Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl proving yet again that regular season records mean little in predicting the playoffs. By translating a 10-6 record in to a 4-0 playoff run, the Ravens have made history by becoming the first team in history to win a Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers.

When NFC West football coaches, players, and fans look back on this season, the biggest lesson might be, “Make sure to show up to play in the first half of playoff games.” While both the Seahawks and 49ers looked as talented as any team in football this year, their habit of digging themselves in to a hole and relying on perfect execution late in games backfired. Instead of the NFC West holding a Lombardi Trophy, the 49ers finish the season more closely resembling the team that couldn’t beat the Rams than the team that was predicted by many to win it all.

In my last article I predicted that the Ravens would pass to set up the run. As it would turn out, the Ravens rushing attack was never a factor at all. Luckily for them, they scored their three offensive touchdowns on pass plays. They ended the game with only 93 rushing yards, and averaged a measly 2.7 yards per carry. On a normal day, that would not be enough to move the chains.

However, especially for Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco, this was not a normal day. His three first half touchdowns were enough to bury the 49ers in a deep hole. They were also enough to set a new NFL record with 11 touchdown passes in a single post season without an interception.

Flacco’s first pass was thrown to the middle of the end zone to Anquan Boldin who found a pocket between two defenders. The next touchdown was a 1-yard pass to Dennis Pitta who calmly spiked the ball. The body language of the Ravens squad exuded confidence. The third touchdown made people stop and look. It was a 56-yard completion to Jacoby Jones, who caught the ball in the air, fell down, and got up in time to elude San Francisco defenders on his way to the end zone.

With the possession of the ball to start the second half, the Ravens were in good position with a 21-6 lead at halftime. By the time Jacoby Jones returned the opening kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown, things were looking great.

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Power out in half of the dome in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY Sports

It looked like a good old fashioned Super Bowl blowout, until, of all things, the power went out in the Super Dome. While the power outage delayed the game for 34 minutes, it is impossible to judge what effect it had on the two teams. Some say that the 49ers benefited by being allowed to regroup and kill Baltimore’s momentum.

It could be just as easily presumed that Baltimore benefited from the blackout, by being allowed to regain some energy that allowed them to withstand the onslaught that was soon to come. In the end, the real beneficiary of the power out was probably the bar owners across the world who kept their patrons drinking for an extra half hour. At the end of the unexpected intermission, the game really started to get competitive, and turned in to what many called an instant classic.

Colin Kaepernick, who was flustered and ineffective early, suddenly was able to connect with Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis. Both receivers topped one hundred yards, and Crabtree hauled in a touchdown. The other two 49er touchdowns were run in by Frank Gore who ran for a game best 110 yards, and Kaepernick who celebrated his touchdown run with a highly predictable kiss of his tattoo.

While the touchdown brought the 49ers to within a field goal of the Ravens, perhaps Kaepernick’s celebration was a bit premature if not entirely unnecessary. The Ravens would go on to build their lead to 5 on a Justin Tucker field goal giving the 49ers time to take the lead.

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree (15) reaches for the ball on fourth down in the fourth quarter against Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed (20) in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

However, Baltimore’s defense held tight on a four-down goal line stand that included one controversial non-call in the end zone on a ball thrown to Michael Crabtree. While Jimmy Smith clearly had a handful of jersey, Crabtree was also engaged in contact. Being that it’s a Super Bowl, I’m a big believer in letting the players play, and saving the flags for obvious penalties, like the illegal formation that stalled a promising opening drive by San Francisco.

After turning the ball over on downs, San Francisco’s defense was able to hold the Ravens to a three and out. The Ravens, who had faked a field goal earlier in the game, pulled another unorthodox special teams move. With twelve seconds left, the punter, Sam Koch, scrambled around in the end zone for eight seconds before running out of bounds giving the 49ers a safety and two points.

The score tightened to 3 points, but with four seconds left on the clock, a field goal was not a possibility. Instead of punting from the end zone with 12 seconds left, the Ravens were able to kick off with four seconds left. There were no repeats of the music city miracle as Baltimore’s kickoff team found the ball quickly, and made the winning tackle as time expired.

