The Super Bowl: A Cacophony for the Deaf

That is an image of Mercedes-Benz’s marketing campaign involving Che Guevara. That is not from a The Onion article — it was a real thing which you can read more about HERE. More on this later.

I have been a fan of sports since the fourth grade. I was first introduced to the National Basketball Association (N.B.A) by someone at church which acted as my gateway to baseball which lead me to football. I love playing and following sports, but the Super Bowl is easily the most exaggerated event on the planet. It’s less about football and more about spectacle. I’ve seriously been to “football parties,” although I try to avoid these now, where the people attending do everything but watch the football game. There are moments at these parties when I get excited about a splash play and literally everyone else will look up from their phones and ask me, “What happened?” At a “football party.” Where people gather to watch football.

Super Bowl 52 happened to be a really entertaining game. It was a well played, relatively penalty free, back and forth game that came down to the end. However, it was still overhyped. And to make things worse, the commercials were really atrocious. Take for example, this BUDWEISER COMMERCIAL. Now, I am not knocking their effort to help people — that is a wonderful thing. What I am knocking is how they spent north of 5 million dollars to pat themselves on the back for helping people when they could have used those 5 million dollars to actually help people. The only thing valuable to emerge from this commercial is that Budweiser has finally admitted that their beer is water.

Then take this well thought out DODGE RAM COMMERCIAL. And by well thought out I mean mind numbingly stupid. Who thought using content from a Dr. Martin Luther King Junior speech to sell a horrible truck was a good idea? If it wasn’t the person involved in the Che Guevara Mercedes-Benz campaign, here’s what needs to happen — the person behind the MLK commercial and the person behind the Che Guevara idea need to sit in a cold, dark, isolated room together and slap each other in the face until something semi-intelligent materializes.

Yes, these commercials are heinous and the Super Bowl is a joke, but what bothers me most is that it works. Common folk will irresponsibly spend a silly amount of money on the Super Bowl only to serve the wealthy. If these commercials didn’t cause people to go out and buy these stupid products, these companies wouldn’t spend 5 million dollars for a 30 second spot. Plain and simple, it works. The Super Bowl is a cacophony wasted on the deaf. It is such a wasted teachable moment and that is why it stings. If the deaf could hear, they would know that what looks like a beautiful symphony is in fact a cacophony that is so loud that we are all going deaf. 

There, however, was one good commercial — check out this GROUPON COMMERCIAL and watch a rich white dude get a football kicked into his nuts. 

The N.B.A Needs A Chris Kluwe

I haven't been following the N.B.A lockout closely. At this point, these money loving idiots aren't all that relevant to me. About as relevant to me as knowing if my neighbor took a shit this morning. All I know is that a lot of venom is being tossed around and that they aren't close to resuming normally scheduled N.B.A actions.

One thing the potential N.F.L lockout had that the N.B.A doesn't have (thus far) is a Chris Kluwe. Yes, yes, I understand that punters don't exist in the N.B.A. Kicking the ball is a violation in basketball. What I mean by "A Chris Kluwe" is: a member of either side of the table that stands up and speaks against his peers. Kluwe made some not so flattering comments about the biggest stars in the N.F.L this summer when it came to the labor talks. Then the great, although one sided (advantage Kluwe), conversation between Kluwe and Nate Jackson on Deadspin ensued. If you haven't been able to read Kluwe's rebuttal, go read that now. It's better than anything you'll read on my Hub (Not too steep of a task).

Maybe I missed it, but is there anyone in the N.B.A going against the grain? Anyone that is standing up and saying, "Hey guys, we're actually really lucky to be in the position we are in"?

Tim Tebow Is Not The Answer

I posted a Tweet today during the Bronco's game saying the same thing as the title of this post. Then the Broncos came back to win in overtime against Miami. After the game, I began to get replies on how Tim Tebow might be the answer.

Until I see something to change my mind, and I have no problem changing my stance if I am proven wrong, I am standing by my original statement.

I didn't get the Bronco's game, but all the headlines seem to be crediting Tebow for the win. Can someone give sufficient support that Tebow actually manufactured the win by himself? Plus, the game was against the Dolphins. You're suppose to win! If you're the Broncos and you're looking at the team schedule at the start of the season, you expect to fill in the October 23rd box with a W. Plus, you don't get into the playoffs with one win. Tebow might get a few more wins coming up, making my point more difficult, as the Broncos play the Raiders and the Chiefs after they play the Lions next week. But I'm excited to see what Tebow lovers are going to say after he plays a team that can put immense pressure on him.

More power to Tebow if he can become a successful N.F.L quarterback. I just think passing is a skill that most N.F.L quarterbacks need.