Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Quick Super Bowl LIV Highlight and Lowlight

Everyone is talking about the Patrick Mahomes 44 yard pass to Tyreek Hill as the big turning point of the game, and who am I to argue? But there was a play before it, I have to admit I'm not sure when exactly it was - I haven't seen it on any highlight reels - where the Niners missed an opportunity on a potential interception around the 4th quarter. At that point Mahomes looked lost and the Chiefs doomed. After the INT that wasn't he was practically unstoppable. San Fran didn't capitalize on the last period pick they did make, so who knows if it would have made a difference. It just felt like something clicked with KC after that and there was no stopping them.

As for the Halftime Show

Some people I know were surprised that I wasn't outraged by the halftime show. It's not that I think it was OK, it's more that it wasn't anything really new. 75% of what you saw would have been at home in a Mitzi Gaynor special from the '70's that your grandmother would have watched (if you don't know who Mitzi Gaynor is, that's what God invented Wikipedia and YouTube for). The other 25%, while being the crass objectification of women critics are complaining about, has been on television before. I'm not saying I like it, or wish they wouldn't tone it down, especially for the sake of families who want to watch the game together, but you're outraged about a horse that left the barn 50 years ago.

Yelling and screaming and stating the obvious isn't going to do anything. They don't care, and in fact that's what they want. They feel a strange vindication when people get uptight about things like this. It makes them feel righteous, like they're doing god's work. 

It's better to do something than complain. Turn turn off the television. That's the thing to do, maybe. Turn off the game. I like football too, so I'm not sure I could do that, at least not yet. But we can start by turning off the halftime show. Pray a rosary as a family, play a game of Uno, plan a meal break and talk to the people you're with. Be creative. They give you a half hour break (I think this year's intermission was even longer). The networks have their ways of knowing how many eyeballs are watching the screen at a given time. So do the sponsors. And who knows? Maybe the rosary will turn into a spiritual sharing. The Uno game will be so hot you don't want to stop. The food and conversation so enjoyable that you all will forget the game. Maybe it will make a difference in the big picture, maybe not. But it will be better for you, and your soul.

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