Super Bowl Sunday

[SPHASH]

My prediction, no game watching in Maxhell. Sad. 

[sparkles]

I'm with them on that one. I don't think I could possibly care less and I don't even have a clue who's playing. I'm just astonished at the amount of hype this thing gets. 

[Fascinated]

The hype is astonishing, but I do look forward to the game. I'm happy that we are in Florida right now, because our annoying Canadian tv regulatory commission (CRTC) deems that we must watch American channels through their Canadian affiliates.  So we are unable to view the many wonderful Super Bowl commercials, at least when they initially air. They are the best part of the game!  

[Maggie Mae]

21 minutes ago, sparkles said:

I'm with them on that one. I don't think I could possibly care less and I don't even have a clue who's playing. I'm just astonished at the amount of hype this thing gets. 

Carolina Panthers vs Denver Broncos. Now you know. I can't make you care though.

I only started to like football when I signed up for Fantasy Football. 

I find the love of the Super Bowl ads to be weird, honestly. 

[DarkAnts]

I care because Krispy Kream sells a dozen glazed half price if the panthers win. Only good in the Carolina. I am team donut. 

[Tikobaby]

Mrs. Baby has some interest in the game, but I have none whatsoever.

[PennySycamore]

Panthers for the win!  Keep pounding!

Having said that I may not watch all the game.  Tonight is Downton Abbey night and my husband has also invited me out to a movie.

[Grimalkin]

What's amazing to me about how loved football is to watch, is that it goes so darn slow. Constant pausing. Stop, and go. When my husband first came here from the UK he watched it but we watch lots and lots of soccer. It just makes football more boreing. We had a hideous pageant one year. I think I'm going to try and get my daughters to participate again this year.

i had key lime pie for breakfast. That may become another tradition too.

[Fascinated]

1 minute ago, Grimalkin said:

What's amazing to me about how loved football is to watch, is that it goes so darn slow. Constant pausing. Stop, and go. When my husband first came here from the UK he watched it but we watch lots and lots of soccer. It just makes football more boreing. We had a hideous pageant one year. I think I'm going to try and get my daughters to participate again this year.

i had key lime pie for breakfast. That may become another tradition too.

I think I read that there is, on average, seven minutes of actual football play in a sixty-minute game, which takes three hours. 

[formergothardite]

27 minutes ago, DarkAnts said:

I care because Krispy Kream sells a dozen glazed half price if the panthers win. Only good in the Carolina. I am team donut. 

I'm firmly for team donut too. That is the only reason I'm cheering for the Panthers. 

[SPHASH]

1 hour ago, sparkles said:

I'm with them on that one. I don't think I could possibly care less and I don't even have a clue who's playing. I'm just astonished at the amount of hype this thing gets. 

It's one thing not to watch cuz your not a fan, but not to watch it cuz Jesus said so like the Maxwells is odd.

[Firiel]

1 hour ago, Maggie Mae said:

I find the love of the Super Bowl ads to be weird, honestly. 

Me too.  I find there are generally a few really good ones, and the rest are just... commercials.

10 minutes ago, Fascinated said:

I think I read that there is, on average, seven minutes of actual football play in a sixty-minute game, which takes three hours. 

Holy cow!  That actually surprises me!  While I figured the time actually played would be pretty low, I didn't figure it'd be that low!

 

Anyway, I'm a Broncos fan.  I will be shouting at the television today.  Also, I'm wearing my Denver Broncos jersey to church, just so I can hit all the 'MURICA cliches today.

[JoyfulSel]

As a Patriots fan, I want to see the Panthers crush the Broncos. I'm generally a big sports fan (football, soccer, basketball, tennis etc) so should be fun. I couponed for so much "SB" food, but I hate Coldplay, so won't be watching the half time show.

(edit: I moved up in rank! Woo!)

