The Top 5: Things I Learned from the Superbowl

1) Without a party, it’s just a game.

I was gone for most of the day Sunday, and I returned home to children who were physically ill and just worn out from a long weekend. Call it a violation of the man-code, but I just didn’t want to run out again for a party and leave them all moping around at home. I wanted to be dad. We watched a movie, played some UNO, and then tucked the kids into bed. Family win.

Superbowl fail. I had no snacks, no camaraderie, and no clear dog in the fight. It was a great game, but rather emotionless for me when all was said and done.

2) The Detroit Lions are going to the Superbowl next year.

The Green Bay Packers are the world champs. During the regular season the Lions played the Pack twice, losing the first game by 2 points, and winning the second by 4. Put it in the books: after half-a-century of post season failures, the Lions will make a run next year.*

3) Glee is eating our brains. 

Fact: I have never seen an episode of Glee.

Fact: I have never seen so many commercials for a commercial before last night.

4) Americans love to be [hypo]critical.

Christian Aguilera botched the National Anthem. It was obvious, and the ridicule was immediate. Twitter and Facebook lit up with condemnation, and the media seems to be paying more attention to that this morning that the actual outcome of the game.

However……let’s remember that many/most public schools abandoned saying the pledge of allegiance years ago. It became uncool to put your hand over your heart somewhere around 4th grade. Patriotism was largely dead in our country until 9/11, and in the decade since it seems to have faded away once again. Just yesterday morning I had a conversation with a gentleman who served in the military a few years back. He was disgusted at the lack of respect and patriotism that he sees in our nation, especially at sporting events. “People don’t even take their hats off anymore.”

Look, Christina is an easy target. I’m not really even fond of how she went all Christina Aguilera on the melody, but I guess that’s what she does. Let’s not forget, however, that she has sung this song dozens upon dozens of times before, presumably without incident. Let’s not forget that this is arguably one of the most high-pressure, high-profile environments possible for a singer. It is undoubtedly a powerful moment.** It should not be too much of a shock that nerves could get the best of someone in a moment like that. Let’s not forget that she managed to recover without hesitation, and finished as professionally and seamlessly as possible.

Flubbing a line on the National Anthem does not make Christina Aguilera an unpatriotic villain.

It makes her human.

Michael Vick won the Comeback Player of the Year award, as voted by the Associated Press. The media wore out the so-called “Roethlisberger Redemption” story all post season long. Let’s keep this in perspective, people.

5) After watching that halftime show, we are all losers.

I consider watching Fergie try to sound like Axel Rose while gyrating awkwardly next to Slash to be a low point in my life. She took everything that is great about Sweet Child O’ Mine and equated it to a Jerry Springer talent show. That, in my opinion, was a far greater crime than what Christina did.

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* Besides, if that prognostication proves untrue, who is actually going to remember this blog a year from now?

** Be honest: Whitney Houston made you cry when she sang it in 1991.