Illustration by Carolyn Brown
People love to act like the Super Bowl is a “must-see,” and a “great American tradition.”
They talk about the game itself as if it’s supposed to be exciting. They talk about the commercials that are supposedly so entertaining. They talk about the halftime show like it is a reason to sit through the entirety of the championship’s broadcast.
But, what do you miss if you don’t watch the Super Bowl? Nothing. If anything, you gain four hours of your life that you won’t have to waste on watching an underwhelming display that only really provides about 30 minutes of entertainment.
Let’s start with the central aspect of the Super Bowl which is football.
Football is a hallowed American tradition. Some folks will scream, cry, fight and even get tattoos in the name of the sport.
Viewers consumed a total of 370 billion minutes throughout the regular season in 2021, according to an NFL Communications webpage.
I simply don’t see the appeal.
It’s a bunch of people running back and forth, knocking each other down and, for what feels like a good amount of time, simply moseying around.
There are some moments of attention-grabbing action, but even those aren’t really enjoyable.
Why would I want to see players getting violently knocked to the ground, risking their health and safety just for other peoples’ entertainment?
Every time I see a player get tackled and piled onto by four other opposing players, I cringe.
It’s no secret that many professional football players suffer injuries because of their time in the league.
Just a few months ago, viewers witnessed an extreme example of this when NFL star Damar Hamlin collapsed after being tackled and was later found to have suffered a cardiac arrest.
I have no interest in supporting the process during which this type of suffering happens.
Of course, when one thinks of the Super Bowl, one might think of the commercials.
In the times that I have been begrudgingly convinced to watch the game, the commercials did offer some respite from the boredom of the football itself.
If we’re being honest though, many people have come to agree that Super Bowl ads have declined in entertainment value over the past few years.
Last year in particular, a multitude of people took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the ads, with some calling them “blah” and “officially dead.”
Back in the day, you could sit down during the Super Bowl commercial breaks and your eyes would be glued to the screen the entire time.
Recently, the commercials have lost their appeal. Sure, you might catch a really cool one here and there, but it’s not worth sitting through 5 boring commercials just for 30 seconds of entertainment.
I’ll admit that a Rihanna halftime show is enticing. The chance to see her perform after all these years is one that certainly should not be missed.
However, for those who don’t want their Rihanna concert bookended by a football game, YouTube is the perfect option. You don’t have to watch the Super Bowl to see Rihanna make her comeback. You can watch her performance at your leisure and give it your full, undivided attention the way it deserves.
Like many others, I gave the Super Bowl a chance. I watched it with my family for years. Each year, my care for the Super Bowl fumbles down.