by Richard L. Weaver IIThe hype surrounding the Super Bowl game every year is the most frenzied, adrenalized, amped-up to be found on television. There really are few other events that represent this level of hysteria. It is the most watched U.S. television broadcast of the year — 80 to 90 million Americans will watch. Also, with that many people watching, it isn’t surprising that it is the second largest U.S. food consumption day; Thanksgiving is the first. The following joke represents how the event causes some people to become completely deranged.
A man had 50-yard line tickets for the Patriot’s Super Bowl game. As he sits down, a man comes down and asks if anyone is sitting in the seat next to him. "No," he says, "The seat is empty."
"This is incredible," said the man. "Who in their right mind would have a seat like this for the Super Bowl game and not use it?"
"Well, actually, the seat belongs to me. I was supposed to come with my wife, but she passed away. This is the first game we haven't gone to together since we got married in 1949."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. That's terrible. But couldn't you find someone else -- a friend or relative, or even a neighbor to take the seat?"
The man shakes his head. "No, they're all at the funeral."
An old joke, true, but it makes the point.
The single biggest complaint I have — and it was underscored when I lived for a brief time in Australia when I went to see an “Aussie-Rules Football” game — is the model that football linesmen (guards and tackles) provide for our youth. In Australia all players on the field look much like our quarterbacks and half-backs. Here, in a society already having problems with the overweight and obese, we signal many who aspire to be football players to overeat if they want a chance — and, not only that, to eat the wrong kinds of foods.
The second complaint is the toll that playing football takes on the body — a toll, in many cases, that players must not just live with, but live in pain with for the rest of their lives. It reminds me of a second joke.
During the Super Bowl, there was another football game of note between the big animals and the little animals. The big animals were crushing little animals and at half-time, the coach made a passionate speech to rally the little animals.
At the start of the second half the big animals had the ball. The first play, the elephant got stopped for no gain. The second play, the rhino was stopped for no gain. On third down, the hippo was thrown for a 5 yard loss.
The defense huddled around the coach and he asked excitedly, "Who stopped the elephant?"
"I did," said the centipede.
"Who stopped the rhino?"
"Uh, that was me too," said the centipede.
"And how about the hippo? Who hit him for a 5 yard loss?"
"Well, that was me as well," said the centipede.
"So where were you during the first half?" demanded the coach.
"Well," said the centipede, "I was having my ankles taped."
Good joke, true, but without taped ankles the centipede knew he would live a lifetime with arthritic or broken ankles — an example of what I’m talking about.
Another complaint I have about all the Super Bowl hype is how this truly and solely U.S. celebration extols the virtues of alcohol. It is, of course, praised enthusiastically in the pre-game publicity when cameras rove numerous tailgating parties and participants raise their cans lauding the opportunity to imbibe. It is raved about in the advertisements during the game, too, when the fun people have is demonstrably improved if alcohol contributes. The humorous, contagious, and expensive advertising is even promoted well before the games when we are told how much beer companies have spent for their advertising, and how one company in particular has purchased more advertising space than all other advertisers. Even the fact that alcohol is sold at any sporting event strongly suggests — at least to this observer — that fun and consuming alcohol are one.
A final complaint is how sports contests like the Super Bowl promote gambling. With lotteries that are promoted by state governments almost a fixture in our society, one can hardly escape the omnipresence of gambling — like skin penetrated by infective larvae — in our environment. Nothing galvanizes the casual bettor like the Super Bowl. Millions of Americans will log onto their computers before 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday to either place traditional bets or engage in new forms of gambling that can’t be found at land-based sports books. It is likely that more than $450 million will be spent online alone. Innocent office pools will attract many who have never gambled before and a certain percentage of adolescents and adults who gamble on these games will eventually become addicted to the action — the rush — the thrill of sometimes winning — and will become problem or compulsive gamblers. Without treatment their lives will become progressively worse.
Who is my pick to win the 2008 Super Bowl? It can be summed up in this final joke:
A first-grade teacher explains to her class that she is a New York Giant’s fan. She asks her students to raise their hands if they are Giants fans too. Not really knowing what a Giants fan is, but wanting to be liked by their teacher, their hands fly into the air.
