Super Bowl LI: Watchability Rating
I’m not sure if you’ve been paying attention to the NFL Playoffs, but odds are you’re planning on at least pretending to watch the Super Bowl. So here’s some news for you: the playoffs have really, stunk this year. Really badly. There’s been a grand total of two(!) games decided by less than 13 points (out of ten games), and in one of those the winning team scored all of its points on field goals. So the second most exciting game of the playoffs consisted of the winning team kicking SIX field goals, and not much more. Does this make for a boring Super Bowl? Let’s look at the (totally subjective) numbers.
Matchup Rating (1-10): 8
Are these teams good at football?
Yes. On the off chance that you live under a rock, the Atlanta Falcons are playing the New England Patriots. These teams boast perhaps the two best quarterbacks (Matt Ryan & Tom Brady) in the league, both playing their best football at the moment. The Falcons have one of the most potent offenses in history, with a nearly un-coverable wide receiver in Julio Jones and a two-headed attack at running back. However, the Patriots are a far more experienced team and coach Bill Belichick always has some things up his sleeve. The football itself should be a fantastic display of offense.
Was there a more desirable matchup that could have occurred?
This may be our optimal matchup from these playoffs. It would have been nice to see the Lions get a shot at the Super Bowl (poor Lions), but this was never a real possibility. This matchup gets lots of points for the Packers not being in it. The best team for most of this year also missed the Super Bowl (the rookie-led Cowboys), which was very disappointing to the NFL’s pocketbook. Personally, I would have liked to see a Steelers-Falcons, Antonio Brown vs. Julio Jones, Super Bowl, as the collective ego of wide receivers nationwide would have probably reached critical mass and imploded after the fireworks that would have occurred.
This would be a nine, but the Patriots play in the Super Bowl nearly every year Easter falls on a Sunday, and it’s a little boring. (A ten is reserved for the Vikings vs. anybody).
Commercials: 4
This category is really an unknown. However, I have seen very few good-looking commercials in the various “sneak peeks” that have been released. Also bringing down the rating is the news that Doritos will not be running an ad this year. They have had a strong run the past ten years of multiple ads per game. Their ads have been among the best and funniest in recent memory. This is a big hit to take. Hopefully someone will fill their shoes.
Overall: 7
Although the commercials may be down this year, the football could be fantastic. I recommend tuning in and paying attention (if you like football).
Your friend,
Jonathan Gamble