You Must Watch the Empire Bowl

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.thenation.com/article/158152/you-must-watch-empire-bowl

If you are still passionately following football or, worse, allowing your kid to play, you may just be an old-fashioned imperialist running dog. Not that all football fans are bloodthirsty hounds feeding off the crippled hindquarters of the dying animal of empire. Some are in a vain search for a crucible of manhood that no longer exists. Others are in pursuit of a ticket out of a dead-end life.

Whatever your reason, this is the Super Bowl to watch, even if you are among those who have made an effort to disregard the game since high school jocks shouldered you in the halls.

This is the Big One. Maybe the Last Big One. Never before have so many loose strands of an unraveling empire come together in a single event accessible to those who mourn or cheer America.

Let’s start with the conceit that this game is the only super thing we have left. Super power, super economy, super you-name-it… gone. You can beat the Bushes for that, but we’re all out of super—except for the Super Bowl. That celebration of an all-American $9 billion industry (estimated because the National Football League has never opened its books), not to mention millions more in subsidiary and dependent businesses, offers us a national holiday that has arguably superseded Thanksgiving (thanks for what?) and Christmas (electronic excess and obsolescence).

More at the link --

[MineralMan]

1. Ah, an anti-football article.

Trying to tie football to politics is a real stretch. Gloom and Doom aplenty, if you look for it, I suppose.

Unrecommended for an article without any rational thought behind it - just emotional crap.

[damntexdem]

2. Oh, are they playing a Super Bowl again this year? Where?

(The whole DFW area is being turned upside down in preparation for the "big fame" and its big crowds. At least I live about 40 miles north of Arlington, so am less affected.)

And I don't care who wins. However, were it the Bears vs. the Jets, I would be watching avidly.

[underpants]

4. It is a good article I think

Well formed thoughts there especially the volunteer Army part

[CanSocDem]

5. Much more than that.

I'm a football fan and usually watch the 'super bowl'. More for the spectacle than for the athleticism and to me, this article seems to be about the pretensions associated with professional sports generally, and the cultural effects on the "empire".

"Let’s start with the conceit that this game is the only super thing we have left. Super power, super economy, super you-name-it… gone. You can beat the Bushes for that, but we’re all out of super—except for the Super Bowl. That celebration of an all-American $9 billion industry (estimated because the National Football League has never opened its books), not to mention millions more in subsidiary and dependent businesses, offers us a national holiday that has arguably superseded Thanksgiving (thanks for what?) and Christmas (electronic excess and obsolescence)."


.

[Catherina]

3. Rec'd. n/t

[WilliamPitt]

6. I love football.

As did the man in my sig pick.

I watched every game this year - often six at a time - and will absolutely be watching the Super Bowl.

I feel no shame whatsoever about it.

End transmission.

[flvegan]

7. Ok.

I'll watch the Puppy Bowl, too. Love them critters!