Super Showdown

So, as you might've read in my previous posts, I'm not the big week-to-week football fan. Especially since I've dropped out of any competitive fantasy leagues.

But I still tune in for the big games, despite the feeling that the game has become an over-produced, over-hyped enterprise that has led to games that take too darn long.

As Sunday afternoon gave way to night, though, I actually found myself enjoying the game. (Of course, this was also the first Super Bowl Sunday I wasn't working in probably a decade.)

It was a good game. Not flashy, but a solid back-and-forth battle between two teams (not their stars). There were few mistakes. Some great plays (the Giants seem to break out the big catches in the fourth quarter against the Patriots). And a game that was not decided until the final tick of came off the clock.

And even better, NBC stayed out of the way. Cris Collinsworth was maybe a little chatty -- but almost always with important points about what was going on. Al Michaels was his usual amazing self, making his call about the game.

And the broadcast graphics were not over-the-top or distracting. It was a stroke of genius to do the offensive and defensive introductions as the players as they came onto the field, rather than in the middle of a series (which would have bombed had they done it on the opening series, since the Patriots' first play ended in disaster).

Of course, a good portion of the enjoyment of the big game is the commercials. Even though we had a good idea of what we were going to see before hand, thanks to viral marketing, there were plenty of good suprises Sunday -- and no real bad ads that left you groaning -- depending on your tolerance for gross-out humor.

The Clint Eastwood-led ad for Chrysler was spot on, and felt like a call to arms, rather than a car commercial. The Doritos entry featuring the dog offering a bribe to his owner was funny, as were appearances from Betty White and John Stamos. The Matthew Broderick and Jerry Seinfeld commercials lived up to their gimmicks just fine (though, the Seinfeld one has already worn out its welcome, as it's been getting the most repeat air play lately).

As far as the rest, Go Daddy brought us a Kardashian, which merits an instant eye roll. And Career Builder's continuation of its working-with-monkeys theme, while still kinda funny, is starting to show its age. And I didn't see the need for Mark Cuban to pop up in the Sketchers ad that highlighted its new shoes on a dog. The dog moonwalks -- why kill the final bit by throwing him in there?

The halftime show was the halftime show. I waited for Madonna to take the stage before retreating for a restroom break. Could still hear the performance, and it sounded fine. Did catch the last two songs on screen, and it looked like well-done as far as the staging and production value. Was actually surprised by the inclusion of "Like A Prayer," considering its controversial past. But it was what it was supposed to be, and that's not a bad thing.

So, no matter what side you were on for Sunday's game, you had to walk away from your TVs satisfied that you got a good game that didn't insult your intelligence or leave you wanting more.

And for sports fans, you now have a couple of weeks to catch your breath, catch up on basketball or hockey seasons and get ready for baseball, as pitchers and catchers report in a couple of weeks.

Yeah, no rest for the weary.