Super Bowl: More Notes

Late in the game Sunday night the Rams lined up for a field goal, hoping to score quickly, recover an onsides kick, and score again to tie the game. There were less than 15 seconds remaining. As the kicker ran out on the field my Apple Watch buzzed. I was receiving a notification: the Patriots had won Super Bowl 53. Either someone sent out the notification early, or we were watching on a long delay.

 

On that last drive Romo pointed out “Now is the time to throw deep – look how New England only has two players deep.” Almost immediately several other Patriot defenders moved back toward the end zone.

 

If the score had been 63-56, fans would’ve complained about the lack of defense. After the game no one was praising each team’s defense, or praising the Pats for finding a way to finally score. In their previous five Super Bowl victories the Patriots had never won by more than one score. This was their widest margin of victory. Don’t people want a game to be decided in the final few seconds?

 

The refs let them play. The first defensive penalty was late in the third quarter. Few time-consuming replays, if any.

Decent halftime show. You can’t please everyone, and the over-50 crowd ain’t the target audience. The meteor was kinda cheesy, the Cadillac arrival ok.

I liked the “ATLIENS” jackets and Adam Levine, but wish he’d kept his shirt on. Several tweeted “Maroon 5, Rams 3.” As usual, some had to complain about Maroon 5’s performance. At least they showed up. All the other performers turned down the gig. Maroon 5 donated their earnings to charity.

Should’ve opened the roof to clear out the smoke. PETA should protest the huge fur coat worn by Big Boi, which some said was made from the losers of the Puppy Bowl.   

At first it looked like the halftime spectators surrounding the stage were releasing Japanese-style candle balloons. I thought they’d be landing all over the field during the second half. But instead they were drones that first rose randomly into the air, then came together to spell out ONE and LOVE. Topped the 2018 Winter Olympic Opening Ceremony drones. Someone knew one of the on field halftime spectators. Also the halftime drum line was recruited from UGA.

The only way I could ever remember commercials would be to take notes. Loved the one with all the retired players chasing the football. Star-studded: Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Mean Joe Green, Jim Brown, Larry Csonka, Larry Little, Deion Sanders, Commissioner Roger Goodell, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Todd Gurley, Barry Sanders, Ray Lewis, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Baker Mayfield, Patrick Mahomes, Odel Beckham, and more.

Very confusing when two or three companies would join forces in one ad, like when the Bud Light knight died in the Game of Thrones commercial. Same with the movie and airline combo. The Hyundai elevator ad was a little on the cheesy side. Can’t believe Steve Carrell starred in the Pepsi ad. So many were unaware Pepsi is the official soft drink of the NFL. Coke ran a nice ad right after the national anthem, before the game started. Coke would rather advertise during the Olympics. Budweiser slammed Coors and Miller for using corn syrup. The Harrison Ford ad was good, where his dog kept ordering dog food. 

In the Hyundai commercial, elevator operator Justin Bateman drops off people on various floors with unpleasant experiences: a dentist appointment, shopping at a car dealership, eating at a vegetarian’s house. So many vegetarians complained that Hyundai finally had to apologize. My take: (1) no complaints from dentists or car dealers, and (2) vegetarians probably buy Toyota Prius hybrids anyway.

 

Read a column purporting that few ads were entertaining because the companies didn’t want to offend millennials. Jerry Seinfeld said he doesn’t take gigs on college campuses for the same reason – and he never discusses politics, unlike Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Corbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Myers, or David Letterman. 

 

Atlanta showed itself well the entire week. Saturday Peachtree street was closed for the NFL Awards at the Fox Theater. Dozens of screaming fans were recruited for the red carpet show. The event hadn’t been on my radar screen: had I planned I might’ve been able to finagle a plum role as a seat-filler for the event. Atlanta’s own Steve Harvey did okay as the host, thought several times he flubbed the pronunciation of names. Not quite up to the level of past hosts Timberlake or Riggle.

 

Twice Centennial Park filled to capacity for free hip hop concerts, and the gates were closed to prevent overcrowding. While heavy crowds attended the Super Bowl Experience all week, on Saturday a friend posted a 3 pm picture of lines spilling outside the congress center onto the street – a four hour wait just to get in. Glad I went earlier in the week.  

These days it seems to be the cool thing to say “I’m not interested in the Super Bowl” or “I’m not watching” or “I don’t care who wins.” But during and afterwards there sure is a lot of talk about what went on. Then the next day it’s “The Super Bowl? I didn’t watch. Wasn’t interested. Who won?” When people are talking about something I’m not interested in, I stay out of the conversation.