XIV Super Bowl XLIV Questions Part I
Posted by Chris Cox on February 7th, 2010
In just a few short hours, hundreds of millions around the world will sit down to watch Super Bowl XLIV (that’s 44 for anyone that’s not a Roman numeral buff). In honor of the big game, I decided to send out a Super Bowl survey to a couple of big sports fans/Amalgamblog contributors (Randy Belk and T.J. Cofield who couldn’t answer all questions due to illness), one of the biggest Saints fans I know (Kat Garber), and one of the biggest Colts fans I know (Kevin Nunnery). So before you sit down with your chips and dip to watch animals try to sell you cars (with a little football in between), be sure to check out the following expert opinions. Here’s Part I.
1. Is the Super Bowl really the greatest sports event of the year?
Kevin: I believe that the Super Bowl is the greatest sporting event of the year. Even people who don’t watch football, or sports in general for that matter, will tune in Sunday night for the big game. Whether it’s the commercials, the halftime show (featuring performers past their primes), or the game itself, a lot of people will be watching.
Kat: I would consider the Super Bowl the greatest single sporting event of the year. March Madness is pretty awesome too, but it’s a number of games spread out over time. With the Super Bowl, it all comes down to this one game. And while lots of folks enjoy filling out brackets and whatnot, I’m confident that the number of parties thrown for the Super Bowl and millions (billions?) spent on advertising greatly outpace the same figures for the NCAA National Championship game. Now if the NCAA would just turn the FBS into a playoff league like the FCS, the Super Bowl would have a worthy contender.
Randy: No, NCAA March Madness is the greatest sports event of the year. It involves a greater period of time, more people, and it uses college athletes who are playing for school pride, not big salaries. It is not that I don’t enjoy the Super Bowl, it is just that a lot of times the actual game doesn’t live up to the hype. WIth that being said I think this years game should be a very good one and hopefully a very close one. Go Saints!
2. I read an article recently in which an individual was quoted as saying Super Bowl Sunday was sacred. Barring the fact that every day that God gives us is sacred, do you think people take the Super Bowl too seriously?
Kat: Priorities definitely get messed up when the Super Bowl comes into play. (I need to be careful here though, cause I may very well contradict myself in a few answers.) Ultimately, the Super Bowl is just a game where grown men are paid very well to put an oblong ball into a designated area of turf and keep the other team from accomplishing that same goal. And, just think what could be accomplished if all the money spent on advertising went to help those in need. The Super Bowl is a fun thing, but it should not be considered the pinnacle of someone’s life.
Randy: In some ways I would say yes, they take it too seriously. I mean, let’s be honest, this game is not going to change the world. I know a win will mean a lot to the city of New Orleans, but in the eternal scheme of things it is just a game and the sun will come up tomorrow, regardless of who wins. I guess it is like any other event. Sometimes we tend to make it bigger than it needs to be.
Kevin: I think that people often take a lot of things too seriously. Whether its finding the perfect outfit, winning a video game, or the Super Bowl, we live in a world where many people have their priorities completely out of wack. Is the Super Bowl a big deal-sure, especially if your time is competing. But in the grand scheme of things, it’s an insignificant blip. Who will remember the winner of Super Bowl 44 ten years from now? (besides Colts/Saints fans)
3. How should the church respond to the Super Bowl?
Editor’s Note: TJ gave such a long and detailed answer to this question that I actually gave his response it’s own blog entry titled “The Church and the Super Bowl.” You can (and should) read it at this link.
Randy: I think the church has a great opportunity to use the Big Game as a chance to show a lost world that we can have fun, enjoy the game and have a good time of fellowship without a lot of the other activities that go along with it. There are also some great resources out there to help make it an evangelistic event and do it in a way that is well planned and well executed. It provides an chance to reach out to some people who otherwise may not set foot in a church. Also, churches can encourage members to host parties in their homes rather than on the church campus. This makes the event even less “threatening” and encourages building relationships with neighbors.
Kevin: Super Bowl Sunday should be a time to get together and enjoy the three F’s: food, fellowship, and football. Instead of stubbornly scheduling service in the name of letting nothing take precedence over God, why not embrace an opportunity to invite some people to your Super Bowl party who would normally not step foot in the church building?
