Superbowl And The Many Advertising Hiatuses.

Freeze, for the love of money.

Many moons ago when I spent some time in the States I took to following American Football on Sundays and dare I say Mondays. After watching a few matches I more or less got the hang of the game and its intricate dance between offence, defence and the golden armed quarterback. Bob is a staunch defender of rugby but if he were to see and understand the American rugby he might like it too.

Yesterday's Superbowl game was on after midnight our time which was just as well as I couldn't sleep. Mausi and I were enthralled for about four hours. Puls 4 had many commentators who knew their stuff and that made it nice to watch.

About an hour in I kept wondering why the game would so often come to an abrupt halt for about about a minute or so, with the players huddling, resting and waiting. Surely that can only lead to losing the plot? There you go running the ball and suddenly everyone pauses almost like back in kindergarten when you play tag and you're it.

Eventually another viewer wrote and asked the same question and the veil was lifted. The Superbowl is the most expensive advertising spectacle where a 30 second add can cost up to five million dollars and clearly many advertisers took up the offer.

Austrian television didn't have so many takers as to fill the long gaps and where the viewers in the States saw ad upon ad, we saw the game come to a halt time and time again. Rather funny but telling too as the love of money seems to overtake the spirit of the game.

The game of course was fantastic to watch and from the start I was rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles. Really. It has been a while since I watched a full game but I actually enjoyed this Superbowl and especially that one touchdown where the quarterback himself caught the ball. Brilliant stuff.

Biggi