It was a fitting end to an exciting season of NFL football. The Ravens have some questions surrounding an aging defense, and a free agent quarterback, but have been consistently competitive over the years. The 49ers also look like they’re built to compete for years to come.

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith (82) celebrates with the cheerleaders after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, and Denver Broncos all exited the playoffs with unfulfilled expectations. Expect them to be in the thick of the hunt next season. But, until then, The Baltimore Ravens deserve to hold their well-earned title of NFL Champions.

Here are my random thoughts from the game:

• The game was much closer than I wanted. I was quite happy when it was 28-6. The 49ers comeback was not good for my stress level.
• Joe Flacco was a deserving MVP. He played a great game. He showed elusiveness that I didn’t expect to see along with his very strong arm.
• Jacoby Jones had to be a very close 2nd. If he had made a couple plays in the 4th quarter, I bet he would have won.
• Both of these team demonstrated the importance of having a great offensive line.
• Frank Gore went for 110 yards and the 49ers still lost.
• Ray Lewis made the right choice in retiring. He wasn’t a factor.
• Speaking of non-factors, Aldon Smith had 2 tackles and no sacks.
• Jim Harbaugh is simply not respectable. He’s a great coach. That’s an indisputable fact. But that doesn’t mean anything. Watching him throw tantrums on the sideline, tantrums that are worse than the ones my two-year old throw, is just embarrassing. I’m sorry, but I just can’t respect an adult who acts like that, no matter how talented.
• The 34 minute power outage is an embarrassment as well. The entire world is watching. This is the NFL’s biggest showcase. A 34 minute power outage is ultimately bad for business.
• I don’t by that the power outage was the reason for the 49er comeback. I simply don’t. That is a good football team, they weren’t going to stay down that long. Eventually they were going to make some plays. That it happened a few minutes after the break is simply a coincidence.
• The Seahawks will be hoisting the trophy a year from now. Mark my words. They are ready.

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh reacts during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

This Super Bowl was just plain weird. I didn’t really care who won, but I’m glad San Francisco lost. I don’t like Jim Harbaugh and I don’t like San Francisco fans, at least not the ones I have had contact with. (You know who you are…)  Just kidding!  Seriously!  You’re great people, really…

First its time to talk some smack.  Since the Seahawks got totally screwed by the NFL with that early morning game in Atlanta I didn’t really have a dog in this fight (so much for journalistic impartiality). The way the 49ers fans thought they deserved to be in this game after the butt whoopin’ the Hawks dropped on them in Seattle was just ignoring the truth.  The Niners backed into this game by not having to face Seattle and they know it.  Sure they beat Atlanta…barely.  Try doing that at 0-dark thirty west coast time.  If not for San Francisco’s tie against the Rams the Hawks would have had your conference title and your home game and a bye week.  San Francisco is no longer the only elite team in the west.  They have company.  But I digress…

Did anyone else go get a pedicure during the national anthem? MAN that was long! Well done, but tooooo looooong.  And that whole halftime show was BOOOOORING. Sorry.  Beyonce is a lovely and talented singer/dancer but I think she sang the same word for something like 15 minutes! Besides that, it was like watching a 30 minute Bud Light commercial.  Where’s a good marching band when you need one?

The power outage was interesting. I’ve seen a quarterback change make a game turn. I’ve seen a snow storm make a game turn. But I’ve never seen a power outage totally turn a game around. The Seahawks should remember that trick next time they find themselves down by 20 at home. In the end, the 49ers got screwed by the refs on that last non-call for holding; so welcome to Seattle’s world San Francisco.  One wonders if they might have gotten “Bettised”; you remember the love-fest the league and network gave the retiring Jerome Bettis before the Seattle/Pittsburgh 2008 Super Bowl in which Seattle suffered a number of bad calls.  There is something especially heart warming to think the refs might have been “letting ‘em play” for Ray Lewis, a guy who plea bargained away a double homicide a few years back, getting 12 months probation instead of double life in prison.  (There I go digressing again!  Hmm, did I just stumble on another reason for not being excited for either team to win?).  Yes, getting hosed by the refs in the Big Game is great fun, and now the Niners know how it feels.  And so ends their 5-0 Superbowl streak.

