So, the Rams won the Super Bowl. Apparently, I need to buy an electric car, invest in crypto, and go on a trip. Also, Dr. Dre, Snoop, 50 Cent, Eminem are classic rap now. So, weird.
Matthew Stafford has always been the real deal
I know. I'm always hyping Stafford up. For years, Lions fans, and more so the Detroit media, took their frustrations out on Stafford. I know I probably overcriticized him once or twice. Having someone to blame is nice. I think the real question is what could Stafford have been if he hadn't been drafted by the Lions? What ifs are fun but usually useless. Still, it's hard not to wonder if you swapped him onto a franchise that didn't give its fans agony. I thought he might win Super Bowl MVP for his performance. I thought it was a toss-up between him and Aaron Donald.
Aaron Donald should have been MVP
Sorry, Cooper Kupp. I would have picked you third. First Donald and then Stafford. I get it. He made some important catches, but watch the breakdown of the throws Stafford was making. They did that together. On the other side of the ball, Aaron Donald made the two most important plays of the game. The last hit on Burrow saved the game. Ja'Marr Chase was gone. In fact, Aaron Donald's big defensive plays in the second half save the Rams depleted offense. He led a defense that kept the Rams in it. He deserved it. Furthermore, Donald is the cornerstone of the Los Angeles Rams. What a fitting conclusion to their victory would that have been?
Why were there only three types of ads?
Who exactly does the NFL think watches football? Electric car fanatics, crypto bros, and travel bloggers? Where were the stupid chips and beer jokes? I didn't find any ads particularly clever. A lot of it felt bland. I think the era of the vaunted "Super Bowl commercial" is over. Now, it is three industries competing for something most Americans don't want, can't afford, or don't understand. I think the commercials would have been more fitting for the "Social Media Influencer bowl." Give me a stupid Dorito commercial or give me death. My favorite commercial was the "do it for the phones" making fun of the pandering that all of these ads do towards social good. The commercial was a parody of every other commercial saying "buy our stuff to save the world."
The halftime show was fun
I enjoyed the halftime show. It really was a lot of fun. To be honest, this lineup in 2003 would have been the most hyped Super Bowl show of all time. Of course, there wouldn't have been a Kendrick Lamar portion, but still. It is interesting having classic artists. I like the idea of the headliner being someone from the city the Super Bowl is in. That's really all I've got. I thought it was a really good show.
The juxtaposition between Billy Jean King, Title 9, and the halftime artists was strange
The game started with a montage about title 9 and women's sports. Additionally, it discussed elevating equality in sport on a more general level. But, they did have Billy Jean King narrate. So, having the halftime show featuring some artists with some not-so-great pasts with women seemed a little weird. I like the artists, so perhaps I don't have a leg to stand on, but if you look at the NFL and its social justice outreach, the message seems mixed. So, maybe I'm overexaggerating, but which is it? Is the NFL an entertainment product or a force for social good? Or, is the NFL using the idea of being a "force for social good" as a part of its entertainment product? Is it selling Title 9 initiatives for profit in the same way it sells the half-time show and ad slots for profit? Is the Title 9 ad an example of a new kind of Rooney Rule? Does the NFL check-off boxes to appease critics? We can have anyone perform at half-time as long as we talk about women's equality first? It all seems disingenuous to me. The wokeconomics is out of control. Is the NFL actually doing any good in the world or is it simply a business that's found another way to make money? Maybe it doesn't matter, but I think it's worth considering.
PS: Congrats to Matthew Stafford, again!
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