EVER WONDER why so many millions of people watched the Super Bowl last night, after enduring two weeks of relentless hype? It wasn't for the commercials, creative though they were. It was for the football, capped by the hard-fought, 17-14 upset by the New York Giants.
Professional football is designed for television, with 22 players crisscrossing the field during every moment of play. The commercial breaks give TV producers a chance to rewind the videotapes, so fans can savor a touchdown pass or interception or key tackle. The game is so fast and intricate that it deserves even more camera angles than Fox or other networks now provide. It's a brutal game too, and viewers, it must be said, get a thrill out of seeing the players put their bodies at risk in pursuit of a championship.
Unlike many of the regular season games, the Super Bowl showcases two teams that are worth watching. There are always great plays and heroes to cheer. Even the best players make mistakes, and more often than not, the game generates a goat or two - to remind the viewers that we are all fallible. There's something deeply comforting about lounging in an easy chair while a superbly conditioned athlete flubs a play.
And don't forget the David factor. Patriots fans will always remember the upset over the St. Louis Rams in 2002. What a pleasure to recall how the Patriots defense flummoxed what was supposed to be "The Greatest Show on Turf." Fans of the Giants enjoyed that same feeling last night.
Goliath had a lot of fans too (at least among the Philistines). And the Patriots reached for the mantle of the truly great NFL teams: the Packers of the 1960s, Steelers of the '70s, 49ers of the '80s. Most New Englanders, of course, were with the Patriots all the way. But fans across the country could switch allegiance from underdog to favorite, depending on the swings of the game.
The Patriots' 18-0 record shadowed all the pregame preparation. This was an extraordinary game among Super Bowls because it pitted the team with the most consistently accomplished season with one that was reaching for an upset after one of the great post-season surges in National Football League history.
And despite Senator Arlen Specter's complaints about the league's handling of the videotapes, the game was played without reference to the Patriots' trouble with videotaping of opponents. Seventeen subsequent victories put that transgression in perspective. Nor was there any of the nasty New York-Boston talk that tarnishes the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry. Perhaps the locations of the two home fields - in East Rutherford, N.J., and Foxborough, Mass. - explains this civility.
Viewers around the world last night got an opportunity to watch good, tough football. The New York Giants, by their gritty defensive play and clutch offensive performance on the final drive, elevated themselves above another great football team, the 2007 New England Patriots.