There is, however, one exception. Kelly has not gone along with the crowd. The teacher asks her why she has decided to be different. "Because I'm not a Giants fan" she reports.
"Then," asks the teacher," What are you?"
"I'm a New England Patriot’s fan," boasts the little girl.
The teacher asks Susie why she is a Giants fan.
"Well, my Dad and Mom are Giants fans, so I'm a Giants fan too," she responds.
"That's no reason," the teacher says. "What if your mom was a moron, and your dad was an idiot. What would you be then?"
Kelly smiles and says, "Then I'd be a Giants fan."
______________________________________________________________________________
One place to go for history, standings, scores, winners and all information on the Super Bowl is: http://www.superbowlhistory.net/
Another place that offers origins, game history, coverage, entertainment, and much more is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl
______________________________________________________________________________
A man had 50-yard line tickets for the Patriot’s Super Bowl game. As he sits down, a man comes down and asks if anyone is sitting in the seat next to him. "No," he says, "The seat is empty."
"This is incredible," said the man. "Who in their right mind would have a seat like this for the Super Bowl game and not use it?"
"Well, actually, the seat belongs to me. I was supposed to come with my wife, but she passed away. This is the first game we haven't gone to together since we got married in 1949."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. That's terrible. But couldn't you find someone else -- a friend or relative, or even a neighbor to take the seat?"
The man shakes his head. "No, they're all at the funeral."
An old joke, true, but it makes the point.
The single biggest complaint I have — and it was underscored when I lived for a brief time in Australia when I went to see an “Aussie-Rules Football” game — is the model that football linesmen (guards and tackles) provide for our youth. In Australia all players on the field look much like our quarterbacks and half-backs. Here, in a society already having problems with the overweight and obese, we signal many who aspire to be football players to overeat if they want a chance — and, not only that, to eat the wrong kinds of foods.
The second complaint is the toll that playing football takes on the body — a toll, in many cases, that players must not just live with, but live in pain with for the rest of their lives. It reminds me of a second joke.
During the Super Bowl, there was another football game of note between the big animals and the little animals. The big animals were crushing little animals and at half-time, the coach made a passionate speech to rally the little animals.
At the start of the second half the big animals had the ball. The first play, the elephant got stopped for no gain. The second play, the rhino was stopped for no gain. On third down, the hippo was thrown for a 5 yard loss.
The defense huddled around the coach and he asked excitedly, "Who stopped the elephant?"
"I did," said the centipede.
"Who stopped the rhino?"
"Uh, that was me too," said the centipede.
"And how about the hippo? Who hit him for a 5 yard loss?"
"Well, that was me as well," said the centipede.
"So where were you during the first half?" demanded the coach.
"Well," said the centipede, "I was having my ankles taped."
Good joke, true, but without taped ankles the centipede knew he would live a lifetime with arthritic or broken ankles — an example of what I’m talking about.
Another complaint I have about all the Super Bowl hype is how this truly and solely U.S. celebration extols the virtues of alcohol. It is, of course, praised enthusiastically in the pre-game publicity when cameras rove numerous tailgating parties and participants raise their cans lauding the opportunity to imbibe. It is raved about in the advertisements during the game, too, when the fun people have is demonstrably improved if alcohol contributes. The humorous, contagious, and expensive advertising is even promoted well before the games when we are told how much beer companies have spent for their advertising, and how one company in particular has purchased more advertising space than all other advertisers. Even the fact that alcohol is sold at any sporting event strongly suggests — at least to this observer — that fun and consuming alcohol are one.
A final complaint is how sports contests like the Super Bowl promote gambling. With lotteries that are promoted by state governments almost a fixture in our society, one can hardly escape the omnipresence of gambling — like skin penetrated by infective larvae — in our environment. Nothing galvanizes the casual bettor like the Super Bowl. Millions of Americans will log onto their computers before 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday to either place traditional bets or engage in new forms of gambling that can’t be found at land-based sports books. It is likely that more than $450 million will be spent online alone. Innocent office pools will attract many who have never gambled before and a certain percentage of adolescents and adults who gamble on these games will eventually become addicted to the action — the rush — the thrill of sometimes winning — and will become problem or compulsive gamblers. Without treatment their lives will become progressively worse.
