by Trent Rosser
It’s that time again. The time when the top 2 teams of the NFL and the AFL get together to find out who is the best. This Sunday the Philadelphia Eagles will clash with the New England Patriots on a cold, frigid Minnesota field. Thousands will be in attendance and millions will be home watching on TV. The sale of beer, chips, and snacks will go through the roof. But not everyone watches for the game.
Most of the funniest, touching, and profound commercials are aired for the first time during the Super Bowl. It actually cost more to air a commercial during the Super Bowl than it did to make the commercial itself. Some commercials were total flops, while others have won awards. Yes, they actually have awards for commercials! From a bungee jumping baby to get a bag of Doritos, to a couple skinny dipping in a pool, only to find out that there is a bar underneath the pool and everyone is watching while drinking Bud Light. Sometimes the commercials were such a big hit, that they continue the theme for more commercial. Budweiser has done this on multiple occasions. How many of us remember the 3 frogs. And of course, they also did the friends calling and talking to each other……Wassup!
They even pulled on our heart a bit as well. A puppy on the farm gets lost in the city and is trying to get back home. At the end he is surrounded by wolves and the Clydesdale horses come to his rescue, he makes it home with the help of the horses. The Super Bowl right after the attack on the twin towers, a commercial showed the Clydesdale horses pulling the wagon and kneeling down in front of the changed city skyline. One thing is for certain, we are sure that there will be a great commercial that will air this Sunday.
Super Bowl is also known for its halftime shows. A-list stars get on stage and perform their signature songs on stage. Some great moments came from this as well. Michael Jackson singing and dancing to Shaina Twain and the group No Doubt on stage together. In 2007, Prince (aka The Artist formerly known as Prince) performed his iconic song “Purple Rain” as the rain was coming down from the sky. Of course, like commercials, some halftime shows don’t go as well. When Justin Timberlake was on stage with Janet Jackson back in 2004, there was, um, a slight wardrobe malfunction on national TV! Millions were literally watching the “boob tube”.
They football players have actually got in to the lime light as well. Now days, commercials are always putting a player as their spokesman. But sometimes they will do the unthinkable. The “Chicago Bears” actually had a great team in the mid 80’s. They won the Super Bowl but 3 weeks before quarterback Jim McMahon with defensive end William “refrigerator” Perry and the rest of the team came out with a rap song and video called “ The Super Bowl Shuffle”. It was a hit for a very short time, but if you look at it now, it was one of the cheesiest things ever done by players (for the love of God, do not look it up on YouTube)!
This Sunday we will be with friends and family (like a lot of folks also) watching the big game. Some will root for the Patriots and some will hope the Eagles will win. As for myself, I will not pay much attention to the game, but I will have my eyes glued to the TV watching the commercials. Looking to see the ones that will make me laugh and the ones that makes me tell my wife , “ I’m not crying, I got something in my eye”. Honestly I have always loved watching the commercials but not much into the halftime show. Maybe combine the old with the new. Maybe bring back the “Bud Bowl” during the halftime as well as the performers. Look up “Bud Bowl” commercials. Cans of beer playing football. Budweiser vs Bud Light. In fact , you can look up all kinds of Super Bowl commercials on you tube. But again, please, for humanity sake. Do not look up, the “Super Bowl Shuffle”. The image is burned into my brain and I have nightmares! Until next time…….WASSUP!!!
