In Observance of the Sabbath

Super Bowl Sunday is finally here. Since I'm a big fan of football [especially NFL football], you'd think I would be pretty pumped about the big game. But that's not the case. With the exception of the Cowboys Super Bowls of the 90's, I've never been very excited in anticipation of the "World Championship" match. Maybe it's the dead week between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl that kills the momentum. Maybe it's because in the last few years, it seems like the AFC championship game is the real league championship game. Or maybe it's because the Super Bowl is really a rock concert where they try to sell you stuffed-crust pizza and auto insurance with the occasional interruption for a football game.

The premier of new TV commercials gets as much hype as the big game itself. Most times [for me anyway], the ads don't live up to the hype. For several years now, the commercials have been pretty damn weak. I think 2007 has to be the year the product pimps make good. I have high expectations.

I'm mostly looking forward to an NFL game during which I do not have to see/hear that damn Nissan truck commercial--featuring Black Sabbath's "Iron Man"--twice per commercial break, at least thirty times per game. Don't get me wrong. I love me some Sabbath. And, no matter how sick of that commercial I get, the end of that signature guitar intro always elicits an involuntary "blick-um-blick-um-blick-um" drumming motion from my arms [which is kinda embarassing in the presence of polite company]. But I'm ready for a new song. I don't want Nissan to kill "Iron Man" for me the way that Burger King almost killed funk and soul back in the 90's. Please pick a new song, Nissan.

In a few mintutes, I will be heading out to a Super Bowl party. In my estimation, there will only be three or four people out of ten who care about the game, and about ten out of ten who care about the commercials [and the performance by the artist formerly known as the artist formerly known as Prince]. In fact the commercials and the half time show may be the only part of the presentation when everyone pays attention. But, in the grand scheme, does the game really matter? Super Bowl Sunday has become as much a national day of celebration as the Fourth of July. Football brings us together. Food and folks and beer make it a national holiday [maybe someday].

Stevie Nicks just performed on the pregame show. Are you ready for some football?

More after the game [?].