Lacking the usual amount of fanfare, Super Bowl week has finally arrived. And despite my excitment over both the game itself and the atmosphere surrounding it, I've gotta say that this is probably the least star-studded Super Sunday that I can remember. Neither the Patriots nor the Panthers provide us with anything approaching a star in the NFL. (Tom Brady is probably the closest we've got to true star-power for this game.)The Washington Post's Michael Wilbon is spending the week in Houston covering the game. So far this week he's written columns about the Panthers GM, Patriots place kicker Adam Vinatieri, and Panthers return specialist, part-time running back and former XFL star Rod Smart (a.k.a. He Hate Me). Not exactly the Mt. Rushmore of professional football.
In spite of this, many observers (myself included) are expecting a good game between two teams who match-up well. Much to the NFL's chagrin, they're not going to be able to sell McNabb, or Manning or Dante Hall or, well, anybody. Now they've got to sell the game itself...and they gave themselves two weeks to do that.
The Super Bowl is not about football fans. Conference Championship Sunday is about real football fans. The Super Bowl is about drinking, and parties, and food and commercials. It is the game as happening. The snag in this year's plan is that, while the game presents interesting matchups that true football fans will revel in, the star-power to fuel the hype for two weeks simply isn't there. No other year has provided such a clear example that the NFL's occassional use of an extra week between Conference Championship Sunday and the Super Bowl is a bad policy. In this year's case, neither team had the ability or desire to fuel the hype machine for an extra week. On the reverse side, when teams do have bonafide superstars, the game is often over-hyped, leading to dissappointment no matter the outcome. I understand the league's desire to extend its season, and its ability to make money, by keeping the extra week. But the NFL must realize that the fans are happier and the games are often better (or at least seem better) when we've only got one week to wait.
Tony