But this Super Bowl week did have some redeeming value.  For instance, I didn’t know there was so much to know about deer antlers.  And the whole thing about too much power actually causing the lights to turn off???  Amazing stuff!  And what about the demonstration of injustice to women struggling with their weight everywhere when a Ravens cheerleader got canned for being 2 pounds overweight?  We haven’t heard the end of that one, hopefully!

Now it’s on to the NFL draft and next season.  I fully expect it will be the Seahawks and Russell Wilson who will get it done next year.  With his learning curve well in the past, Wilson will be unstoppable.  I wish I could have seen him in this game, but next year will be even more incredible.  Seattle was the team no one wanted to play the second half of the year.  Next year, it will be that way from  week one on because Russell is ready.  As for the rest of the NFC West, don’t get too excited.  You’re getting better, but as long as Wilson, Carroll, and Schneider are in the picture it’s going to be tough going to get past Seattle.

KM is me, Keith Myers. tW is what my wife wanted her initials to be. It stands for “the Wife.” I approve. She’s awesome like that.

Opening thoughts:

KM: I’m supposed to have thoughts?

tW: I hope they have a dog one like the “here-we-go” one from a year ago.

tw: I also think we should keep track of how many times we see the Mannings

First break

K: Was that a commercial for the flaming lips?

tW: So now it’s totally hip to be a parent? good to know.

Jan 18, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; A worker repairs a light post in front of signage in preparation for Super Bowl XLVII to be held February 3, 2013 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Tyler Kaufman-USA TODAY Sports

It seems that everyone is posting their predictions for tomorrow’s big game. David even posted his on this site yesterday. While I could do the same, it wouldn’t be any different than the conclusion of my advanced matchups article from a couple days ago.

Yesterday I posted a number of actual Prop Bets for the Super Bowl that I thought were funny. With those in mind, I thought it would be more fun to throw out some prop bet style predictions. Here we go:

In game predictions:

• Alex Smith will be brought up by the announcing team at least three times even if there’s no situation where he would see the field.
• Robert Griffin, Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck will all be mentioned during the game.
• Ray Lewis’s name will be spoken more than twice as many times as plays than he is involved in.
• Jacoby Jones will have at least one big return.
• One FG will be missed in this game.
• Navorro Bowman have the most tackles of any player on either team.
• Joe Flacco will throw his first interception of this postseason
• Flacco will have more completions and more yards than Kaepernick.
• Both teams will commit at least 1 turnover.

Other predictions:

• By the end of the game, every fan in America who doesn’t belong to the 49ers or Ravens fanbases, will hate the word “Harbaugh.”
• Everyone who reads this will know at least one person who watched the “puppy bowl” at some point on Sunday.
• The best commercial during the game will not be for beer.
• Ray Lewis will cry after the game, win or lose.
• Beyonce will not have a “wardrobe malfunction” during the halftime show.
• Anyone playing the “Harbaugh drinking game” (drink ever time the word Harbaugh is said or one of the Harbaughs are seen on TV, including the parents) will require emergency medical treatment for alcohol poisoning before the post game show is over.
• At least half people reading this who had no idea what the “puppy bowl” was have already googled it.

Feb 1, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; A general view of the Vince Lombardi Trophy and helmets for the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers during a press conference in preparation for Super Bowl XLVII at the New Orleans Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

As crazy as Super Bowl Sunday can be, the prop bets are always crazier.

I took a look over at Bodog.com and I have to admit, some of these are pretty hilarious. Here are my favorites:

SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS – Will Alicia Keys be booed during or after her rendition of the US National Anthem?
Yes 5/1

SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS – What will be higher?
Randy Moss Receptions Super Bowl XLVII
How many times Jackie or Jack Harbaugh are shown on TV during Live Broadcast

SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS – What Color will the Gatorade (or liquid) be that is dumped on the Head Coach of the Winning Super Bowl Team?
Yellow 7/4
Clear/Water 19/10
Orange 7/2
Red 13/2
Blue 7/1
Green 7/1

SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS – Who will the Super Bowl MVP of the Game thank first?

Teammates 5/4 8/5
God 5/2
Coach 12/1
Family 12/1 15/1
Owner 15/1 20/1
Does Not Thank Anyone 9/4 3/2

Can’t bet on Kaepernick thanking his biceps unfortunately. That seems shortsighted by the book manager.

SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS – How many times will “Harbaugh” be said during the game?
Over/Under 20 ½ 21 ½

I’m taking the over. WAY over. I’m thinking it’ll be in 80′s.

SUPER BOWL XLVII SPECIALS – Will Beyonce’s hair be Curly/Crimped OR Straight at the beginning of the Super Bowl Halftime show?
Straight -140 (5/7) -200
Curly/Crimped EVEN (1/1) +150

No option for shaved? what happened to Bald is Beautiful?

About 2 years ago, I started a massive project looking at tons of different stats and looked for correlation to winning. The result, after months of work, was a mathematical model of how each thing a team does that effects winning. I’ve parlayed that knowledge into a formula for that determines a “power” level for each team based on their stats. There’s no popularity contest, just a picture as to which teams are best in the areas that correlate highest to wins.

A look at the numbers shows a distinct advantage for the 49ers. San Francisco ended 2012 as one of the 4 “elite” teams, while Baltimore was in the larger 2nd tier of “good” teams.

The 49ers also consistently performed under their season averages defensively after Justin Smith got hurt, while the Ravens though showed solid improvement the last few weeks after changing offensive coordinators. This suggests that the gap this week is likely smaller than it appears in the chart below.

SF has a major advantage in terms of yards per play both offensively and defensively. That shows up in the points against, but doesn’t in terms of points for. The 49ers surprising do a poor job of turning offensive success into points (at least on a statistical level) So while their offense is better, the Ravens get approximately the same points per game from their efforts. Part of this, but not all, can be attributed to the troubles of kicker David Akers.

Baltimore has a fairly decent advantage on special teams. Its the one area where they have an advantage which is statistically significant, but it is an important one. A big kick return, or a missed FG by Akers could be enough to negate the other advantages that the 49ers possess since the teams are close in overall rating.

Both teams were +9 in turnover differential. This means that both teams were good, but not great, at both getting takeaways and not turning the ball over. Neither team’s defense lived and died by their ability to get turnovers. It would be very uncharacteristic of either team for turnovers to end up having a huge impact on this game.

The difference in rating, with the neutral field factored in, suggest the 49ers winning by approximately 6 points. With SF trending down after the Smith injury, and the Ravens trending up, I’d put the gap between the teams at a FG.

*smaller numbers are better for defense.

Super Bowls ads are big business. The cost to run a 30 second commercial will cost companies just over $3.7 million this year on average. The most expensive is time slot is supposed to have gone for almost $4.5 million.

About half of the ads are now “leaked” out ahead of time, and still others have “teasers” that are released. This is a big change from years past, where Super Bowl ads were kept as secret as an NFL team’s draft strategies.

Why the change? Simple, because they get free advertising for doing so. An ad posted on YouTube a few days before the Super Bowl will get millions of views for free. Even the “teasers” get a tremendous amount of traffic. It seems weird, but people flock to YouTube to get a preview of something they will eventually be annoyed at when it interrupts their favorite show. That is simply the nature of the Super Bowl ads.

Here are all the full length ads and teasers that have been released so far. There are 31 of them to my knowledge:

So, which one was your favorite?

update: I thought I was embedding a playlist with all 31 ads, but instead only 1 commercial showed up. I can’t seem to get it to work as I wanted either. YouTube is clearly not my strong suit. You can find all of them by clicking HERE. it’ll take you to a YouTube page with all of the Super Bowl Ads. 

Here’s my picks for the five most likely defensive players in the Super Bowl to get the MVP award:

Jan 6, 2013; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis (52) tackles Indianapolis Colts tight end Dwayne Allen (83) during the AFC Wild Card playoff game at M

1) Ray Lewis

Lets face it, the NFL league office would love this to happen. They love a marketable story line. If the Ravens win a low scoring game this could definitely happen. Imagine Lewis with a stat line of something like 13 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble in a sloppy 20-13 win. Roger Goodell is definitely smiling at the idea.

2) Aldon Smith

If there is one player on the 49ers defense who’s likely to get the MVP award, its Aldon (using first names since there are so many Smiths on the 49ers). If the 49ers win a defensive battle and Aldon has 3 sacks to go with 5+ tackles, and he was harassing Flacco all game, then award will be his.

