I was invited to a Super Bowl party tomorrow, but I’ve decided I’m not going. I know there will probably be great food depending on who invited me and the always delicious dishes that person seems to have available, but I’m declining the invitation for one main reason: I can’t stand the NFL. People always seem to assume that because I’m a sports fan that I must like the NFL. I’m here to tell everyone it’s not true. If I have the opportunity to watch an NFL game or pierce my own ears at any time during the season, I opt for earrings. I have no desire to watch the NFL and all the storylines leading up to and within the Super Bowl itself are non-starters for me.I was told to just come and enjoy the party, but that’s not possible either. It would be disingenuous of me to simply show up, eat and drink, and act like I care who scores a touchdown or which quarterback gets sacked. The only reason I know the Seattle Seahwaks and New England Patriots are playing tomorrow is because ten minutes of a work meeting on Friday was spent with two people cheering for each side. Needless to say, my focus for that part of the meeting was less than zero.
I’m not here to tell anyone not to watch. If you like the game, sign up! There will be a great halftime show with Grammy Award-winning artist Bad Bunny, there will likely be intrigue as the clock counts down to the finale, and I’m pretty sure one side will go home while the other will regroup for next season.
Before anyone starts saying “Teebz hates the NFL”, I want to be clear that it’s the presentation of the game that I don’t enjoy. I watch and appreciate CFL football. I watched the Kevin Costner-led film for two hours Draft day and enjoyed it for its Hollywood-invented view of how NFL drafts can play out. I have the utmost respect and appreciation for how hard the athletes train and play, so it’s not about me hating the NFL or having my heart ripped out by any team.
The easiest way I can say this is that I just don’t care. Not at all.
I like to follow hockey as closely as I do and make that my focus. I love the game, I love the stories in the game, I love the history and I love the aesthetics. However, fans of any sport can say the same things, and I understand that. I’ve heard baseball fans wax poetic about the game and its rich history. I know basketball fans who talk about the dynasties and the legends as if they were family. But every sports lover has his one sport that he prefers more than the other.
For some, the NFL is that sport. Granted, the NFL version of football is one of many variations of American football played around the world, but the NFL has positioned itself as the best of the best through marketing and promotion. The revenue streams and profits don’t lie when it comes to popularity, but the endless stream of TV commercials and sports betting ads and pundits pausing every game for ten minutes between snaps drives me crazy.
As I say all that, I’ll be home on Sunday evening. I plan on watching two guys who look like they should have played football in Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa The demolition crew instead of watching the NFL. That story appeals to me more than the Seahawks and Patriots, so that will be my entertainment.
If you are going to a Super Bowl party, be responsible if you are going to enjoy adult beverages. Call an Uber, Lyft or taxi if you want to enjoy the food and drinks and get home safe and sound. If you’d like, tomorrow we can swap stories about the action that took place in the Super Bowl and the action therein The demolition crew!
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!