[louisa05]

I have some weird ass magic combo of  right wing fundie lite fanatics and liberal left wannabe intellectuals filling up my Facebook. Not real sure how that happened. But the result on Super Bowl Sunday is a barrage of posts about why no one should enjoy the Super Bowl. From the right, we get lectures about church and Jesus being more important (husband and I never miss church, ftr, and somehow we can manage both 8 a.m. mass and a Super Bowl party starting at 4 p.m.--crazy schedule juggling, I know!). From the left, we have arguments about consumerism, the inferiority of people who watch sports (thanks to 21 year old nephew, we now know we are morons due to the fact that we like spectator sports b/c "literate people have better things to do") and how political debates should be what really attracts the hype. 

My answer to both sides: lighten up! Order a pizza, open a beer and give yourself permission to not be miserable for a couple of hours. 

And if you just can't do it, keep your mouth shut. 

If you don't like football and skip it due to that to do other things--that is totally different. Last year, we watched more of WGN's How I Met Your Mother marathon than the game--but we had a lot of junk food and alcohol because Super Bowl Sunday is a good excuse for that. This year, my brother is coming over, so we'll probably leave the game on. 

[AnywhereButHere]

2 hours ago, JoyfulSel said:

As a Patriots fan, I want to see the Panthers crush the Broncos. I'm generally a big sports fan (football, soccer, basketball, tennis etc) so should be fun. I couponed for so much "SB" food, but I hate Coldplay, so won't be watching the half time show.

(edit: I moved up in rank! Woo!)

Go Panthers! I'm the lone Pats fan in a sea of pain in the ass New Yorkers. My husband wisely shut up when I "gently" reminded him how comfy the couch was. 

[PennySycamore]

I suppose the fundies are upset because the game is on Sunday evening when you are supposed to be in church, dammit!  (OT a bit: When did church on Sunday evening begin such a thing among fundie Protestants?  I know that the Anglican church has Evensong, but I don't get fundie Protestants wanting to be like Anglicans.  Church on Wednesday nights always buffaloed me too.  I don't get it.)

People on the left should be glad because there is a good chance that Cam Newton will be the first black quarterback to win the Super Bowl.

[Maggie Mae]

40 minutes ago, PennySycamore said:

 

People on the left should be glad because there is a good chance that Cam Newton will be the first black quarterback to win the Super Bowl.

Russell Wilson not black enough then?

Doug Williams, of the Washington team, was the first black starting QB to win a Super Bowl. 

[refugee]

5 hours ago, sparkles said:

I'm with them on that one. I don't think I could possibly care less and I don't even have a clue who's playing. I'm just astonished at the amount of hype this thing gets. 

Honestly? If I watch (unless it's Green Bay -- I was a little kid in their glory years; our family bought one of the first color televisions available, even though it was not in the budget, to watch Packer games on; that television was like the family altar on Sundays, and it was a huge deal -- our aunt/uncle/cousins drove 30 miles one way every Sunday to watch the games at our house and it was like a party every week, with special food and everything), I'll watch for the commercials, and the special food. I don't care all that much about the football, although at least I know enough about it to understand what's going on, on the field.

Our teens prefer the Puppy Bowl, actually.

I live for whatever the latest Budweiser commercial is going to be.

One of the Budweiser breeding farms was outside our community. Beautiful, graceful gentle giants. One of the saddest inexplicable crimes I remember from my small-town, low-crime growing up days was the report that some sniper had used the horses in the field for target practice. That was a long time ago, but I still remember the feeling of shock and anger I had on hearing it.

Anyhow, I don't even like beer, but the Budweiser dogs and horses just melt my heart. I can watch those ads over and over.

4 hours ago, DarkAnts said:

I care because Krispy Kream sells a dozen glazed half price if the panthers win. Only good in the Carolina. I am team donut. 

LOL! You just reminded me of our previous dog. (*sigh* RIP. Best dog I ever knew.)

