That’s right. I didn’t watch the Super Bowl for several reasons. Actually, that’s not entirely true. I did catch the overtime – for what that was worth.
But my decision to skip most of the game wasn’t out of some non-conformist hipster tantrum. The truth is, with the Lions having been lousy for so long, the game has become an afterthought for me. My big game tradition is…not watching it.
Another reason is that the game has bloated into such and enormous entertainment monster that the actual football game often gets lost in the shuffle.
For a lot of non-football fans, the commercials have been the big draw, dating back to Apple’s legendary Macintosh ad in 1984. However, many of the Super Bowl ad are released online several days in advance. Furthermore, many ads, like the spot for the Deadpool & Wolverine movie prompted views to check out the trailer via YouTube.
For those who aren’t entertained by either the game or the commercials, there’s the halftime show. Personally, these halftime performances have missed the mark more often than they hit. This is, in part, because I’m a rock guy and there’s not a lot of rock performances during the big game anymore. The few that we’ve had in the last 15-20 years were by rockers well past their prime.
By most accounts, the first half of last nights game was low-scoring did that led to many fans in the Detroit area lamenting “the Lions could have smoked both these teams”. I’ll get back to the Lions in a minute.
As I mentioned, I did see the overtime; which apparently was played under different rules for the first time ever. Why the NFL doesn’t just play a fifth quarter is beyond me.
I don’t hate either of them, but I’m sick to death of hearing about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. We get it. They like each other. I was seriously waiting for him to propose to her at the 50 yard line after the game in what would have been the supreme act of cheesiness.

But most of all, I didn’t watch last night game because the Detroit Lions beat the Chiefs in the season opener back in September. They, were outplaying the 49ers for the first half of the NFC Championship game two weeks ago. All in all, the Lions outplayed both of those teams for 6 quarters – dying the most successful season the team has had in 60 years. I’m fully convinced the future is bright for the Lions franchise, but it was just a bitter pill to swallow last night.
I’m not trying to sound snooty. These are just my reasons for not watching the biggest sporting event of the year. But pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training on Thursday. That’s when MY favorite game returns.
I know A LOT of non-football fans watch the last night (including Kid 1!) What are some of your thoughts about the game, or the entertainment surrounding it?
Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. Be sure to like, comment and subscribe to my blog below. It’s greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to follow me on social media as well! Check out my most recent posts as well as some earlier, related posts:
- The View from the Base: Confronting the Mountain
- The Architecture of the Launch
- The Magnitude of “Just Some Dude”
- No More Rearview Mirrors: Riding Shotgun with Kid 2
- When the Hobby Has You: The Case Against Collecting
The article “Thoughts on the Super Bowl from a Non-Viewer“ originally appeared on Rebuilding Rob


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