I give up on the Super Bowl, and I think there's evidence to support the fact that marketing folk have too, but more on that later...

What I witnessed tonight was a group of show-boating, criminal, gang bangers on one side (i.e. the Baltimore Ravens) vs. a group of incompetant teenagers playing their first game of backyard football (i.e. the New York Giants). I was ashamed to admit that I am a football fan tonight, folks. The class, courage, and loyalty that players once showed on the field has diminished to nothing more than a group of barbarians trying to make it on next year's highlight reel. Did you know, that according to most *conservative* estimates, 1 in 5 NFL players has been found guilty of serious violations of the law, many involving spousal abuse and sexual misconduct against women? Oh, and let's not forget the MVP of the Super Bomb, one Mr. Ray Lewis, who pled guilty to a misdemeanor obstruction of justice charge, while even by his own omission, he witnessed the gangland slaying of two young men and aided the perpetrators of the crime by whisking them away in his limo. How's that for a comeback kid!?

Let's talk about performance for a second. Where were the Giants!? Yes, the Ravens defense is quite good; there's no denying that. However, the Giants might as well not even shown up for the game. Collins was 15 of 39, with 4 interceptions (tie for a Super Bowl record). The Giants moved the ball only 149 yards with their offensive unit, only twice as much yardage as the Ravens gave them in penalty yardage. By the end of the third quarter, they had moved the ball 10 yards in the second half. 10 YARDS! The Giants' special teams were the only bright spot in the performance, accounting for just over 200 yards. The mighty Ravens weren't without problems of their own. Despite the complete breakdown of the defense of the Giants time after time (and the continual abuse of Jason Sehorn), they only managed to put 244 yards in the stats. Dilfer was 12 of 26. Don't we expect more from professional athletes than a < 50% completion rate? Do we not expect 100 yard rushing games, 300 yard passing games, even with a respectable defensive showing? Forget it...I give up. It's not about the love of a game any more, it's about who gets the biggest salary, who drives the fanciest car, and who can beat up and cheat on their wife the most. It's about how many times you can rape your baby sitter, how many times you can kill your pregnant girlfriend, how many times the NFL stands blindly by as the game and the virtues that it once stood for gets flushed steadily down the toilet.

How about the usual media blitz that accompanies this annual event? It wasn't there this time. Budweiser bought up a full 50% of the ad space and showed rehashed versions of old commercials. It seems that the ad agencies got smart this year, and bought their time during Survivor. There were no highlights, no water-cooler moments. Just more of the same non-creative drivel that marketing folk churn out the rest of the year. The usual highlight of my Super Bowl experience was oddly absent this year.

In closing, I have to say that I'm disappointed to say the least. Football is not what it used to be, and I'm certain it will never be the same. Talent shouldn't be worshipped and glorified, it should be put to the use of the team. The team on the playing field, like the family in life, should be the essential building block of all great successes. That day, I'm sad to say, is over.

[AK]Zorro

Chief Operations Officer
<a href="http://www.augustknights.com" target="_blank">AugustKnights.com</a> WizOp

Here's looking forward to the XFL...