Her first Superbowl with us, we yelled "Touchdown" and someone gave her a potato chip to celebrate. Pretty soon, she was right there for that potato chip, even if it was only the guy on the TV saying "Touchdown". She didn't care who scored it, the word meant GIVE THE DOG A POTATO CHIP!

We've been calling them "touchdowns" at our house ever since.

3 hours ago, Grimalkin said:

What's amazing to me about how loved football is to watch, is that it goes so darn slow. Constant pausing. Stop, and go. When my husband first came here from the UK he watched it but we watch lots and lots of soccer. It just makes football more boreing. We had a hideous pageant one year. I think I'm going to try and get my daughters to participate again this year.

i had key lime pie for breakfast. That may become another tradition too.

I love pumpkin pie for breakfast. I feel the need for some right now. I'm sick. Wish someone could make some for me. /whine

I think it won't be too hard just to stir up some paleo-friendly pumpkin custard... maybe that'll be my "special food" for this year's Superbowl, with lovely whipped coconut cream on top.

Food allergies suck.

[PennySycamore]

@Maggie Mae, my mistake.  I thought Cam would be the first.  I don't keep up with football that much, but I have heard a lot of talk about Cam being black.

[refugee]

2 hours ago, louisa05 said:

I have some weird ass magic combo of  right wing fundie lite fanatics and liberal left wannabe intellectuals filling up my Facebook. Not real sure how that happened. But the result on Super Bowl Sunday is a barrage of posts about why no one should enjoy the Super Bowl.

(snip)

If you don't like football and skip it due to that to do other things--that is totally different. Last year, we watched more of WGN's How I Met Your Mother marathon than the game--but we had a lot of junk food and alcohol because Super Bowl Sunday is a good excuse for that. This year, my brother is coming over, so we'll probably leave the game on. 

Oh, yeah. I need to look and see if we have any of the good wine left from the holidays. (They had a great sale before Thanksgiving and we stocked up.)

My main hesitation about watching the game these days is the whole thing in the news about the brain damage (and other physical damage, but mostly brain damage) that players suffer. I haven't seen the movie Concussion yet, but it's on my list. I don't know that I want to be a part of promoting a sport that ruins people's lives.

But my brain is fuzzy... I don't even know if there have been changes made to the game to make it safer for current players. Have there?

1 hour ago, PennySycamore said:

I suppose the fundies are upset because the game is on Sunday evening when you are supposed to be in church, dammit!  (OT a bit: When did church on Sunday evening begin such a thing among fundie Protestants?  I know that the Anglican church has Evensong, but I don't get fundie Protestants wanting to be like Anglicans.  Church on Wednesday nights always buffaloed me too.  I don't get it.)

People on the left should be glad because there is a good chance that Cam Newton will be the first black quarterback to win the Super Bowl.

Well, if you live on the west coast, the game is midday, I think, which means people are staying home from church to have their superbowl parties. One church in the area even cancelled services one year (it was in the news) and encouraged people to hold superbowl parties as an evangelizing tool.

[Maggie Mae]

Just now, PennySycamore said:

@Maggie Mae, my mistake.  I thought Cam would be the first.  I don't keep up with football that much, but I have heard a lot of talk about Cam being black.

There's actually a joke about Russell Wilson not being black. It's racist, of course, but could open up some discussion about stereotypes. Cam Newton IS more of what people think of about black NFL players. It's shit, of course, white players have illegitimate children and dance in the end zones too. 

 

What NPR has been going on about is how Carolina was 15-1 and the commentators barely mentioned Cam Newton. It was all blah blah blah Pete Carroll's strategy (Seahawks coach) and Tom Brady (yucky Patriots) this and Peyton Manning (Broncos QB, old) that. They talk and talk and barely say anything. I noticed it because I had Carolina's D for my main fantasy league. Carolina had a fantastic year and it seemed to be overlooked until round 2 of the playoffs.

