Superb owl
These days I have more of an interest in football than I ever had prior, thanks to Jeff. Any time his beloved Cowboys or Penn State are on TV, he's there yelling at the set. He had warned me of becoming a "football widow" during the season, but rather than trying to beat 'em, I joined 'em, as it were. Jeff dutifully answered my questions regarding the finer points of the game, along with the not-so serious ones ("Why is it called 'football' when they rarely use their feet and it's not technically a ball?") and in no time I started getting pulled into the action. I would often watch the Super Bowl throughout the years just for the spectacle of it; it would occasionally fall on my birthday weekend like this year. The programming preceding the game often shows the personal side of the game as it relates to player, coaches and whatnot, this adds to the human side of the game, reminding me that it is not just all about the game itself. Stories like that of O. J. Brigance, former Ravens linebacker (as well as linebacker from the defunct CFL Baltimore Stallions) stricken with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) who, despite the advanced stages of the disease is still active with the team as Director of Player Development. It was a touching story, made even more so at the end of the game when they dedicated their win to him. The win was also a huge one for Baltimore, which, after years of mediocre activity of their major sports teams, economic issues and so on, have been buoyed recently by improving economic conditions, an almost-World Series from the Orioles, a successful Grand Prix that will be held again this year, and lots of external good will. It is easy for me to dismiss the success of a city's team, especially when I hear of rioting and destruction in the wake of a major win. No, the effect is real, with local businesses doing well, folks upbeat for more than just a winning team, and lots of positive benefits for the city and the people as a whole. Sure there will always be negatives, but even seeing the old folks wearing team colors in public along with the very young, brings smiles to faces.
Of course, the big draw of Super Bowl Sunday, for some even more than the game, is the commercials. Those who know me well are aware of my love/hate relationship with advertising. Yes, there is more hate than love, as I see advertising a parasitic relationship with the environment and most times quite dishonest. Super Bowl Sunday, however, is a time when advertisers pull out the stops to make some really good commercials, often with the actual product being secondary to the overall message. No one does this better than Budweiser with their ongoing series of ads featuring the trademark Clydesdale horses. These have always been very entertaining and some quite moving. I really fell in love with the ads when the Dalmatian was brought on board, and recent years have made the ads something I look forward to even more than favorite movie sequels. This year didn't disappoint. I dare the viewer not to get even slightly misty-eyed at this one:
Anyone who knows horses can probably attest that this is not a far-fetched scenario (I'm looking at you, badgerpdx).
The Big Game is over, Baltimore can hold its collective head a bit higher, along with the entire state of Maryland, and I can dote on Jeff as he goes through pangs of football withdrawal. :-)
Of course, the big draw of Super Bowl Sunday, for some even more than the game, is the commercials. Those who know me well are aware of my love/hate relationship with advertising. Yes, there is more hate than love, as I see advertising a parasitic relationship with the environment and most times quite dishonest. Super Bowl Sunday, however, is a time when advertisers pull out the stops to make some really good commercials, often with the actual product being secondary to the overall message. No one does this better than Budweiser with their ongoing series of ads featuring the trademark Clydesdale horses. These have always been very entertaining and some quite moving. I really fell in love with the ads when the Dalmatian was brought on board, and recent years have made the ads something I look forward to even more than favorite movie sequels. This year didn't disappoint. I dare the viewer not to get even slightly misty-eyed at this one:
Anyone who knows horses can probably attest that this is not a far-fetched scenario (I'm looking at you, badgerpdx).
The Big Game is over, Baltimore can hold its collective head a bit higher, along with the entire state of Maryland, and I can dote on Jeff as he goes through pangs of football withdrawal. :-)