3) Ed Reed

As with Ray Lewis, Reed has to be considered a candidate because of the fact that the NFL loves a marketable story. While Reed has announced recently that he’s going to be playing another season, he is a free agent and may not return to Ravens. If Reed has a good day in terms of tackles, gets a pick, and some some nice return yards, the league would be excited for opportunity to tell this story over and over this off-season.

Dec 16, 2012; Foxboro, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots running back Shane Vereen (34) fumbles the ball while being tackled by San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman (53) during the second quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

4) Navorro Bowman 

Patrick Willis gets all the publicity, but Bowman is the better linebacker in my eyes, especially against the run. If the Ravens feed Ray Rice all game, Bowman could easily have a game with 18 tackles. If he also gets a forced fumble or an interception mixed in there, he could easily walk away with the MVP hardware.

5) Paul Kruger

Kruger is the pass rusher for the Ravens that will be responsible for getting to Kaepernick. If he can get a couple sacks, a few other pressures, and manages chase down Kaepernick a few times when he tries to escape the pocket, then Kruger will be a big reason why the Ravens would win this game. Throw in a forced fumble on a strip-sack, and Kruger could definitely leave New Orleans with the MVP award.

First up is chili. I love spicy food. When I say love, I mean really f*ck!ng love spicy food. If you just said in your head that you also like spicy food, multiply that a few times and you have me. Because of this fact, I usually make two batches of chili: a super human batch (for me) and a normal human batch (for most everyone else).

The foundation of the chili is from Carroll Shelby’s Chili Kit. You can get at just about any grocery store although it’s always hidden somewhere. It is a little tan and red box that has all the basic spices you’ll need.

Ingredients
Sweet onion
1 pound ground beef
1 pound steak (top sirloin or chuck depending on your preference)
8 ounce can of tomato sauce
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
Peppers (I like habaneros, serranos, and jalapenos, but you can pick whatever you want)
Other Options: cayenne pepper, hot sauce like Frank’s Red Hot, can of diced tomatoes.

1. Dice up onions and peppers.
2. Cut steak into .5 – 1 inch cubes and brown over medium-high heat in a pot or pan adding a slight amount of oil if needed. Once browned, drain and set aside.
3. Brown ground beef and then drain. Add steak back in.
4. Add onions and peppers now or you can add when browning meat.
5. Add tomato sauce, 16 ounces of water, spice packet from chili kit, cayenne pepper (from kit isn’t enough, I’d recommend adding some of your own as well), and a little salt (I usually use no salt).
   1. If you add can of diced tomatoes, cut water in half to 8 ounces.
6. Stir together, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Rinse kidney and pinto beans and add to chili. Simmer 5 minutes.
8. Mix masa flour from chili kit with 1/3 cup of water and stir into chili. Simmer 5 more minutes.
9. You’re done. If you don’t like your chili thick, omit masa flour or use it and add water at the end to get the consistency you want.

*The times are approximate and you can add anything else you think might be good. I added cubed potatoes last time and that turned out nicely although you have to precook them a bit or cook the chili longer.

Buffalo wings are also a good party food. Here is a sauce that I like and appeals to most people.

Ingredients for bourbon buffalo wing sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup bourbon
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup honey
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
1 cup chili sauce
1 cup BBQ sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray’s if I don’t have any homemade stuff on hand)
½ cup prepared buffalo wing sauce (such as Frank’s)

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Stir to prevent burning. It should be softened and smell great.
2. Mix in ancho chili powder, chili sauce, BBQ sauce, and wing sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Keep warm while you bake or fry the wings. Or keep over low to have available. The sauce gets really thick when it’s cool.

*Once again, I might add a bit more hot sauce but that’s a preference issue. This is a sweet, spicy wing sauce.

I have lots of other recipes so if anybody has any special requests, put them in the comments section and I’d be happy to oblige. I would also suggest having a cooler/tub filled with beer and ice in the living room so people don’t have to constantly go to the kitchen every time they need a refill.

*Update: I added bacon to my chili last time and that turned out well. 12 ounces of beer is also good. Or if you roast your own peppers (very easy to do), that’s also good. I suggest poblanos. Basically things that are smoky and rich can really enhance the layers of flavor in a good chili.

