SUPER BOWL LVIII 2024

After yesterday’s tragic (for me) Super Bowl, I realize that I have to disallow myself from watching sports. I’m just too much of an empath to handle the pain when the wrong team or person (in my opinion) wins.

I’m honestly way too crushed to even write about Super Bowl LVIII, but since I took these notes throughout, I’m publishing this sad article.

The game was a very hard experience for me. I was sick almost the whole time; my heart was pounding, my hands were shaking. I desperately wanted the San Francisco 49ers to win. There would have been so many amazing stories if that had happened, (i.e. quarterback Brock Purdy going from very last draft pick to Super Bowl winner in one year, and the Shanahan and McCaffrey sons following in their fathers’ victorious footsteps.)

And, after rooting for the Kansas Chiefs in the past, it’s enough already with them. They didn’t play very well throughout this season, and then came through for these last few games. I’m honestly sick of them, especially hothead, out-for-himself, probably sneaky Travis Kelce.

Speaking of him, Kelce grabbing and pushing his elderly coach while screaming at him is one of the most disgraceful moments I have ever witnessed in the sport! It was very scary and disgusting. Even former NFL great and now commentator Boomer Esiason mentioned it during the Halftime Show. Good for him. The other panelists should have followed suit, but I have a feeling they didn’t want to get into a beef with the rabid Taylor Swift fans. (In case you’ve been living under a rock, Kelce is her boyfriend now. But after her parents saw this terrifying side of her beau when a bit angry, it may be over soon. And he already got the fame he wanted out of the very public relationship, so he probably won’t even care if she breaks up with him.)

Despite my disappointment in the outcome, I’m plugging on with the other aspects of this major sporting event.

I have to admit that this is the first time in my life that I’ve watched as many football games as possible. I stayed home just about every Sunday this season, and when I absolutely could not, I recorded the games and watched them later. Mr. X begged me to just rush through them, but I like to watch it all. That’s a true sports fan!

Unlike what I do with baseball, (which is root for my home teams, the Yanks and Mets, always, year after year of my entire life,) for football, I just watch the season unfold, and the teams to root for appear to me over time. So my allegiance changes each year. I’ve liked the Niners since last year, and have slowly gotten sick of the Chiefs.

So I was so nervous for this one that I found myself actually waiting with bated breath for the ads.

On a medical note, why am I the only person who calls these athletes’ Achilles tears? Can’t the commentators see the same pop in the back of the ankles that I do??? I can’t be the only one with orthopedic knowledge! (I actually learned to spot it on Dancing With The Stars, when another athlete, Misty May, tore hers.)  I’m devastated for Dre Greenlaw of the Niners for that to have happened to him, just jogging in from the sideline! What a shame. He was so excited for the game in a pre-show interview.  And they may have won with his defensive skills in the full game.

The only laugh I had during the game, (not counting a very few amusing commercials,) was when Tony Romo accidentally sang along badly to Adele’s song, Rolling in the Deep, which prompted his broadcast partner, Jim Nance, to encourage, “Take it to the commercial there, Mr. Romo.”

THE PRE-GAME FESTIVITIES

Even Mr. X, who doesn’t want to watch the pre-game festivities, said the three-hour long pre-show was full of good features.

There was a great opening montage, featuring some of the players’ families talking about them, before the game began. It actually choked me up.

I had seen Cam Heywood of the Pittsburgh Steelers win what is the most important honor to me, Walter Payton Man of the Year, (for being a superior human being,) in an earlier ceremony this week, but I’m thrilled they showed all the candidates, (a few were missing, though,) again on the field before the game. The viewers need to know about this award.

It was a lovely touch to have four coaches and four team members of the Lahainaluna HS football team (from the recently fire-devastated town of Lahaina) do the coin toss at the beginning of the game.

After the toss, which was flanked by four Captains each from the Chiefs and Niners, creepy Travis Kelce shook only opponent George Kittle’s hand, while the other seven all shook each others’. Rude.

Please everyone–you cannot deem something “iconic” before it even happens!!! (That’s what Jim Nance said about Usher’s performance, which was a couple of hours away!)

THE ACTUAL GAME

I covered a lot of it above, and the rest is too hard for me to relive. I’m more of a color commentator, anyway, as opposed to the play-by-play person.

