Super Bowl Anti-Hype

I'm tired of the Super Bowl hype and have been for over a decade. This year I didn't watch any sports related shows or any part of the pre-game, but still the game was unsatisfying.

Here is the problem: All the hype distracts from the game and I think it shows in how sloppy the game can be played. Rare are well contested football battles worthy of the two best teams in the league.

I think the two week delay, while great for giving the teams and their injured players a rest, creates a lack of continuity -- especially when coupled with all the interviews and the overall media circus atmosphere surrounding the build up to the game.

Add to that extra long commercial breaks, extra long halftime shows and the game looses much of its "football-ness". To me its almost as if the actual game becomes secondary; something less than the entire spectacle of Super Bowl parties and million dollar commercials.

Here are my suggestions

• Play the game the week after the championship games (or if two weeks later, then get rid of the media circus, i.e. Media day, NFL experience, etc.)
  
• Get rid of the long commercial breaks (yeah, that will happen) so the game has some flow.
  
• Ditch the halftime show. Its supposed to be about the world championship of football, not some pop-singer floozies.
  
• Hold a lottery where real fans of the two teams get access to at least 80% of the tickets. There is nothing worse than a stadium full of corporate execs, rich and famous people who couldn't name anyone other than the QBs on the team for killing the "football-ness" atmosphere.
  
• How about a cold weather Super Bowl site every so often? Think of all those legendary moments of old championship games "on the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field" -- classic battles the way football was meant to be played. As it stands now, we will only get those moments in the conference title round.

Just my 2 cents.