The Super Bowl Hype Machine

I, for one, am glad I've missed the two weeks of discussion concerning the Super Bowl. There's absolutely nothing anyone can say that will enrich the viewing experience for me. I realize now that in the absence of an actual game, football junkies will turn to anything that will give them a quick fix, and that includes things they already know. In this world of football, it all comes down to these things:

1. The offense must find a way to move the chains against this defense, and score at every opportunity.

2. The defense must find a way to prevent the offense from doing their thing.

3. This team needs to make sure they don't turn the ball over.

Analysts sound like old programming language: a bunch of IFs and THENs. They often praise themselves when they tell you to look for something being a factor: I told you, Jim, that if the Colts defense didn't stop the run, then they'd have a long day. I think, in general, all teams have a long day when they can't stop the run, but what a salient point! Bravo!

You don't even need to watch TV or read a newspaper to know what everyone has been talking about for two weeks. But in the end, all the talk and speculation has a real function: to make the time go by faster until the game is actually played. It also makes these networks very rich in the process. Do you think it will be long before the NFL finds a way to get games played into March? The first Super Bowl was January 15, 1967. In 40 years, it's only crept up 3 weeks, but remember what a money-whoring society we've become and how exponential "progress" is. Thank goodness we live in the good ol' days.