Superbowl Musings

Go Broncos!

I'm watching the Super Bowl and wondering why.  I don't like football--not even when my own son is suited up and a part of the action on the field.  In truth, I don't really get it and I'm perfectly happy in a state of confusion.  I do nothing to counteract that:  I am not a student of the game, I care nothing about strategy, and I often know little about the players or teams on the field.  I recognized my own son on the field, not by his position or responsibility, but by the pair of sturdy ankle braces the persistent abuse forced him to wear.

I'm sure I'm not alone.  I'm almost positive that there are other non-lovers sitting in front of the television right now in varying states of attentiveness (or inattentiveness) even though they have other options.  So why do we do it?  Why do we join what we are led to believe is the vast majority of our country men and women if we are really not that into it?

Perhaps it's the hype, the commercials, the halftime show, the National Anthem, the media circus.  Perhaps.  But I think it is more than that.

Perhaps it's because the people in the room with us are worth the time.  They are people we love to share our recreational time with.  We are probably willing to give up more than an afternoon of our time for these particular people.  But I dare say it's more than that.  I believe it's more than that.

Perhaps we tune in as a nation because it is one of the rare days each year that we can pull together as a nation.  No politics.  No religion.  No work.  The outcome doesn't really matter--not in any meaningful way.  Die hard fans might initially disagree with me, but they know that tomorrow, win or lose, won't really be impacted by the outcome of the game.  No real wars are won or lost on the field.

Instead, people share an afternoon of escape and entertainment (at least in the form of commercials and halftime) and the competitive nature of our culture is celebrated--but with little long term impact.

On this day, at least for a few hours, we are all a part of something larger, something that pushes us together more than it pulls us apart.  We are US--celebrators of a uniquely American pastime which is an embodiment of contradictory American values like competition and cooperation, celebration and frustration, efficiency and excess.

That ... or perhaps it is nothing more than the excess of food.

Written February 1, 2015