this game will be history, but a good friend is for ever.

EdNote: The Super Bowl logo on this page is posted in accordance with Fair Use registration, Wikipedia Creative Commons.

Super Bowl Sunday: Can the Game Ever Live Up to the Hype?

"If it doesn't matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score?" ~Vince Lombardi

Well, today's the big day. Time to put away the Barbie dolls, poetry books and bottlecap jewelry and get manly because it's Game Day. Time to put on your G.I. Joe jungle face paint kit, practice your war whoops and get manly.

If you're into that sort of thing.

Let's talk about the game. As if you're not tired of it yet. While channel surfing I noticed not one, not two, but at least three channels devoted on FRIDAY to showing all the goings-on there in Indy already. The pre-party is a three day affair this year. As if there's three days' worth of things for talking heads to talk about.

Ah, but they find a way to do it because that is the miracle of television. When there is nothing left to see they can pull out all the footage of years gone by. We can watch forty head coaches get sloshed beneath a wave of Gatorade. We can watch forty years of winning touchdowns... of losing interceptions... of smiling champions... of Super Bowl trophies being dedicated to heroes. It's all there in the mix.

Print media is lucky. They only have that set number of pages to fill. Television has gobs of air time. After dissecting and examining every facet of each team, they reach out to other sources, like the incessant buzz on Twitter. There's no better place for getting the mood of the moment.

Here's a Tweet from @crtrud: Chrysler CEO Marchionne says he likes Patriots in the Super Bowl. Tells reporters he won't be be betting on game here in Vegas.

And this one from former rugby player @Neemia Tialata: Can't wait for the #SuperBowl Don't mind who wins cz none are my team @Chargers. If the Giants win does that mean Eli is better manning?

That has to be the sentiment of a lot of folks who have had their favo teams excluded from the big showdown.

One story angle being cited is how this is a reprise of the two teams' 2008 battle. The quarterbacks and the head coaches are the same as 2008, but both teams are quick to say they are not the same. The Pats have 8 returning to reprise that loss to the Giants, who have 15 players from that roster.

The 2008 game caused a special amount of grief for the Patriots who entered the arena as undefeated gladiators. The Giants set them straight. They were not superheroes. They were simply mortals who happened upon a great season.

Maybe the Patriots weren't as loose as they like to be going into that one. They had a perfect season on the line. It's always a bit easier when you have nothing to lose. The Giants were 12 point underdogs in that one. It has to be fun to be the spoiler.

So, Eli Mannings's back and rarin' to go at it one more time. Game Time Trivia: Did you know that Eli's full first name is Elisha, an Old Testament prophet and man of God who performed many miracles. We'll see today what kind of miracles Eli can pull off with his golden arm.

Don't know where you'll be this afternoon, but like a few folks around the globe I'll be watching. It's a tradition.

Oh, as for predicting an outcome... I might as well go on record to say it will be the Patriots by four. Not because I have the slightest clue, but both teams have ants in their pants to take home that trophy and get those rings, and despite all the distractions of the past two weeks I think both coaches and both quarterbacks will be ready to play football. Besides, I like Bill Bellicek and learned a few things from reading Education of a Coach by David Halberstam. My ultimate prediction: a surprisingly good game in spite of it all.