- January 13, 2016
- 5:52 pm
- Al Gini
- no comments
Super Bowl Sunday: The New Holy of Holies
Super Bowl Sunday: The New Holy of Holies
Gini in a Bottle
I love the game of football. I played the game for years, and I enjoyed every moment of it. I like watching football at both the college and pro levels. And, when there is an extra-special game on, I’ll arrange my entire calendar so that I, free to watch it. I am a football fan, But, I’m not a fanatic! Honest!
The game itself is a curious combination of the “world-game” of soccer, and English grown rugby. There are two teams, goals need to be scored, a ball you can kick pass or lateral, and you get to run into people at a high rate of speed. What’s particularly interesting and different about American football is that the object of the game is to physically and violently stop the other team from scoring. OK, Rugby also involves violence, tackling, and physicality, but nowhere near the level of ferocity of football.
In America, football has become our national pastime, far surpassing baseball, basketball, and hockey. On any given Saturday and Sunday the NFL and college games exceed over 100 million fans! Fans feverishly will defend their team of choice and denigrate and heap dishonor or any and all opponents. Bear fans loathe Packer fans, Lion fans hate Vikings, Bronco fans despise the Bengals, etc., etc., etc.
And every year our national sport is celebrated and venerated in the Holy of Holiest events-Super Bowl Sunday. Worldwide, approximately 111 million fans will tune in the game. And commercials during the game will cost approximately 4 million per each thirty-second spot. Neighbors will host house parties, bars will offer 2 for 1 drinks, and restaurants will offer special three course meals in celebration of the event. Truly Super Bowl Sunday has become our national Holiday and Holy Day!
Now as a fan, don’t get me wrong, I love it! I’m going to be at a fellow fans house to eat their food and watch the game with other like-minded folks. But when you think about it, isn’t there something sad about the fact Super Bowl Sunday has become such an important moment in our collective cultural lives?
Professional sports is fundamentally about entertainment, diversion, amusement. There is really nothing else at stake, save money and celebrity status, of course! Football is not a faith system, an ideological commitment or a philosophy of life. And yet, we too often treat it as sacred and special!
Trust me, I’ll be watching the game on Super Bowl Sunday. But, as much as I love it, it’s only a game and only a minor importance in the overall scope of things.