Kat: The church should treat the Super Bowl like any other sporting event – a good opportunity for fellowship and outreach. This doesn’t mean that we have to turn it into some cheesy evangelistic event, but rather a time where we can join in community with our friends and family and show them that Christians aren’t a bunch of sports-hating, lame people who sit around and stare at blank walls all the time.
4. Why should we pull for the Saints?
Kat: I recognize that I just answered question number 2 emphasizing how the Super Bowl was not that important in the grand scheme of things, but I want to partially rescind that answer for a moment. For the city of New Orleans, having the Saints play in the Super Bowl is a incredibly big deal. Since the Saints began their unprecedented winning streak this season, I’ve tried to put into words why it means so much to New Orleans and how the connection between the city and their team is unlike any other pairing, but I can’t really explain. I can tell you that the Saints and New Orleans are inextricably linked. There is a noticeable difference in the mood of the city depending on whether or not the Saints won their last game. Since Katrina, New Orleans has been rebuilding and the progress of the Saints follows that same story line. It would be an epic victory for New Orleans if the Saints won, and would only continue to boost the spirits of a city that will continue to be rebuilding for decades. All that to say, you should cheer for the Saints because the impact of a win will go far beyond a championship trophy. I would even venture to say that Peyton, being a son of New Orleans is secretly pulling for the Saints to win. That’s how deep the connection is. Plus, the Who Dat Nation is a joyful bunch of people, and we gladly welcome new members, so long as they don’t start criticizing our beautiful and battered city.
Kevin: There is no reason to pull for the Saints. None at all. Yes, I am cold hearted.
Randy: Because Kat told me I should, and I am afraid of her.
5. Why should we pull for the Colts?
Kevin: Why should we pull for the Colts? This is harder to answer than I thought, because for me the answer is ‘well they’re my team, duh.’ A win for the Colts would cement Peyton Manning as the greatest QB to ever play the game. Period. The only knock on him at this point is that he only has one Super Bowl title, and getting the W here will silence naysayers on that point. The win would also speak to the wisdom of the organization’s front office. When Marvin Harrison retired last year, it was believed that Anthony Gonzalez, a first round draft pick in 2007, would fill the position vacated by Harrison. Gonzalez was lost for the season in week 1. No worries; in stepped Pierre Garcon, a sixth round draft pick in 2008, and Ausin Collie, a 4th round rookie. These two latter round gems combined for 1,441 yards and 11 TD’s. The guys in the front office have been doing this for years, as the Colts are always one of the last teams to select in every round. Impressive.
Kat: You shouldn’t. Unless you hate the entire city of New Orleans. I’m just saying.
6. How important is this game to the city of New Orleans? And will a Super Bowl parade the week before Fat Tuesday turn Mardi Gras into a letdown?
Kat: Mardi Gras could never be a letdown, even after an amazing Saints parade. New Orleans is a party town and will find pretty much any reason to celebrate. I mean, where else will you see a funeral end in a parade with a second-line? Even before they were going to the Super Bowl, Drew Brees was scheduled to reign as Bacchus this year on the Sunday after the Super Bowl. No matter what happens on Sunday, the city will continue to celebrate their Saints long after the clock runs out.
Kevin: I know that this game would mean a lot to the city of New Orleans with what they’ve been through. They’re just gonna have to settle for Mardi Gras though-there will be no victory parade.
7. The Colts haven’t lost a game this season in which their starters played the game through. The resting obviously helped them, but do you agree with the decision to not go for the undefeated season?
Kevin: Was I ok with the Colts resting their starters? In the words of Randy Jackson, “100 million percent yes.” I know that football “purists” were livid at the move, but to my way of thinking, the Colts earned the right to do whatever they wanted by winning their first 14 games. Which is more important, that the 2007 Patriots went undefeated in the regular season, or that they lost the game that matters the most (the Super Bowl)? If the Colts had played their starters and Peyton Manning would have broken his arm, everyone would have ripped the organization to shreds (and the Colts would have been one and done with Curtis “Finger” Painter at the helm). A great move that has paid off.
Randy: I wish they would have gotten the perfect season because I have been sick of hearing about the Dolphin’s team from years ago.
Click here for Part 2 as we talk X-factors, commercials, and each expert makes their prediction.
Tags: Super Bowl XLIV
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