Watch commercials or watch the big game?

It’s that time of the year again where the final two teams in the National Football League are left standing. This part of the year isn’t the most thrilling for me, as I am a Cleveland Browns fan. In fact, it never is … ever. But that is something I just have to live with at this point. I never really had any control over where my parents were from; I just got stuck with them.

After winning two weeks ago, Carolina and Denver are set to meet in Super Bowl 50. I’m pretty sure looking back at the beginning of the year nobody thought either one of these teams would be left standing at the end of the season. But it should lead to a very entertaining game on Feb. 7 at Levi Stadium in California.

This leads me to the main point that I want to make: why do I really watch the game? Everyone knows that businesses use the Super Bowl for advertising purposes. The commercials are different than normal, with some running three to four minutes, because so many people are watching the game. The commercials are so popular that the question has come up, do people just watch the game for the commercials? To be honest, I think that is true in some cases; but I also think that it doesn’t bother the network hosting the game one bit. Regardless, they are still making A LOT of money.

I’m a guy who loves sports so it is only natural that I put my bitterness of being a Browns fan behind me for a couple hours to sit down and enjoy a football game. For most of my life, I have watched the game with my two friends back in California.  We will pick someone to root for and play bandwagon for a majority of the game. For instance, this year I am going to cheer on Peyton Manning in his last hurrah for increased greatness. I think Cam Newton is a great athlete, just a little too much to handle as an opposing fan.

Now it might seem like I am leaning toward the side of the actual game, which I am, but I also find the commercials intriguing. Usually when I watch sports or TV I find the commercials a bore. But during the Super Bowl, my friends and I are glued to the TV during commercials. This is exactly what the network and companies want from the viewers. It’s weird to think that such a big event for American Sports has pretty much turned into marketing propaganda.

Regardless of what the true statistics of how many people watch because of the game or because of the commercials, it is still a huge night. Like any true sports fan, I always end up watching and truly enjoying the game. Hopefully, the year will come around when I don’t have to pick a team to root for. But on Feb. 7, it is all about the Broncos. I hope everyone enjoys the game this year, for the right reason.