For the first time in several years, I enjoyed watching the Super Bowl in solitude.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not a misanthrope. I enjoy the company of others, but in a Super Bowl party setting, it’s hard to concentrate on the commercials with all the background noise and chattering.
You can’t just scream out for people to shut up — “I’M TRYING TO LISTEN TO THE COMMERCIALS!” — at your host’s event. That would truly be misanthropic.
In my solitude Sunday night, I was able to have a clearer presence of mind about this Super Bowl notebook than if I had been in a crowd telling my host to shut up because “I’M TRYING TO LISTEN TO THE COMMERCIALS!”
The snub
In my mind, Jason Myers was the clear candidate for the game’s MVP. The Seattle kicker would have been the first in his position to earn that title.
It wasn’t to be, however, and Kenneth Walker III and his 161 total scoreless offensive yards got the nod.
Myers, however, set the tone for the evening in a record-setting performance — five field goals, two extra points, and 17 total points for the Seahawks in their 29-13 win over the Patriots.
Imagine if he hadn’t nailed the first 12 points of the game. In a very defensive Super Bowl, it could have possibly been a game-changer. In addition to his five field goals, Myers also set the NFL record for points scored in a single season at 206.
The North Carolina connection
While it wasn’t a stellar night for New England quarterback Drake Maye, I have reason to believe this won’t be the UNC product and North Carolina native’s only Super Bowl.
Another North Carolina native, N.C. State’s Drake Thomas, who hails from Wake Forest and attended Heritage High School, finished the night with six tackles for the Seahawks.
In total, there were 16 players on both teams with North Carolina ties.
America the Beautiful
It is my choice for the national anthem, and Brandi Carlile sang it with her typical poise, accompanied by SistaStrings. America the Beautiful simply resonates and celebrates the geographic diversity of our nation instead of glorifying war.
The commercials
Hands down, the Coke polar bears “seeing the light” and converting to Pepsi Zero Sugar was my clear favorite.
Of course, Taika Waititi directed the commercial and played the shrink counseling one of the bears. It’s never a bad thing when he’s involved.
The Good Will Dunkin' spot with Ben Affleck — a Dunkin’ Donuts parody of Good Will Hunting — featured many favorite stars from sitcoms of the '90s, including Jason Alexander of Seinfeld fame. Seeing a relaxed Tom Brady in several commercials since his retirement is always pleasing, especially when he appears with Jennifer Aniston as her boyfriend in this one. It’s great to see such a fierce competitor having some fun.
The Pringles ad with Sabrina Carpenter, where she builds a boyfriend out of potato chips, was a definitely odd but enjoyable surprise.
George Kittle, the 49ers' tight end, has been getting a lot of commercial time lately — especially riding the pizza deer for Little Caesars — but he and Gronk in the relax your tight end PSA for prostate cancer screening was a hilarious gem.
From his cryptic Lincoln ads to what he did with Uber Eats Sunday, Matthew McConaughey's trivia battle with Bradley Cooper scores high marks.
The halftime show
Sunday was my first brush with Bad Bunny, and I was very pleased; it was the first time in a while a halftime show has held my attention.
Perhaps it was because, in the Homeland Security/ICE police state we’re living in, it’s beautiful to see love rather than hate being celebrated.
Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio’s performance felt more like a mini-musical than the typical halftime fare.
It was a celebration of what has always made the nation great — before some believed you had to wear a cheap red ballcap to make it that way.
It not only celebrated this nation and its impending 250th birthday, but also the immigrants who have been the backbone of this country for centuries.
The shout-out to the Caribbean and South American nations, especially those being maligned in this 1984-like climate, was an inspiration.
As the scoreboard said, "The only thing more powerful than hate is love."
These are things you observe while watching the Super Bowl in solitude and not having to tell your host to shut up: “I’M TRYING TO LISTEN TO THE COMMERCIALS!”
That would be misanthropic — Lance Martin