[louisa05]

13 minutes ago, refugee said:

Oh, yeah. I need to look and see if we have any of the good wine left from the holidays. (They had a great sale before Thanksgiving and we stocked up.)

My main hesitation about watching the game these days is the whole thing in the news about the brain damage (and other physical damage, but mostly brain damage) that players suffer. I haven't seen the movie Concussion yet, but it's on my list. I don't know that I want to be a part of promoting a sport that ruins people's lives.

But my brain is fuzzy... I don't even know if there have been changes made to the game to make it safer for current players. Have there?

Well, if you live on the west coast, the game is midday, I think, which means people are staying home from church to have their superbowl parties. One church in the area even cancelled services one year (it was in the news) and encouraged people to hold superbowl parties as an evangelizing tool.

I have issues with football and concussions as well. I am increasingly uncomfortable with football in general. I don't watch much NFL but the NCAA has some new-ish rules to try to prevent head injury. The main one is a targeting penalty. Any tackle that leads with the top of the helmet or results in helmet to helmet contact is supposed to result in the offending player being immediately removed from the game. Teams are supposed to have a concussion protocol and adhere to it for any incident where a player is hit in the head. I live in a college football crazy Midwestern state and most fans whine about both of those rules. I find that pretty disgusting and have been called  names online and in person as a result. A Nebraska player had two hard blows to the head in one half of one game this season and only missed maybe two plays. The local paper wrote a story the next week about how tough he is, complete with jokes about memory loss from repeated head injury. I commented on that story and on my own Facebook page about how we should not be admiring players for that or joking about the long term consequences. The responses to that were a lot of fun. 

And I just have to say that most of the "Super Bowl should not come before church" posters I encounter are in the Central time zone and two of today's posters are fundie Catholic. People really can make it to mass at many times prior to a 5:30 kick off. It is just some Jesus Juking to prove their own holiness. 

[PennySycamore]

I'll have to remind my daughter about the Krispy Kreme thing.  She might want to pick up a dozen to take in to work tomorrow.

The Krispy Kreme headquarters is maybe half a mile, mile tops, from the stadium where the Panthers have pre-season on the Wofford College campus.

[Maggie Mae]

19 minutes ago, refugee said:

My main hesitation about watching the game these days is the whole thing in the news about the brain damage (and other physical damage, but mostly brain damage) that players suffer. I haven't seen the movie Concussion yet, but it's on my list. I don't know that I want to be a part of promoting a sport that ruins people's lives.

But my brain is fuzzy... I don't even know if there have been changes made to the game to make it safer for current players. Have there?

There have been a few changes. They talk a lot about "concussion protocol" and a few small things. It's still dangerous, though. It's basically a modern day gladiator show, at times. 

I watch it. Other people enjoy it, its an excuse for day drinking (starts at 2:30 in my time zone) and socializing. It's completely problematic, but me watching or not watching is not going to change the marketing, branding, and culture of the NFL.

 

[Firiel]

29 minutes ago, Maggie Mae said:

What NPR has been going on about is how Carolina was 15-1 and the commentators barely mentioned Cam Newton. It was all blah blah blah Pete Carroll's strategy (Seahawks coach) and Tom Brady (yucky Patriots) this and Peyton Manning (Broncos QB, old) that. They talk and talk and barely say anything. I noticed it because I had Carolina's D for my main fantasy league. Carolina had a fantastic year and it seemed to be overlooked until round 2 of the playoffs.

I didn't understand the media not talking about Carolina.  I mean, they were powerhouses within the NFC the whole season, and people kept rambling on about the Seahawks.  The Seahawks had a fine team this year, and they had a good run going into the playoffs... but their record definitely didn't support the hype.

On the AFC side, I felt like everyone just kept talking shit on the Broncos and how they would never succeed this season.  Well, suck it, commentators!  They're in the Stupid Bowl!

(I should note that my feelings about the media coverage the Broncos got is likely colored by my "fan" status.  Persecution complexes are not limited to religion!)