The Game (B-)
Everyone enjoys a high-scoring game. It's fun to watch two teams rack up touchdown after touchdown. That said, it's fascinating to watch a defense clamp down on an offense and frustrate their ability to move the ball. It's like watching a jujitsu master nullify his or her opponent's striking ability. (I find this especially satisfying when the offense is used to putting up a lot of points.)
My admiration for defense comes honestly. I am, after all, a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Strong defense has been a hallmark of Steelers football since their dominant championship run in the 1970's.
What I don't enjoy watching is sloppy execution. Both teams committed unforced errors. I can't recall seeing that many penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct in a Super Bowl. Peyton Manning's interception was shocking for a player of his stature.
But the Panthers seemed particularly out of sync, putting on an inept display that included sloppy handoffs, overthrown passes, an assumption of a fair catch where there wasn't one, a missed field goal from a moderate distance, and six penalties for illegal procedure or delay of game. Everyone from the coaches on down bears responsibility for that mess.
Still, it was an exciting game. The score was close until the last few minutes (although Denver never trailed). The defensive play was admirable. And it turned out to be a fairy tale swan song for Manning's distinguished, record-setting career.
Commercials (C-)
Kevin Hart was laugh out loud funny as the overprotective father. That ad was the standout hit,in my opinion. A few other spots were enjoyable, but most were forgettable or worse.
The coffee ad that was awarded to a small company by Intuit Quickbooks was ridiculous and ineffective. Do you remember that company's name? I don't.
Jeff Goldblum's apartment search ad was a prime example of a bad idea with a big budget behind it.
The "Super Bowl babies" spots seemed like pointless (and tasteless) filler for minutes where the network failed to sell time for legitimate ads. The premise is preposterous. The ad would have us believe that guys who spend hours cheering, shouting, arguing, and fist pumping while guzzling beer and stuffing their faces with bratwurst and chicken wings are going to run home and make babies with wives who have been forced to take refuge with the Hallmark Channel. Unlikely.
The kids in the ads aren't even real Super Bowl babies, if such people actually exist. They're actors who won their roles based on their visual appeal, not their birth dates.
Even more tasteless was the Expedia ad featuring video of kissing couples and urging people to get a room. Suddenly, the Trivago Guy seems like the classiest dude in advertising.
Halftime Show (D)
I adore Bruno Mars and his retro funk sound. But Bruno Mars performed at the Super Bowl at the Meadowlands in 2014. Did he need to come back again so soon?
Beyoncé is one of the world's biggest pop stars. But Beyoncé performed at the Super Bowl in New Orleans in 2013. Did she need to come back again so soon?
I thought that the headliner Coldplay sounded fine for the three songs that they actually played. Why didn't they just play for a full set? Why did they need to add special guests?
Did the league feel pressure to include artists of different styles and cultural backgrounds? ("Wow! These Coldplay guys are really white! We'd better mix things up so we don't get in trouble like the Oscars.")
If that's what happened, so be it. I'm all for multiculturalism. But can't you put on a multicultural show without recycling talent? Why not bring in the astounding Kendrick Lamar? Or Pitbull? Or Arianna Grande? Or dozens of other up and coming performers?
The big ensemble number at the end was an utter disaster. The lyrics we unintelligible, and video from past performances made the whole thing even more confusing.
Next year, just hire a good act and let them sing their best songs. Remove the clutter and the over production. Make the Super Bowl Halftime Show "super" again by understanding that more is not always better.
Copyright © 2016 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.