The Mediocre Bowl

The game was mediocre, the ads were mediocre, the halftime show was mediocre -- only the officiating stood out, and not in a good way.

I should be happy that the game wasn't lousy, like so many Super Bowl's before it, but recently the games have been better. The Steelers managed three good plays, all for touchdowns, and won the game. The Seahawks managed to move the ball but couldn't score - thanks more to the officials than the Steelers (although some lousy receivers didn't help).

The talking heads of course kept telling us the game could get better - they might just have well made the same appeal to keep watching based on the ads. And what game were Michaels and Madden watching? The same one as the officials? Madden thought Tampa Bay was in the Super Bowl this year, and Michaels couldn't tell his left from his right.

AB can be counted on to provide most of the good ads, and this year was no exception. They cover a variety of genres - funny, touching, battle of the sexes, etc.

The Burger King ad, notwithstanding Brook Burke, was creepy just like all their ads lately. I love the food at Burger King, but why oh why have they always had such lousy ads - including the worst ever campaign, Where's Herb?

And the Fed-Ex ad? I'm hoping the lamebrain who OK'ed that one get's stomped on by a giant foot too. And what is goDaddy.com? It sure looks like a porn site from the ad. What exactly do busty women have to do with domain names?

Was I the only one rooting for Phillip Seymour Hoffman in the MI:3 ad? If my choice is between Phil and Tom, Phil wins every time. You better believe I think you'd do it Phil.

What was up with the Dancing with the Stars ad wondering if you were hoping for a wardrobe malfunction? Didn't Kelly Monaco have a wardrobe malfunction but won the competition on the strength of the judges votes, and not the public's votes? Maybe the public wants to see good dancing, which is much harder to find that naked breasts (I'd start with goDaddy).

How much money did ABC forego to pitch their own shows? Anybody beside Lorne Michaels think Sons & Daughters is going to be funny? Somehow I don't think they managed to pick only the unfunny bits for the ads.

I'm all in favor of having a single great rock act do the halftime show. U2 did it best in 2002, but they have all been better than the old style of having a bunch of current acts run around and do each other's songs. While I'm amazed at what great shape Mic Jagger is in at his age, it would have been better if the Stones had done the show 20 years ago.

I can't believe that was the best officiating crew in the NFL. They stank. Did they all bet on the Steelers are something? Usually lousy crews screw both teams; in this game they managed to do in the Seahawks (not that they needed much help). I especially liked the call on Hasselback for blocking below the waist on what was really an outstanding tackle on his part. And I often complain (just ask my son who has to endure my ranting during games) about how the refs never call offensive pass interference -- guys like Randy Moss push off every play. So I was happy they flagged Seattle for it until I saw the replay -- he knocks the defense backs hands off himself and he's flagged? NFL, you need to fix your officiating.

All in all, what a waste of a few hours. Of course, I'll waste them again next year.