As the nation settles into the rhythm of the new year, households across the country prepared for the one of the largest pseudo-holidays of the year: the Super Bowl. The NFL kicked off Super Bowl XLVIII with more outrageous commercials and overly ecstatic fans than years past, adding to its definition of completely overrated.
Football is a fine and dandy sport. It takes plenty of time, effort and personal talent to be in the NFL or any other major sports league. Striving to play in the Super Bowl is not a crime and should be a motivator.
However, this one game does not embody football as a whole. The emphasis put on this game is an unfair representation of the rest of the teams in the league that had outstanding players or riveting games throughout their season.
"There's a big emphasis about the Super Bowl experience and all of that, but I don't think it's that big of a deal," Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Caroll told Yahoo! Sports. When the coach of a team in the Super Bowl thinks this isn’t “that big of a deal,” it’s time for a reality check for sports fans. At the rate the fame of the Super Bowl rises, it’s only a matter of time until we deem it an actual holiday, sending greeting cards of warm wishes as we watch the game. One of the greatest mysteries of the Super Bowl lies in its ability to captivate audience to watch hours of a game that results in a predictable conclusion. Weeks following the bowl, teams are already preparing for the next season just to follow the same cycle of practices, plays and games as the season before. Year after year, the Super Bowl becomes less about the game and more about the extras included. From prediction talk by every sports broadcaster on the market to overdone commercials the public loves to hate, it seems the game has actually been placed on the back burner. “Either we've been conditioned to care, or there are more people watching the game who don't like football than we ever could have imagined — and they watch the game just for ads,” Daniel Tiluk of Bleacher Report said. Super Bowl advertising brings in a huge audience, mesmerizing individuals of all ages. These spots meant to entice us to buy products we probably don’t need have become full-fledged productions. “This year, a 30-second spot is an eye-popping $4 million while a 60-second spot goes for a jaw-dropping $8 million. The average Super Bowl spot has a production cost that’s north of $1 million,” Forbes reported. As a nation that screams for change, it’s a wonder why we struggle to better our current state. We collectively watch this sport with passion, picking a favorite team and accepting the outcome regardless of our personal feelings. Why this doesn’t translate to real-world issues? “A company spends $4 million on a 30-second spot, so you'd think it would be for some revolutionary product that could help save lives or something — but no,” Tiluk said.
The idea that the Super Bowl is "just another game" is long gone, as our nation continues to place this event on a pedestal season after season.
Reach the columnist at rsmouse@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @BeccaSmouse
