Monday, February 06, 2006

Did they play the Super Bowl yesterday?

Super Bowl Sunday. It just isn't the same without the Pats in it. But it was fun to be able to relax and enjoy the game and not really care who won.

I thought both teams had the first-quarter jitters but I expected play to improve during the second half. It really didn't. And boy, did Seattle fall apart at the end of the second quarter!? I think that's where they lost the game. Of course, all the penalties and turnovers and missed opportunities kinda helped. I wonder if the game would be better played if there wasn't a two-week break. Keep the teams in the rhythm of playing. I think two weeks is too much rest, too much preparation, and too much hoopla.

I was really disappointed in the Stones' half-time show. It certainly appeared as though they forgot to bring their "A game". Ironic that they kicked it off with Start Me Up but seemed like they were having trouble starting themselves. It didn't help that somebody forgot to turn on the sound for the guitars. What's a Stones song without jammin' guitars? That's right, a Beatles song. Hah! And I'm always curious when they play that song on live tv to see if they're going to keep the line about the dead guy. You know the one. Yup they kept it. Yup it got bleeped.

The second song they finally got it outta first gear, though Ron Wood seemed to be sleep-walking (literally walking) through his performance. Maybe he missed his nap. Or maybe they were all just hungry because they missed the early-bird special while they were prepping for the show. If, in fact, they prepped for the show.

The stage was waaaay cool, but maybe a little too big for Mick to be workin' it. I don't think he could use that stage for a whole show. But yeah, it rocked, though it was weird having those people in the jaws of the beast.

You can't go wrong with "Satisfaction." I don't care how old it is. Hey hey hey. That's what I say.

The commercials, for the most part, met expectations. Some were kinda lame. That Cadillac one has got to go. It sucked. I thought the FedEx caveman one was a loser, too, until the end where the guy walks outta the cave. My first impression was, oh no, not another stupid caveman commercial. But when he kicked the pteradactyl and got stomped by the wooly mammoth, that was funny. Sick, but funny.

The horses playing football in the snow is becoming a classic theme, but I think this time it dragged a little. And maybe they shoulda had more cowboys because, with just the two of them standing there it felt a little like they were playing off Brokeback Mountain. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But there just didn't seem to be enough energy. Course it was kinda reflective of the real game, not a whole lotta excitement and energy. But that may just be because I'm a Pats fan. And they weren't in it. Although it might be said they were as much in the game as Seattle.

I was watching the game with my sister and she was reminiscing about the old games where they would have fans hold up different placards to make designs in the stands. And lo and behold, Bud comes out with a placard ad! And it was one of the best ads of the game. Very clever, well executed, and the gulp at the end sent it through the uprights! See, you can be creative and successful without all the flashy gimmicks and CGI. Are you listening, Gillette?

Bud shoulda gotten a penalty for the "Little Clydesdale that Could" bit. (I stole that from my sister.) Illegal use of a tearjerker.

The Whopperettes were pretty funny, especially when they referred to the "freaky" king - so I'm not the only one who thinks this guy's freaky? - but the hamburger patty was kinda gross. There's somethin kinda cute about people dressing up as vegetation but it always makes me uncomfortable to see somebody dressed up as meat.

I wish Kermit hadn't sold out. No, it's not easy being green. But nobody does green like you, Kermit. Not even Ford.

Michelob. I woulda thrown the flag at that guy for that cheap hit. But then I woulda given the chick the MVP for the "late" hit.

CareerBuilder.com and Ameriquest have both hit on really funny running gags. The CareerBuilder monkey commercials are usually pretty entertaining, as they were in the Super Bowl ads, but ya gotta give the prize to Ameriquest for the "Don't judge too quickly" series. Nationwide comes in a distant third with the "Life Comes At You Fast" series. Their ads made me chuckle but they've done better.

MasterCard. MacGyver. Priceless.

I've always been a little disturbed by the naked ladies on the truck flaps. But the Honda ad was pretty clever. I remember when I had Yosemite Sam mud flaps.

Ben Roethlisberger,(did I spell that right? Do you care?) "You've just led your team to a record-tying fifth Super Bowl Championship. Can't you find someplace better to go than Disneyworld?"

Some of the companies shoulda saved their advertising dollars:

Lorne Michaels, I think the ads for your new show were a little inappropriate for the Super Bowl's wide audience, but then again probably 95% of your target market was watching the game. Though it's a good bet half of them were wasted by the time your commercials ran. The one about the Jews, maybe it'll be a funny show but the ad was kinda unnerving since it was outta context. Shock but no awe.

Sprint. I missed the Benny Hill connection. Shoulda used something like the Stooges or Abbott and Costello. (Did I spell that right? Do you care?)

Emerald Nuts. Stupid.

United. Too bad you didn't think of FedEx's tagline that it wasn't invented yet. Neither was the airplane in King Arthur's time. Hellllloooo.

Disney. Okay, you own Disneyworld. Okay, you own ABC. Okay, you own ESPN. Okay, you own Pixar. Okay, you're trying to own the free world. But your ads sucked. Big time. Every one of them. Well, the Cars ad for Pixar was kinda cute, but I hate that you own Pixar.

Hummer. I don't have a problem with interspecies relationships but that was just stupid.


Okay, my favorite parts:

The Pirate getting the Sharpie stuck in his nose

The fly that got defibrillated

The caveman kicking the pteradactyl

The Gulp folowed by The Ahhh

Kathy Griffin confiscatin' the Sierra Mist. Was that Michael Ian Black? Cuz if it was, I know somebody who knows him. No, really, I do. If it wasn't, well, I still know somebody who knows him. Really.

When they replaced the Diet Pepsi can with a stunt double in the Jackie Chan flick. With a Diet Coke can.

Oh yeah, and during the game, the part where the Umpire shoulda gotten flagged for piling on.

Next year I won't be able to focus so much on half-time and the commercials. I'm sure the Pats will be back.