Who is my pick to win the 2008 Super Bowl? It can be summed up in this final joke:
A first-grade teacher explains to her class that she is a New York Giant’s fan. She asks her students to raise their hands if they are Giants fans too. Not really knowing what a Giants fan is, but wanting to be liked by their teacher, their hands fly into the air.
There is, however, one exception. Kelly has not gone along with the crowd. The teacher asks her why she has decided to be different. "Because I'm not a Giants fan" she reports.
"Then," asks the teacher," What are you?"
"I'm a New England Patriot’s fan," boasts the little girl.
The teacher asks Susie why she is a Giants fan.
"Well, my Dad and Mom are Giants fans, so I'm a Giants fan too," she responds.
"That's no reason," the teacher says. "What if your mom was a moron, and your dad was an idiot. What would you be then?"
Kelly smiles and says, "Then I'd be a Giants fan."
______________________________________________________________________________
One place to go for history, standings, scores, winners and all information on the Super Bowl is: http://www.superbowlhistory.net/
Another place that offers origins, game history, coverage, entertainment, and much more is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl
______________________________________________________________________________
Contact Richard L. Weaver II
This time of year I look forward to 2 sporting events that are truly American... the Super Bowl and the Daytona 500. The Super Bowl has been declared by many as an unofficial American holiday and the Daytona 500 is the classic American race that turns 50 this year.
ReplyDeleteComplaints about the Super Bowl? I have one... I was so sick this year that I could barely stay conscience and enjoy the indulgence of crackers, cheese spreads, beer, and the emotionally frenzied, adrenalized, amped-up atmosphere that is the Super Bowl. I enjoy the buildup to the game... especially Media Day which ESPN said is nothing more than a circus. I look forward to the Super Bowl every year because I get to park my butt in front of the TV, watch 6 hours of pre-game, and watch what is usually not the best football game of the year. It was really nice this year was different.
Your contention that fun and consuming alcohol are one... might be right on the money. Did I miss my beer during the game this year because I was sick? Yup. Does it enhance my experience? Yup. Do I get slam-hammered so I can't walk, talk, or function? No. Simply put: I am not going to beat myself up over having a couple drinks on one of America's unofficial holidays... I'm gonna celebrate!
Hey centipede... you might want to think about knee braces instead of just tape! Talking about the end of his career in the NFL, Howie Long said in the Super Bowl pre-game that he was "...held together with glue and duct-tape". At 48 years young he is still a reasonably young man and admits he can't bend over to tie his own shoe. His son Chris Long is now entering the draft and expected to be a top 5 pick. Football has been around long enough now we know what happens to these men who are playing... they are getting hurt really bad for a lifetime. Do you think Chris Long can't look at his Dad and see what happened to him? If you are lucky enough to play in the NFL... by the time you get there, you as a player have probably seen many of your teammates go down and never come back. It's the reality of football we Americans love to watch and these days they get paid pretty well to play football at that level.
Gambling? Not everyone who takes a drink becomes an alcoholic... but some do. As a society this shouldn't be ignored, but with a population as large as the United States some bad things will happen. I'll take the wager that I will do the right thing.
I love everything about the Super Bowl.... everything. This year the world was treated to an incredible game. The emotionally frenzied, adrenalized, amped-up atmosphere bordering on simply crazy is what the Super Bowl is about and I love every part of it!
Now comes the Bud Shootout, Qualifying, Gatorade Duels, and capping it off... The Super Bowl of racing: The 50th running of the Daytona 500. I will enjoy, imbibe, and revel in the spectacle with no complaints unless my driver doesn't win. And this year? This year is different. This year is going to be GR88T!! Rev' up ur engines... It's the Daytona 500! Let's go racing!!