But I do have to say that the absolute most exciting part of the game for me was the double flea flicker which resulted in a Niners touchdown. I was literally screaming. I had never never seen a double one of that very-occasional play before.

Because of that play, and several others, if the Niners had won the game, (I’m sick again now, just writing that,) Jauan Jennings would have deserved the MVP trophy, in my opinion. Jennings became only the second player in history, (the Eagles’ Nick Foles in the other,) to both catch a touchdown pass and throw one in the same Super Bowl game.

THE MUSIC

I love Andra Day, so I’m happy to hear her anytime. But it is kind of rude to other ethnicities to have a black anthem sung.

I feel that Post Malone was an odd choice to sing America the Beautiful!  Chiefs’ Head Coach Andy Reid’s face said, “What the hell???!!!”

Even though she’s darling, and considered sort-of a “national treasure,” Reba McEntire was another bit of a strange choice. Her rendition of the National Anthem was far from special or even dynamic. They should have chosen someone who headlines Vegas! Poor Reba couldn’t hit many great notes, which was possibly due to having some apparent recent plastic surgery. She looked very weird.

However the Halftime Show was fun. But, despite being a hip-hopper from way back, I knew just that one famous one last song of Usher’s. The best part of his presentation was all the dancing and acrobatics, especially the roller skating. He was brave to roller skate himself; even though he knows he can, there’s always the possibility of falling.

THE COMMERCIALS  (IN THE ORDER THEY WERE SHOWN)

For the most part they didn’t do anything for me, either good or bad. There was neither anything really special nor egregious. But many of them did seem to be trying waaaay too hard, with no noteworthy creativity.

I’m going in order that they were shown, but this is one I have to tell you about right up front, because it pertains to me! OMG to the cute one for T-Mobile Magenta, which featured a lot of celebrities. The “OMG” is because…Laura Dern stole my eye drops bit! I did a cameo in a web series a few years ago, where we had to be dramatic about something at the end. There were about a dozen of us actresses doing the line our own way, so I went a step further and brought eye drops, not to put them in before, “Action,” but during my little bit, which was the joke. I’ve never seen anybody else do that anyplace ever! So now I have to find-out if anyone associated with this ad saw my performance, and stole my own creative bit.

Here are my thoughts on the others that stood out for me, for one reason or another:

The M&Ms’ one with Scarlet Johnson was really good.

I enjoyed the Kawasaki Ridge truck ad that declared it’s “business in the front, party in the back.”

The long Michelob Ultra one with Messi was nice, but nothing special.

I always love the talking babies on E-trade ads, this time playing pickleball.

The absolute best one, that actually made me laugh out loud, was the one for Reese’s Big Cups.

The second best, sort-of surprisingly, was the Ben Affleck and JLo one for Dunkin’ Donuts. It’s perfect, as well, because absolutely everyone in New England lives for Dunkin’!

Loved the emotional one for Guided Frame on Google Pixel.

Anthony Hopkins really gives his all to everything he does, including this stupid cold brew ad.  I’m always proud that we share our Business Manager!

If that was Cardi B, (it sounded like her,) she had her entire visage changed recently!!! I didn’t recognize her at all, but it was an ad for a lip plumper, so I’m assuming it was Cardi.

I don’t remember seeing so many make-up ads on the Super Bowl before. I wonder if it could be because they assume many young girls will be watching this year to catch a glimpse of Taylor Swift.

The ad for Pfizer was stupid and desperate.

Also dumb was the Bud Light one with a genie. (But that actor must have been thrilled because the ad gig meant he got to go to the actual game!)

The Kia ice skating one almost made me cry. And Mr. X clapped at the end of it.

I just realized that I didn’t understand even one of the way too many commercials for Homes.com with Heidi Gardner and Dan Levy.

I liked the T-Mobile wi-fi one because I always get a big kick out of Jason Momoa.

AND LASTLY…

I’m so sick of Taylor Swift. Why do she and Blake Lively have to stand there hugging each other constantly? Get a room already. Nobody their age acts like that, unless they’re doing it for the camera.

Taylor biting her finger near the end of the game, in worry for her team, is the only non-phony moment she’s ever had at a game.

I’m so glad football season is finally over so that we don’t have to hear about her anymore!!!

To end on a positive note, I actually liked the jewels glued onto Lady Gaga’s face.

Now on to March Madness next month, if the pain of this loss wears off enough in time.