Road to The Big Game

I imagine it’s eerily quiet in Glendale right now.  The Phoenix suburb, known by the locals as the “Antique Capital of America” (note: USA today will only permit that Glendale Antique Capital of Arizona) has finished rolling out the bubble wrap in preparation for the parties, paparazzi, and press conferences that are embedded into a pastime that is a National Holiday, a Mardi Gras, a rock concert and a football game, all rolled into one.  Take hold Glendalians, because this storm is imminent and it’s heading straight for the desert… the NFL is unleashing a Super Bowl in your China Shop.

This weekend in Sports was also strangely quiet. Not coincidentally it was the first Sunday without NFL games in 21 weeks, and provides a preview of LASB (Life after Super Bowl).   You may have to busy learning about the finer points of walking boots to realize NCAAB, NBA, NHL are about halfway through their seasons.  Or perhaps you were staying up to late to watch Giants’ kicker Lawrence Tynes on Letterman, to mark February 13^th on your calendar, when pitchers and catchers report to spring training, and Roger Clemens to Congress.

Other sports and leagues must relish the upcoming 7 month window where they don’t have to compete with NFL Football for the nation’s consciousness.  And “Non-Sports” content too, like TV shows, movies, books, also have an opportunity where a space in our fandom once occupied by the NFL, is at least temporarily available.  

Of course the NFL isn’t going to loan away fans without a fight. Gone are the days where the NFL rides off into the TV sunset until late summer, the NFL Network, bridges the gap from Tuesday to Sunday in-season, and February to September out of season, with supplementary content such as press conferences, NFL Films, and draft coverage. 

For me, the arrival of Super Bowl week is bittersweet.  Of course I am looking forward to getting together with friends and family for what will hopefully be a spectacular game.  But, and  I think most football fans would agree with me here, Conference Championship Sunday (last week) is my favorite football week of the year.   In the time it takes to watch the Super Bowl, you get 2 games that are usually better played, and without all the hype.  For whatever reason, the Super Bowl is hit or miss.  One theory is that players’ body clocks struggle with longer commercial breaks and a 30 minute Halftime show, and the offense subsequently seem to struggle to find rhythm.   For instance last year, was a Super Sloppy Bowl with 8 turnovers, 6 fumbles, and a missed extra point (albeit the torrential downpour + Rex Grossman had a lot to do with it).   And that mess was nothing compared to all the chips that my neighbors stomped into the carpet. 

This weekend I prepared my system for the calm after the storm that is the NFL. I am open to leasing this space to anything and anyone that can keep me entertained, but the 2007-2008 Season and the Super Bowl will be a tough act to follow.

by Tom Ziangas, Nielsen Sports