NFL Superbowl

[Kristin5]

It's on Monday morning, AEST.

Carolina Panthers v New England Patriots

Who are you guys 'rooting' for? I expect New England to win, in what is really a non-event as I don't particularly care who wins, now that the Broncos are out

[Greg J]

The NFC team (nearly) always wins, so I say the Patriots.

[Joel]

I like the half time entertainment: The Lingerie Bowl.


--Edit: Which was on pay per view over there

[Lorelei]

Congrats to the Patriots!

MTV are in trouble over half time!

This on the official website -


Statement by NFL Executive Vice President Joe Browne regarding the Super Bowl halftime show:

"We were extremely disappointed by elements of the MTV-produced Halftime show. They were totally inconsistent with assurances our office was given about the show. It's unlikely that MTV will produce another Super Bowl halftime."

[Blanch]

What a game!!! The lead changed hands about 4 times... the patriots breaking the deadlock with less than a minute to go. Great superbowl!

And Janet had all the spots covered...so much so that new.com.au has photo's of the whole thing. NFL should wake up to itself. There was nothing wrong with it.

[commonwombat]

Didn't watch it, had no interest in watching it and would rather watch half a dozen Swans matches than sit thru i/2 hr of that crap.

Therefore didn't see the half-time "entertainment" so will not comment as to whether it was appropriate or not but suffice to say it would have undoubtedly been more rivetting viewing than any of these "football" matches.

The day that this circus becomes any more than a freakshow curiosity in this country is the day that I shudder for Australia's intelligence.

Am not against American sport per se. Am a fan of basketball, can live comfortably enough with baseball and enjoy the the fight potential of a good ice hockey match but this is the limit.

Some may criticise these views and fair enough but somehow I think these mirror those of most Aussie sportsfans and is shown by the market infiltration of these sports.

[Lorelei]

In conservative America - on the biggest televised and highest rating show of the year - it isn't good enough! Eesh.

Read below - already CBS were apologising before the game even finished! LOL

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/7852657.htm

CBS, singer apologize for halftime strip show
BY ED SHERMAN
Chicago Tribune

(KRT) - The game was one of the best Super Bowls, but much of the talk will be about Janet Jackson's maximum exposure at halftime.

Instead of celebrating a terrific game, CBS spent the second half apologizing for Jackson's revealing performance with Justin Timberlake. Toward the end of their set, Timberlake said, "I'll get you naked by the end of this song."

Timberlake then ripped off part of Jackson's top, revealing her right breast. A tassel covered her nipple, which prompted speculation that the stunt was premeditated.

Timberlake said it wasn't. Apologizing in a statement, he called it a "wardrobe malfunction." He added, "It was not intentional and is regrettable."

The sudden strip show had the CBS switchboard in New York flooded with complaints. The network quickly tried to distance itself from the stunt.

In a statement, the network said, "CBS deeply regrets the incident that occurred during the Super Bowl halftime show. We attended all rehearsals throughout the week and there was no indication that any such thing would happen. The moment did not conform to CBS broadcast standards, and we would like to apologize to anyone who was offended."

The NFL was livid, citing the children who watch the Super Bowl. It lashed out at MTV, which produced the show and, like CBS, is owned by Viacom.

"We were extremely disappointed by elements of the MTV halftime show," said Joe Browne, the NFL's vice president for communications. "... It's unlikely MTV will produce another Super Bowl halftime."

Here's an idea for the next Super Bowl halftime: Just limit it 15 minutes and get on with the game. The halftime incident is indicative of what the Super Bowl has become: too big, too unwieldy and too far removed from what the game should be. It was inevitable that it would go over the top, or that someone would take off her top.

CBS' coverage lasted 12 hours Sunday. It seemed to be a game wrapped in between ads for CBS' "Survivor." I lost count at 250.

It started at 10 a.m. with CBS' sister network, Nickelodeon, doing a show for kids. Nick's trademark is dumping green slime on kids. What a concept: kids love slime.

Eventually, CBS weaved its way to the four-hour pregame game show. That meant four hours of Deion Sanders. Pass the slime, please.

Armen Keteyian had the strongest pregame segment. He did a solid piece following the year of Baltimore's first-round draft picks and an extremely moving story on the critically ill children of Super Bowl quarterbacks Jim Kelly, Boomer Esiason and Trent Dilfer, whose son has died.

CBS finally switched to its game coverage at 5 p.m. The kickoff, though, didn't take place until nearly 30 minutes later. That's ridiculous.

The game was dreadfully dull for most of the first half. The lack of offensive action led analyst Phil Simms to come up with this bizarre observation: "I know it's not exciting, but it's kind of fun to watch."

It was neither, but thankfully the game did turn interesting, much to the relief of CBS executives who were grabbing for their oxygen masks.

Play-by-play man Greg Gumbel and Simms were up for the task. Gumbel is an easy listen and he isn't prone to lapsing into hyperbole as so many other announcers are. Simms has a nice touch for complementing, not dominating, the broadcast. He was right on several fronts, including Carolina's ill-fated decision to go for two-pointer conversions late in the game. In the end, Gumbel, Simms and NFL fans everywhere got the payoff. The game was truly memorable.

Too bad a lasting memory will be of Jackson's and Timberlake's lack of discretion. They should have been doused with Nickelodeon's slime.

[El_Draus]

why's everyone bagging the nfl?
It's great entertainment and in my opinion the AFL could take a leaf from it's book in a few areas.
Any sentence which has superbowl and non-event in it is clearly narrow-minded rubbish.
The only dissapointment was that the panthers couldn't get over the line.

[commonwombat]

The entertainment may be fine but the same can't be said for the main event itself which drags on ad-infinitum.

[Blanch]

I have to admit to not knowing much about the rules of gridiron. I only know the basics. The game will never hold me to watch it for more than 1 match....but this is the superbowl. I'm not a fan of rugby league...hate it in fact, think it boring at bat droppings. However, I used to watch the state of origins religiously because they were entertaining. I'd also watch the GF if it was on tv.

Sometimes it's not about the game, it's about the gala event on show - take the olympics for example. How many people would watch pole vaulting normally or fencing? If the aussie has a gold medal match in fencing I'll bet some of us will watch it. The superbowl is the gold medal match of gridirion. That's why I watch it.

[Kristin5]

It's actually a very technical and strategic game - the players need to be intelligent (in following all the set plays) as well as athletic. I have only really become interested in it this past season, and have really enjoyed it.

GO BRONCOS!

[punkologist]

im a big follower of the NFL, I follow the bucs (tampa bay). I watch it religiously on foxtel.
I missed this game was at work and forgot to tape it, then missed the replay too, im so upset, did anyone tape the game??

[El_Draus]

I suspect that all those slamming it as boring either didn't watch the superbowl or have no understanding of the game. Without an in-depth understanding of footy it would also seem quite boring, and cricket would be like slow death.

[commonwombat]

El Draus,

Did not inflict this years Sperbowl upon myself but have had the experience of having to live and work in Nth America in 3 stints.

During these times I had the dubious experience of being dragged to a few of these slumber fests. Yes, I can understand the purpose of the game and what they are trying to achieve.

What shits me is how bleeping long it takes them to play the damm game, why they don't put a bloody stop watch on them to speed up all their breaks and so-called tactical breaks and frankly how one-dimensional these "players" are. No wonder Darren Bennett shocked them by pulling off some tackles.

People are free to differ and if Americans choose to sit in front of their boxes getting fat watching this then bully for them.

[The Prototype]

No matter how many years in a row I have watched the Super Bowl, I still haven't a clue what goes on. Too bad the Panthers didn't win, I was hoping they would.