Jan 27, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; A detail of the Super Bowl XLIVII helmet on display inside the NFL Shop at the Convention Center prior to Super Bowl XLVII to be played between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers on February 3, 2013 and the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Super Bowl week is here and predictions are starting to come out from just about everywhere. I’ll have my prediction in a couple days, but in the mean time, here’s something else to chew on. EA Sports has released their official Madden 13 prediction in form of the awesome video below.

Before you scoff at the idea of a video game as prediction tool, you should know that Madden has successfully predicted 7 of the last 9 Super Bowls correctly.

The EA SPORTS Madden NFL Super Bowl Prediction continues to be one of the most accurate prognosticators of the NFL’s biggest game. The prediction has accurately called seven of the last nine Super Bowls, and was two points away from predicting the exact final score of the 2009 matchup between the Steelers and Cardinals. – Operation Sports

Seeing Ray Lewis come unblocked for a sack definitely made me smile.

What do you think?

Jan 21, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; A general view as a street car passing the Hyatt hotel on the new Loyola Avenue street car line in downtown New Orleans in preparation for Super Bowl XLVII to be played between the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens on February 3, 2013 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The 2013 Super Bowl is this week and we wanted to get you all the info you need to follow the action this Sunday. The Seahawks may not be playing in this game, but lets face it, we’re all going to watch anyways.

What: Super Bowl XLVII

Who: Baltimore Ravens (AFC) vs. San Francisco 49ers (NFC)

When: Sunday February 3, 2013

Kickoff: 6:30 p.m., ET

Where: New Orleans, Louisiana

Stadium Info: The Superdome

Weather Forecast: Who cares? It’s in a Dome!

National TV Network: CBS

Live Stream: CBS Sports: Super Bowl XLVII live stream

Local Radio: AM 710 KIRO is listed, but i was unable to verify it since their website sucks.

Anyone throwing a Super Bowl Party?

Making matters worse, was that one of the “guests” of show decided to give all of America a nice 1-finger salute right in the middle the show. We don’t have right to a rights to a picture of the act, but if you want to see it feel free to click this link.

What is most annoying about this is that I’d like to think that the NFL would have learned it’s lesson already. Remember the Janet Jackson “wardrobe malfunction?” I’m sure you do. I do. So why is it that the NFL seems to forgotten already?

I understand that the NFL is in a bit of a tough position because of the diversity of its fan base. There is no musical act that will pleases all it’s fans. Country, Hip Hop, Rap, Rock, Pop, there are NFL fans that prefer each. Thats ok. I get that they are fighting a losing battle no matter what they choose. But there’s a difference between accepting that and just giving up.

This mess just ridiculously bad. Yet somehow I don’t think the NFL learned anything from this mistake.

There's something about this dog moonwalking across the finish line that made it the best commercial of the year in my eyes.

Earlier I posted my, and my wife’s, initial reactions to each Super Bowl commercial. Well, before I wrap up the topic for another year, I figured I give you our favorites, just in case you care.

Top 5 Super Bowl Commercials:

1. Sketchers Puppy Moonwalk
2. Jerry Seinfeld Acura
3. Ferris Bueller Honda CRV
4. “Here Wego” Dog
5. Fat Dog/Vader VW

My Wife’s Top 5: 

I should also note that we skipped commercials for movies, commercials we’ve seen before, and ones that were ordinary (like almost every beer commercial)

A Kickflp in a car? Awesome!

After National Anthem:

• Ronald McDonald House commercial (pictures of the young Leukemia survivor) had my wife crying.
• Hyundai “test track” commercial looked like an episode of “Top Gear” and the with their driver called “The Steig.” Not sure they wanted to invoke a comedy series with that ad.
• Hyundai song commercial was cool, but will get annoying fast. My wife’s take: “meh.”

