How is the superbowl a spectacle of society?
466867
The Super Bowl is big.  The Super Bowl is flashy.  The Super Bowl is commercialized.  The Super Bowl is broadcasted to hundreds of countries throughout the world, even though 95% of them wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a Twins set and a Trips set.  The Super Bowl is overhyped by the media into a veritable frenzy.  The Super Bowl always pits the supposedly best teams against one another, but it is almost always a snoozer of a game.  The Super Bowl is interrupted by a commercial every 3 minutes, and is interrupted by an excessively long halftime show that always includes a washed-up musical act that used to be a popular band back in the day or a current pop idol that is running on fumes until their fifteen minutes of fame is over.  And all of that is combined with the glitz and gaudy glamor of a casino show in Las Vegas.\n\nAmerica is big.  America is flashy.  America is commercialized.  America imposes its culture and "democracy" over hundreds of countries throughout the world, and 95% of them wouldn't be able to name any cities in the U.S. other than New York or Los Angeles (not that any U.S. citizen could name more than two cities in any other country in the world, either).  America is obsessed with the media, as we are constantly consumed by the current big news story (i.e. the Duke lacrosse scandal right now).  Every four years America votes for their president, basically deciding between two guys who are supposedly the best that our country has to offer, but the decision ultimately comes down to which candidate is going to screw up the country less than the other.  American life is interrupted by a T.V. commercial, billboard, radio ad or print ad far more frequently than every 3 minutes, and we are obsessed with the next popular music act and the next Pop Idol, even though each of these no-talent hacks will be selling CDs out of the bargin bin at Wal-Mart after their fifteen minutes of fame is over.  And all Americans love Vegas.\n\nThe parallels are obvious.  The Super Bowl is a spectacle of society because, good or bad, it is a microcosm that represents the macrocosm of American society, literally putting all of it on a big stage for the world to see.  It's beautiful and hideous at the same time, but it is in every sense American.
871380
You only say that because he is the QB for the FIghting Irish. If he was a construction worker you would care less. Which shows how fucked up our country is! People are attracted to fame and fortune and nothing else. Sure football is fun to watch but nobody is gonna be able to take anything with them when they die! So; Its just an illusion.
115534
the superbowl is the nfl championship...its once a year.....
346885
A great spectacle.\n\nCan i buy tickets now?
220837
It's what the market bears.  There is only so many people that can play professional sports at a time.  Since people keep buying tickets to games and merchandice, the players can demand what they want for pay and the owners are willing to pay it
1031774
aside from a sold out stadium of about 90 thou at least.  millions all over the world via television broadcast.  sad to say the super bowl is peanuts compared to our superbowl.  im thinking we should jump in the bandwaggon and better develop soccer in our country.
79328
Well at least it makes you uncapitalistic. Follow this line of logic. Wherever you have a need (in this case entertainment) you have people willing to spend money. So you hire people to support this need (athletes) and pay them a percentage. The NFL is a multi-billion dollar business. It's only fair that these athletes take their percentage.\nI think you are way over generalizing athletes. While there are certainly selfish immature players. There are also classy, generous, respectable athletes as well, It's just that the more immature players tend to stay in the public eye do to their hijinks.\nNow the olympics are a complete abomination. They secure television contracts, charge unGodly prices for seats, yet they don't even pay the participants that make the olympics a reality. How is that fair? \nIt's not wrong to be rich. To make the money you earned. It's wrong to be an child and a thug. But these two things aren't really even related.
1166972
When it comes down to it, the single thing I enjoy the most about football is when a player gets his helmet knocked off of him completely. No other sport has anything that can be compared to it.\n\nAlso, I enjoy the importance that is put of every game, especially in the playoffs. \n\nThe NFL is the most perfect sports organization ever in all the world. Period.
1002316
I don't think the Superbowl winner makes a big deal out of being 'world' champs.  \n\nEach NFL team is from a US city, so the game is not "the USA versus the USA" - it's more a case of San Francisco versus New York.  See the difference?\n\nWould be cool someday to see a Superbowl where New York played Paris or Tokyo...
496759
I went to SuperBowl 28 when it was here in Atlanta, the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Buffalo Bills 30-13. I remember it was the loudest I had ever heard the GA dome, and it was great to see so many different people cheering for the Cowboys in Atlanta. I also went to SuperBowl 34, which was also here in Atlanta, the Rams and the Titans played. I thought the Titans got cheated in that one, from the stands, it looked like their last throw was a touchdown, but i remember every Titans fan being upset that night. The half time shows are awesome, even though we didnt get any Janet Jackson action.
1101073
Love and friendship! Football unites the people from everywhere
113109
The superbowl is the championship game for American football.
48888
Sellout reflects that all the tickets have been sold.  Attendance in the NFL is actual bodies at the stadium. . some people may have a ticket and not shown up.\n\nMajor League Baseball (at least the National League) used to use a turnstile count (bodies).  Now their "attendance" is up by using tickets sold instead.
112813
Economics...  When a big event like that is in Houston there will be lots of vendors, fans, etc to boost the economy.  Now the allstar game is no superbowl, but you get the idea.
70109
It's not a major sport, and it's definitely isnt the NFL's minor league, NFL EUrope and college plays that role.  It's a fun little niche sport that really isn't to bad.
970760
Firstly, please bear in mind that the movie is simply a cinematic dramatisation, and bears almost no relation to present day reality.\n\nSince around the early 1990s, organized fighting inside football stadiums is very rare indeed, and hundreds of thousands of people attend matches every week perfectly safely..This is mainly due to  improved policing and stewarding techniques, a ban on alcohol inside the stadiums, and the fact that all major stadiums now have no standing space and are entirely seated.\n\nPrior to this however, it is fair to say that there was an underground culture of organised  gangs ( or" firms" as they were called) at some, but certainly not all,  football clubs. These first started in the late 1960s, They would aim to attack the "firm" of the visiting team, although rarely with anything more than their fists. A visiting "firm" would aim to overrun their opponents ground and thereby humiliate them.  The "high point" of this violence was probably the brief period between about 1977 to 1986.\n\nWhilst the possibility of potential trouble did not deter the majority of peaceful fans from attending matches, it certainly made football grounds uncomfortable and unnerving places. \n\nThere are many interesting academic and sociological studies made of football hooliganism, but here is a link to a helpful and brief article published by the University of Liverpool.: http://www.liv.ac.uk/footballindustry/hooligan.html
35792
It usually refers to a very noteworthy event, one that captures the attention of most of the civilized world.\nCheck out the page below for a great example.