It is such shows of militaristic jingoism paired with the 'sine qua non' commercialism that, possibly, made Bushco2 come up with the notion that somebody might 'hate us for our freedumbs.' One can imagine Nick the Greek and other such iconic heavy rollers chomping down a little harder of that Costa Rican 'cuban' stogie and choking down a lump in the throat as they heard Lady Gaga get the National anthem as 'right' as it has been gotten in the past quarter century - she was 'pitch perfect' and forgot none of the lyrics. Poignant, if not pregnant.
From there things all ran down hill, or down the leg.
A minor scandal tainted the National Football League this year when it came to light that all the national military fervor associated with opening-game ceremonies and involving members of the US armed forces were not voluntary. At least not voluntary from the NFL's perspective, they asked for and received, the monetary gratitude of the US Department of Defense. They may even have charged for all the 'free' tickets handed out to participating military personnel. The love relationship between pro football and the Military was the same kind of transaction that takes place outside the gates of most military installations most Friday and Saturday nights - some mutual admiration and a cash transfer.
Perhaps that's why the DoD felt the need to get into the annual 'creative' advertising competition.
The big game has become a contest of sorts to see what big business can do to shill its junk. Commercial advertising for the event, as well as being very expensive, has become highly competitive and innovative as ad agencies vie to have the ad with most YouTube hits after the game. US military suppliers Northrup-Grumman might have a winner in the fantasy category. They chose to spend their boodle advertising the weapons of the future - a new, yet-to-be-designed, fighter jet that apparently could contend with the Sith Lord' s Tie Fighters. But then the F35 is still a dud and the new advanced fighter is a gleam in, possibly, our granddaughter's eye - or it will be if it takes as long to gestate.
While the viewing audience may have been awed - if they weren't in the 'biffy' or getting more dip from the kitchen, the game attendees had to be content with the displays and the fly-past, as well as what has been described as a massive military 'security' presence.
Air space was closed for miles around the venue, drones were prohibited. Military security vehicles, armed with heavy machine-guns, were prepared for the finest bang-bang a dollar can buy. And a whole company of field-equipped soldiers were deployed on watch inside the stadium. These latter in addition to the panalopy of service choristers, banner bearers, bandsmen and the requisite command and control units required to pull it all off. The military was even linked to the GPS system which apparently is used to track and guage player movement, activity and health on the field during the game. They couldn't do it without somebody.
Not to go unmentioned was the fantastic 'Pepsi half time show'. The show featured the British groups 'Cold Play - but it shouldn't have bothered. The lead singer 40-something Chris Martin spent a noticeable amount of time rolling around on stages close to what could have been a couple of his daughters and their pre-teen friends - if he truly ruled the world, he might have done it better from a throne of some sort. But nice sneakers. Bruno Mars reprising his big show last year could have carried this one all by himself - or rather, with his coteries of jazz-hopping homies - they had practiced their stuff, did it well and didn't grab crotch once - unlike the aforesaid Martin who must have had a blazing case of jock itch. The third element - included I imagine for T&A effect, for whatever tune she was singing was inaudible - was the badass of black divas 'Beyonce'. Appearing in her trademark vinyl 'knickers' - this year's surgical grade front zipper led the adolescent imagination in what might have been underneath that 'thang', with the industrial-strength performance hose. She also had a pair of granny boots that only a foot fetishist, or Miss Grundy, could have admired. She was accompanied by a harem of black Jezibels on the not-too-well coordinated prowl for something. Some bozo writer in the Toronto Star, Monday, wrote a paean to Beyonce and her significance for blackitude, black youth and art.
Cold Play review
Shy of rolling a battle wagon into the game, the games couldn't have been better for the military if no one else .... say there's a thought for next year.
Meanwhile Levi Stadium, where the game was held, is on the orbit path of Kim Jung Un's newly launched satellite.
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