First Quarter:

• Audi vampires – After the Twilight hype, I’m glad to see any vampire die. My wife’s take: “it was cute, I liked it.”
• Elton John Pepsi –  Interesting, but too over the top for me. My wife’s take: “I love that one! I love the shoes. Elton john was working those heels.”
• Hyundai’s commercials are annoying. After 2, I doubted I’d comment on the rest. #3 was really lame.
• Naked M&Ms – Unexpected, but not interesting. Those characters got old years ago. My wife’s take: ”mildly amusing… meh”
• Best Buy “I created…” – Words with friends reference was so apt. I liked it. Actually made me think. My wife’s take: “That was cute. words with friends guys on the plane… funny”
• Coke polar bears #1 - superstitious polar bears… scary thought. My wife’s take: ”That one was so funny”
• Chevy armageddon – Clever. One of my favorites so far. My wife’s take: ”Was that a commercial for twinkies?”
• Bridgestone football – Good ending. wasn’t sure where it was going at all.  My wife’s take: ”(laughing)”

2nd Quarter

• Go daddy – so sick of those crappy commercials. It’s a .com company, not porn. worst commercials on TV right now, and this one isn’t any better.  My wife’s take: ”so sick of those crappy commercials”
• Dorritos Dead cat – Not cool at all. Not even clever. almost offensive. My wife’s take: ”Poor cat!”
• GEs beer commercial – Lame. What are you even selling? Aren’t there enough beer commercials already? My wife’s take: ”(Yawns)”
• TaxAct – Peeing in the pool, really? My wife’s take: ”eewwwww. ‘So if you can’t get anything else… we’re like peeing in a pool.’ who thought of this?”
• Fat dog with Vader Ending – Awesome. Very cool on it’s own, but adding the reference to the vader kid commercial made it classic. Definitely one of the best. My wife’s take: ”The fat dog made me want to cry. but the vader reference was just awesome!”
• David Beckham underwear – Am I supposed to care? My wife’s take: ”Am I old enought to be allowed to watch this?”
• Polar Bear Coke #2 – Why is he stiff arming his friends? They aren’t trying to take it, they were trying to help him. My wife’s take: ”I really like these polar bear ones. They’re cute.”
• Chevy sonic – Pretty cool. That “kick flip” was downright impressive. My wife’s take: ”so it’s good enough to throw off a plane, but not good enough to drive?”
• Tellaflora – Am I old enough to be watching this? My wife’s take: ”I like her earrings at least.”
• Sketchers Dancing Dog – Loved the puppy moonwalk over the finish line. Best so far. My wife’s take: ”Oh my god I loved that one so much”
• Cars.com – is that a worm coming out of his back? My wife’s take: “That was just creepy.”
• Dorritos baby-bouncer slingshot – Predictable. not as cool as they wanted it to be. My wife’s take: ”was ok. I wouldn’t need to see it again.”
• E-Trade Nursery – Not clever at all. Usually I like their commercials, but this one isn’t up to par. My wife’s take: ”A little disturbing.”

Halftime

(if there were any new ones during halftime, then I missed them. No way I’m watching Madona or listening to the drivel that that is the rest of the half time mess.)

2nd half

• Fiat – This is just creepy. Is he going to lick that car? My wife’s take: ”The only thing that can describe this is ‘hussy.’”
• Toyota reinventing stuff – Not sure what it has to do with cars, but it was entertaining. One of the better ones. My wife’s take: ”Very creative. I liked it.”
• Coke Polar Bears 3 – My least favorite of the 3 with the polar bears. My wife’s take: ”Kind of a let down after the other 2.”
• Oikos Greek Yogurt – Funny, plus John Stamos got hit in the face, which is a plus. My wife’s take: ”Is John Stamos the only Greek actor in America? Could they not get anyone else?”
• Here WeGo Dog – The only beer commercial worth mentioning. Funny and creative. One of the best this year. My wife’s take: ”So glad it was also an add about rescue animals. I liked it. It was awesome for multiple reasons.”
• Acura MSX with Seinfeld – Typical Jerry Seinfeld commercial. Whity and unexpected. Very good. My wife’s take: ”Is it possible that the outfit made Jay Leno’s chin get bigger?”
• Ferris Buller Honda CRV – I love it. Classic movie parity done right. My wife’s take: ”This one just makes my heart happy.”
• Jack in the Box Married to Bacon – I like bacon, but this seemed to go too far. Plus, “you may now eat the bride?” Really? My wife’s take: ”It went from just creepy to dirty at the end.”

The 2nd half was mostly crap and stuff we’ve seen before, or local ads. not much to write about. If you think I missed a really good one let me know.