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Why do people really watch the Super Bowl?

Feb 8, 2017, 1:03 PM

Super Bowl...

Prince, Beyonce, and Bruce Springsteen have all performed Super Bowl half time shows. Lady Ga Ga performed during the 2017 Super Bowl half time. (AP)

(AP)

Football used to be a man’s game that men watched. Of course, some women were fans. And there was a time when it was a Republican game. The numbers of Republicans watching was huge, it leaned very far to the right. And that was true for the ultimate match — the Super Bowl.

But now it’s a game that is ageing.

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This past Super Bowl, I just wanted to watch football. I didn’t want to be lectured about politics.

So what do people tune in for? Because the ratings have been sliding quite a bit. Do they tune in to see President Bush and his wife during the coin toss?

I don’t want any politics involved in football. I want to see men hit each other really hard. I want to watch plays develop and I want to watch the strategy involved. I don’t need to see the cast of Hamilton make a political statement. It stressed me out.

Do people tune in for the politically correct advertisements?

Times have changed. The older fans are dying and younger people are involved in extreme and sports.

And the NFL is making the right decision business wise. That’s what stresses me out. The ratings got a big bump when Lady Gaga performed. There was more viewership for the halftime show than the game.

The NFL is drifting away from me and drifting away from you. They are virtue signaling to appeal to young people. But they may lose people like me who love the game itself.

As always, please listen to the full audio clip for complete context.

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Why do people really watch the Super Bowl?