Lacking any controversial calls during the actual playing of Super Bowl XLVI, the nation seems to be fixated on the various human behaviors outside of the game itself.
While 111.3 million people watched the actual game, 3 million more watched Madonna’s halftime show for a grand total of 114 plus or minus million people all tuned into the tube on Sunday night.
Some Cold Fusioners out there asked what was my opinion of this or that about the broadcast. Not one question was posed about the game. For the record, I was only concerned about the point total. I remained completely unconcerned about any of the so-called controversies surrounding the event. But since you asked…..
Madonna – I thought she put on a great show. Visually impressive. Entertaining. Was I upset that she lip synced part of it? No. I was grateful.
Madonna’s British Rapper Flipping the Bird to 114 million viewers. I didn’t see it. So, no harm no fowl. Get it? Fowl? Bird?
Gisele Bundchen’s Defense of Her Husband Tom Brady. Someone recorded audio and video of Mrs. Tom Brady stating that basically it wasn’t her husband’s fault that his team lost mentioning that he could not catch the balls he threw. This is true. If Brady were a receiver, he would never be open because he’s too slow. Maybe that’s what she meant.
Clint Eastwood’s America Comeback Commercial. I still don’t get the fuss here. A moderate Republican/Libertarian iconic actor basically gives the country a halftime pep talk about getting back up after we’ve been knocked down and this is controversial? I get where people see the political angle in the ad about Detroit and Obama and the Auto Bailout, but really….we could use a pep talk and clearly this president can’t give one. If there is a controversy to be had, maybe it’s that. We don’t have a leader right now. So, naturally some political people got the vapors about it. How else does the media fill 24 hours a day? Clint donated his earnings from the ad to charity. He should have bought a car or three.
Remember two years ago, when the Super Bowl had a controversial ad with Tim Tebow and his mother? Ohhhhh yeahh……since you probably don’t (and neither did I) it’s on You Tube.
These controversies are largely fabricated to make sure that one is rightly outraged enough to keep a story alive long after its relevance has faded. They just don’t really matter that much. Don’t get me wrong, they are interesting looks into our world – it’s just that in the grand scheme of things, they really don’t stack up – a lip syncing aging pop star from the 80s and 90s? Nothing new there. A middle finger? Commuting 101. A supermodel defending her husband and ticking off the rest of the team? Okay, that’s not every day stuff. Clint Eastwood doing an ad for Chrysler? Maybe….but I agreed with him. Out loud, in fact. I DO like those Jeep Wranglers!
How about the only REAL outrage in sports last week? The Baltimore Orioles traded a pitcher, Jeremy Guthrie, to the Colorado Rockies. That’s an outrage? No. The Rockies had to sign him to a contract though. After LOSING seventeen (17) games last year the Rockies agreed, apparently without a gun to anyone’s head, to pay Guthrie $8,200,000.00 to pitch next year in Colorado. Eight Point Two Million. Hard bargain they drove there. Like a 17 game LOSER could not have gotten by on just Eight. Million. Dollars. Nah, throw in a two hundred thousand dollar kicker….Where’s Madonna’s Rapper when you need her?
Guthrie will still only pay $6,621 in Social Security taxes. Unlike Warren Buffett’s secretary who pays 12.4%. If Guthrie paid Warren Buffett’s secretary’s rate, he would owe $1,016,800.00 to Social Security. Like I’m TOTALLY Not Even Kidding.
But let’s enter the world of REAL outrage and controversy. As if there is not enough bone dry kindling just looking for a spark….
The Susan Komen Foundation decided that breast cancer research funds should not be co-mingled with abortion funds at Planned Parenthood. Then they undecided. Tall in the saddle moment that one.
That lead me to do a little research on Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood. For all of the controversy about her views on birth control, eugenics and races, Sanger was opposed to abortion since she believed that life begins at conception. Sanger was Catholic and one of eleven kids. I thought…well…that’s very interesting. The founder of Planned Parenthood was opposed to abortion.
All of that had been preceded by President Obama siding with the pro-abortion electorate (not a swing vote) over the Catholic Church. Not some Catholics, THE Catholics. All of them. THE Swing Vote of All Swing Votes. The Bishops reluctantly agreed to support ObamaCare if Conscience Protection was included. The Bishops were warned not to by a large segment of the Church, but went forward with their support. Then Obama threw them under the bus.
From the Guitar and Sandals Wing of the Catholic Church to the Smells and Bells Wing, Obama managed to tick off just about every Catholic in the country. And not just a little. Big Mistake. Huge.
He woke up a Sleeping Giant – with a white hot poker in the eye. As Chris Matthews said this morning on MSNBC, “Catholics aren’t left or right, they’re Catholics.”
Catholics have a tendency, like most organizations, to bicker among themselves and it’s best to let them (us) have their internal squabbles. But if you attack them (us) and their (our) core beliefs, they (we) will drop everything and come at you.
So, am I upset that Secretary Sebelius was lip syncing Obama’s voice? No. I am grateful….for the Sleeping Giant sleeps no more.
THE Super Bowl begins.
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