Spring Break
Super Bowl is never a disappointment
Marc Gauthier
Issue date: 1/28/09 Section: Sports
A message to this year's Super Bowl haters. On Sunday, only four days from now, Super Bowl XLIII will finally be upon us. After 17 weeks of ACL injuries, winless records, miraculous comebacks and just plain old-fashioned football, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers are playing for the Vince Lombardi trophy and the title of best football team in the world.
I know there has been grief from some that these teams do not deserve to play for this honor - and, let's face it, no one thought the Cardinals were the team to beat from the NFC. But either way, come Sunday at about 6:28 p.m. EST, these two teams will kick off in one of the most watched television programs in the world.
I've heard people say that they aren't going to watch the Super Bowl because of who's playing or because their precious New England Patriots didn't make the play-offs. But no matter what those people say or think, I can almost guarantee that they'll be watching and cheering.
All of this talk of how disappointing the Super Bowl will be this year, made me look at this celebrated Sunday in a different light.
There are 32 NFL teams and roughly 300 million people in the United States. Hypothetically, let's say that each person in America favors a team. If you spread out the fans evenly, each team would have a fan base of about 9.3 million people.
With this in mind, let's move on to the next topic - only 12 teams make the playoffs and then only two teams make the Super Bowl. If you think about it, only 20 million people would be highly invested in the two teams playing for the championship, leaving some 280 million people without a team to cheer for.
OK, now here's what you're probably thinking; 280 million people don't watch the Super Bowl. I know. But it's estimated that in 2008, 95 million people did.
What I'm trying to say is that no matter who's playing in the Super Bowl and no matter how disappointed you are about the Colts losing to San Diego after they worked their butts off to get a wildcard spot, as a sports fan you and 94,999,999 other people will still watch the Super Bowl.
I know there has been grief from some that these teams do not deserve to play for this honor - and, let's face it, no one thought the Cardinals were the team to beat from the NFC. But either way, come Sunday at about 6:28 p.m. EST, these two teams will kick off in one of the most watched television programs in the world.
I've heard people say that they aren't going to watch the Super Bowl because of who's playing or because their precious New England Patriots didn't make the play-offs. But no matter what those people say or think, I can almost guarantee that they'll be watching and cheering.
All of this talk of how disappointing the Super Bowl will be this year, made me look at this celebrated Sunday in a different light.
There are 32 NFL teams and roughly 300 million people in the United States. Hypothetically, let's say that each person in America favors a team. If you spread out the fans evenly, each team would have a fan base of about 9.3 million people.
With this in mind, let's move on to the next topic - only 12 teams make the playoffs and then only two teams make the Super Bowl. If you think about it, only 20 million people would be highly invested in the two teams playing for the championship, leaving some 280 million people without a team to cheer for.
OK, now here's what you're probably thinking; 280 million people don't watch the Super Bowl. I know. But it's estimated that in 2008, 95 million people did.
What I'm trying to say is that no matter who's playing in the Super Bowl and no matter how disappointed you are about the Colts losing to San Diego after they worked their butts off to get a wildcard spot, as a sports fan you and 94,999,999 other people will still watch the Super Bowl.
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