Super Bowl for Dummies

It's taken me a week (brain's still on vacation, I think), but I've suddenly (well, last night, just before dozing off) realised why last week's telecast of the Super Bowl on ESPN irked me so much. It wasn't the commentary team who was duly reciting all the rules of American Football, telling us, the hapless TV viewers, how the game was played, probably at the instruction of the network execs -- though, to be fair, there was a little less of that as the match progressed.

It was the fact that there had been 'live' telecasts of Sunday night games and Monday Night Football throughout the whole of the latest season. Why wouldn't anyone not know the rules by the time the Super Bowl came around? Besides, if anyone would watch the game, it'll be because they already know what the game is about already right? I'm not giving TV viewers (who are not working their TiVo system to death because of the other half-time show) too much credit, am I?

I thought the whole explanation wasted our time, certainly wasted the commentators' time and distracted us all from the game, which I thought was kick-ass, by the way. Not the blow-outs I was used to seeing while in Canada. A very close fight and I know a few friends who'd be disappointed with the Panthers' loss. But there's nothing to be ashamed of, I think.