You Watched What Last Night?

The Super Bowl has come and gone and again fans were treated to another entertaining game. A hard fought win by the NY Giants and Eli Manning now gives the younger Manning brother 2 rings (both against New England) and Tom Brady another long off season to wonder how the hell to beat this guy. There will undoubtedly be millions of blogs and message boards jammed with detailed analysis of the game, (or people threatening to kick someones ass for belittling their precious team) or at least the commercials, but what struck me is despite the fact that the game itself has now obtained legendary status, how many people just genuinely don't care. I was working all day yesterday, (sadly this is not my real job) and in doing so struck up polite conversation as customers would come in. Now I realize Ottawa isn't exactly a football hot bed, we've now lost our CFL (@CFL) team twice, but there seemed to be little or no interest in the game from much of the general population. Even a quick poll of many of my friends would find most couldn't care less. And you know what, maybe they're right. I mean lest face it, the outcome of the game has little bearing on our lives, nothing changes as far as having to get up and go into work today. There is no reward for having known the outcome except perhaps pride in certain social situations, and unless you made a bet on the game you are no worse off monetarily. Those who were invested in it well, I saw their pain first hand and have to say, glad it wasn't me! (Though had the Colts been playing it may have been a different story). After all to reiterate an earlier post, it's only a game. The spectacle that is the Super Bowl has become increasingly more about pop culture with the like of Madonna and CeLo Green gracing the stage at half time (for our viewing pleasure?) Anyway, the commercials have also become an enterprise unto themselves, often more buzzed about then game. This is obviously economics 101 as if you have tens of millions of people watching something, advertising would generally seem like a good idea, however it is another way that the Super Bowl is trying to reach out to the casual or even non sports fan. There is little doubt the ratings for this game would be great as it had two evenly matched teams who lived up to the billing but this doesn't mean it's for everyone. Football is a fairly complicated sport at times and often hard to follow if you don't already do so. Also, and I shudder at the notion, but, not everyone is interested in sports. Yes people have other interests and perhaps spent last night pursuing them. Maybe they listened to music, watched a movie or even went so far as to have a real conversation. Sports is not the do all and end all of things and so, you do have other (not necessarily better) options. Still, if you didn't watch the game, then what did you watch?