Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday in the U.S., one of our most popular and most ridiculous national celebrations. Don't get me wrong - I certainly understand why someone who likes football and whose favorite team is playing would enjoy the game. I'd be glued to the game if my favorite team was playing. There's no doubt about that. The rest of the time, however, I don't see much appeal. The most common reason I hear from others about why they watch the game every year is a vague sense that they are supposed to do so because it is what everyone else is doing. I can't say I find this a compelling argument for doing much of anything.
When I watch the Super Bowl, it is usually because I'd like to see one team win or one team lose. And once in awhile, I really want one team to win and the other lose. These often end up being enjoyable games to watch because I care about the outcome. But I don't always watch the Super Bowl. I usually don't care who wins or loses, and I find that this makes for a boring experience. And not just that, but when I don't care who wins, the hype somehow becomes less tolerable. Beyond not caring who wins, I have skipped the game some years for other reasons. Sometimes I find myself thinking that this entire spectacle is something I'd rather not support.