It's nearly kickoff time for Super Bowl 50, an event, that last year brought 120 million viewers to the field via the live televised broadcast or for tens of thousands of lucky fans, seats at the actual stadium. This year those highly creative and most memorable 30-second commercials will go for approximately $5 million, with some notable celebrities. Which ones will be the most talked about? Last year, hands down, it was the Budweiser Puppy that captured our hearts and remained a long time favorite. The year before, it was the Snickers bar, "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia" or perhaps the "Doritos" ones that had us laughing out loud. Either way, I'm craving one of each now. And isn't that the point of these moving and laughable advertisements? First, to be viewed and, second, to leave a lasting impression that will produce more sales.
What about the game? There's much to be said for the outstanding athletes running out on the field prior to the National Anthem being sung and the coin toss won. If you're a fan of one of the two teams vying for the most prestigious Vince Lombardi Trophy along with an individual ring for each winning team player, be it the North Carolina Panthers or the Denver Broncos, plan your bathroom breaks now. Or will you forego the commercials and get those snacks to wash away the anxiety?
I was just a toddler during the first Super Bowl Football confrontation. My earliest memory dates back to Super Bowl III of 1969 when the New York Jets played the Baltimore Colts. Living outside of New York City, my family and I cheered on the Jets. My older teenage brother, like most kids his age, idolized quarterback Joe Namath. At the time, the Colts were viewed as the greatest football team of all time. Broadway Joe said otherwise when he and his teammates took down the Colts with a final win of 16 to 7. Our family had gathered in "the den" where we imbibed on "steak tar tar", Welsh rarebit, a variety of dips with Charles Chips, along with potato salad and flan. My mother's creative culinary flare depicted the times. When one of us got up to go to the bathroom that person had to turn up the TV in order to flush the toilet. Nobody dared to turn the channel. Nor did we consider it because we were glued to the action of the game and, in those days, there weren't any instant replays. If you missed it...you truly missed it.
My next vivid memory of the Super Bowl is an entire decade of cheering for our (all of us having been born in Pittsburgh) favorite football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the 1970s, the Steelers took home four Super Bowl rings that decade. I knew the names of every player on the team and stood with excitement when Franco Harris rushed down the field to a touchdown or Lynn Swan took leaped high in the air to make an amazing catch. More than anything, I recall the Coke Commercial where an injured Mean Joe Green limps to the locker room and a young boy innocently offers him his Coke. In return Joe, throws him his football jersey. "Have a Coke and a smile." To date, the Steelers have won the most Super Bowls with six wins.
Beginning in the 21st century, my husband and I began hosting our own Super Bowl parties, inviting mostly neighbors (making the probability of snow non worrisome since most were able to walk home) to enjoy two big screen televisions, an array of food and drinks along with a football pool where each guest shells out a dollar a square for winnings determined by the score at the end of each quarter. If the Eagles (2005) are playing there's a local team captive audience, take note Bradley Cooper, I'll save a seat for you. Other years, it's all about the football pool and the commercials.
Perhaps the most talked-about Super Bowl happening that did nothing for sales but certainly created a sensation occurred in 2004. I recall my friend's young sons running into my kitchen, smiling and red in the face, the oldest exclaimed, "We saw Janet Jackson's boob." That was during the Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson half time show performance when her "wardrobe malfunctioned" baring more than any viewer young and old expected to see at the Super Bowl.
During the first three decades, the Super Bowl halftime shows featured university marching bands. It wasn't until 1991 that highly recognized performers, (New Kids On the Block) took to center field stage. Since then, headliners for the halftime shows included: Gloria Estefan, Michael Jackson (this halftime show performance by the Prince of Pop dramatically increased TV ratings), Clint Black, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Aerosmith, N'Sync, Britney Spears, U2, Paul McCartney, Prince, Madonna and Beyonce.
Another entertaining performance involved the athletes themselves. Just prior to Super Bowl XX, the Chicago Bears did a music video, "The Super Bowl Shuffle" that was all the rage especially since they went on to beat the New England Patriots for the title that year.
Since this year marks the 50th Super Bowl, I think it'd be a great tribute to the longevity of what is heralded as "America's biggest party" to feature outstanding football plays, incomparable performances and memorable commercials from each decade. More than anything, the Super Bowl remains a winter's day dedicated to family and friends coming together for "the sport of it all".