It's the Super Bowl, Stupid

Instead of posting one of those “I’m about to post a post” posts, thesecondchance’s version of foreplay, I decided to make a brief transition post – from politics to football. I promised a football post, which will be coming quite soon, hopefully just in time for recruiting day. Until then, I thought I’d offer a post on both politics and football. Since there’s been quite a bit of discussion on the infamous Tebow Super Bowl pro-family, pro-life commercial, let’s go with that for now.

Lest this post become an all-out war between everyone who has an impassioned view on the subject of abortion, I should say now that this post is ultimately not about that issue at all. But that is precisely why I felt like writing a post about it. I feel like all this controversy has just been another excuse to shift that hot topic into the public’s eye once again. But to me, that’s all beside the point. Here’s the way I think this issue needs to be viewed.

It’s the Super Bowl, folks. This is where America sits around a TV and, excepting the select few whose favorite team was lucky enough to make it, picks a team to win that on any other Sunday they don’t give a damn about watching. It’s the one day of the year that bandwagons are perfectly acceptable. It’s also the one day of the year that everyone actually gets excited about watching commercials. The Super Bowl is where we all come together for about 5 hours and get excited, laugh at the TV, scream at the TV, drink beer, eat chips with like 8 different kinds of dips, and reminisce on the days when there were no “dot com” commercials. And where we were when Janet Jackson showed us her goods...and how we’re glad she’s not still doing it. Good times. An American pastime actually. Everyone seems to enjoy it. Guys and girls alike. Dogs too. Cats not so much.

Have I mentioned the Tebow ad yet? Maybe I’ve been trying to avoid it. Here’s why America should too. For many, sports is an escape from the insanity of our world. We willingly trade one type of insanity for another. Loyalty and competition are all part of the fun. That’s precisely why we should not have an advertisement about abortion in the Super Bowl. I know, I know, free speech and all that, but free speech doesn’t mean kick wisdom to the curb. Personally, I’m pro-choice, but that doesn’t make a difference here. I’d be just as mad if Planned Parenthood or the ACLU put Alec Baldwin in a commercial to speak against those who oppose the right to having an abortion. I don’t want a pro-life commercial either. And especially not one with Tebow. Once again, I kid…sort of. And now, I just heard about some Canadian-based gay dating service wanting a slot. First of all, what the hell? Second, I'm a huge advocate for gay rights but I think that's stupid. Unless you're a single gay person whose desperate for a dating site, you should too. The Super Bowl just isn't the place for political statements. If we open this door, there will be every political interest imaginable saving up money all year long to hit up Super Bowl commercial slots. I know, I hear people say “oh, you’re more ok with beer commercials than you are with a pro-family advertisement.” Yes, and the sun’s going to rise tomorrow. Thanks for stating the obvious. But unless a person’s an idiot, he or she would realize that does not mean I think beer is more important than family. (Although I certainly think it’s an important element :) ). It means I don’t want to deal with politics on Super Bowl Sunday until we’re all drunk after the game anyway and we need something to fight about. I understand that many people are pro-family and pro-life. I also understand that many people are pro-choice. I don’t need a commercial to remind me of that. And nobody’s going to see a commercial and think “gee, you know Tebow’s right, I need to be a pro-lifer after all.” People don’t even change from being a Miller Lite fan to a Bud Light fan (thank God) if the Bud Light commercials are funnier, so why would they change a philosophical belief with moral implications?

All that to say, both sides put down your weapons and enjoy football together. CBS, tell Tebow to start working on a new throwing motion so he’ll get drafted in the pro’s. And to all the rest of you, go Saints bitches.