Here it is, $uper Bowl Sunday. Americans coast to coast take to firing up their grills, tapping beer kegs, and overindulging in homemade chili. Each year, the tradition repeats. Today pretty much showcases the amount of excesses American's partake in. For football fans, it is the culmination of the season. For large corporations, it is the chance to jockey for a lucrative commercial spot.
Watching football is not a regular part of my weekly routine. I am aware of which teams are playing in today's game. As far as players go, I am only aware of the Pittsburgh quarterback, and I know of him only because of the accusations he has faced off the field. Watching the game tonight, I will be hearing most players names for the first time.
As a child, I was a huge fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The days of Terry Bradshaw, Franco Herris, and Mean Joe Greene. The first football I ever had was a model that featured a phony Terry Bradshaw signature. Those days are long gone. These days, I rarely have the time or motivation to watch highlights from a football game let alone devote several hours to watch an actual game. I suppose I would watch a game if I had nothing else productive to do.
I'm not slamming football fans. In fact, I used to be a huge fan myself. I enjoyed playing on my high school football team as well. Out team was pretty pathetic back then, and although I liked to play, I certainly wouldn't call myself good at it. It's just that at this point in my life, I can't justify giving football the attention. However, tonight I will watch.
A good portion of the media attention leading up to today's game has been, as in years past about the types of commercials that will be shown, as well as what musical act (Black Eyed Peas) is performing at half-time. Spots featuring Angry Birds, the deal website GroupOn, car companies, and television shows are predicted to garner tons of attention. In fact, there are multiple websites dedicated to the display and popularity of super bowl advertising.
One of the most famous Super Bowl television ads in history was the Apple Macintosh "1984" ad that appeared during the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII. It was directed by famed director Ridley Scott and its Super Bowl appearance was its only U.S. daytime televised broadcast. It is considered to be one of the best commercials of all time.Take a look at the commercial below.
As I mentioned, I'll be watching the game tonight. However, I will be paying close attention to the advertisements. I find the ads that run during the Super Bowl to be a fair gauge at what will follow in terms of consumerism in the remainder of the year. I feel that the commercial spots will do more in generating conversation in the long run that the actual action of the game will. I could be wrong... Maybe tonight's game will bring me back to the times of my youth when I loved the game. We'll see...
What are your thoughts on the Super Bowl? Are you looking forward to the football game, and are you a fan of the Steelers or Packers? Do you like the commercials? What are your favorites? Please leave a comment below.
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