# Super Bowl pre-game questions **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 7, 2011, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-pre-game-questions/570504 "2011-02-07T10:59:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-pre-game-questions/570504/1 "2011-02-07T10:59:21Z")
Two questions about the Super Bowl pre-game: [ol] [li]I had the sound turned down during the player introductions. Who was the old man with the mustache? What did he have to do with the players?[/li][li]Why did we need to hear “America the Beautiful” and the national anthem? Was this Fox’s way of advertising “Glee? Can’t we manage with just one song?”[/li][/ol] ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-pre-game-questions/570504/2 "2011-02-07T12:23:18Z")
Sorry, I can’t help answer your questions because I was too busy trying to figure out what the declaration of independence has to do with a football game. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-pre-game-questions/570504/3 "2011-02-07T13:45:53Z")
Don’t know about the guy with the mustache, but no, we most certainly don’t need to hear _America the Beautiful_. In fact, I’d prefer to just skip the _Star Spangled Banner_ too, if it’s going to be butchered as horribly as Aguilera did. Ugh. My question is why the pre-game show included Bill O’Reilly insulting the President for a half-hour. What the hell was the point of that? ---
**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-pre-game-questions/570504/4 "2011-02-07T13:53:55Z")
[Sam Elliott.](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000385/) ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-pre-game-questions/570504/5 "2011-02-07T14:55:28Z")
The whole thing was bizarre, wasn’t it? The over-the-top rah!rah!USA#1!!!1!!!Greatest nation on EARTH lead up to a football game just made no sense whatsoever. I know it was Fox, but was any of that really necessary? It looked a little desperate and sad. And I love the “World Champions!” spin on things; Fox Sports does know that only one country plays this version of the game, right? At least baseball’s World Series is played by a league with a team in Canada too! It was so very very weird. ---
**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-pre-game-questions/570504/6 "2011-02-07T15:34:47Z")
The hardest part was getting through the pre-game without falling asleep. I watched it live, so the game here doesn’t start until 1:30 a.m. The last half hour before kickoff was just terrible. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-pre-game-questions/570504/7 "2011-02-07T15:35:07Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > The whole thing was bizarre, wasn’t it? The over-the-top rah!rah!USA#1!!!1!!!Greatest nation on EARTH lead up to a football game just made no sense whatsoever. **I know it was Fox** , but was any of that really necessary? It looked a little desperate and sad. FOX usually manages to keep their right-wing cable propaganda machine a separate entity from their broadcast network, including Sports. I think that’s why I found the presence of Bill O’Reilly so disconcerting. What’s next? Glenn Beck guest-starring on _Glee_? Gretchen Carlson as the next _American Idol_ judge? ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-pre-game-questions/570504/8 "2011-02-07T15:43:29Z")
What was up with Sam Elliot’s hair? Was that some kind of tribute to Tom Brady? ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-pre-game-questions/570504/9 "2011-02-07T15:46:28Z")
Did anyone else notice that Christina Aguilera messed up the words to the Star-Spangled Banner anyway? **mnemosyne** , technically there’s the [European Football League](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Football_League), but it’s pretty widely understood that they don’t play against the NFL for the same reason Major League Soccer in the US doesn’t even TRY to get into any international competition. ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-pre-game-questions/570504/10 "2011-02-07T16:11:53Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > FOX usually manages to keep their right-wing cable propaganda machine a separate entity from their broadcast network, including Sports. I don’t get what was wrong with the program- It’s now “Right-wing” to talk about the Declaration of Independence? It’s “Right-wing” to say that the USA ain’t half bad? ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-pre-game-questions/570504/11 "2011-02-07T16:30:51Z")
> [@Spit](#): > > I don’t get what was wrong with the program- It’s now “Right-wing” to talk about the Declaration of Independence? It’s “Right-wing” to say that the USA ain’t half bad? No, but it’s arguably “Right-wing” to spend 30 minutes of a football pre-game show (?) having one of your ultra-Republican commentators call the Democratic president a Socialist and tell him how much he is hated by the public. It was bizarre. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-pre-game-questions/570504/12 "2011-02-07T16:50:02Z")
Yeah, O’Reilly was far too contentious for my tastes. Jeez fella, have a little respect for the office. Kudos to Barak for showing more dignity throughout. As for the reading of the Declaration, I really kinda enjoyed that. It’s nice to hear the words ever so often, even if their presentation of it was a little over the top. And hey, it was really nice to see Art Donovan again, even if it does mean I have to recognize the fact he’s aged considerably. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-pre-game-questions/570504/13 "2011-02-07T17:10:27Z")
Obviously my point of view is slanted a little differently, because I’m Canadian. And I know the Super Bowl is an American thing aimed at American audiences, and some level of nationalism/patriotism/flag-waving is expected and perfectly fine. It just seemed over the top. I think it was an interesting idea to have the Declaration of Independence done in that manner, and it was a well produced segment, and might have been interesting on an Election Day or Independence Day, but what the fuck did it have to do with the Super Bowl? It’s also an absurdly long text. Basically my reaction was “Ok, interesting… hey look, they made Drew Brees look like he’s not balding…they’re reading the _whole thing?_ Really? Why? When do the commercials start? Let’s get this game started…is it over yet? I don’t remember the Super Bowl being this political…Had we known this was going to happen, we would have played a spot-the-flag drinking game…Guess I’ll get another beer…_finally_ some football! What the hell was that and why was it necessary?” I was underwhelmed by the flyover though…after all that, I expected to see dozens of planes shoot over the arena. That would have been so awesome! ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-pre-game-questions/570504/14 "2011-02-07T19:01:46Z")
I started the broadcast late on my DVR, and we skipped right to the game as soon as Aguilara sang wrong words. How much of the Declararion did they do? It gets kinda boring and technical once you get into the list of greivences. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-pre-game-questions/570504/15 "2011-02-07T19:07:26Z")
> [@Zeriel](#): > > **mnemosyne** , technically there’s the [European Football League](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Football_League), but it’s pretty widely understood that they don’t play against the NFL for the same reason Major League Soccer in the US doesn’t even TRY to get into any international competition. This is just wrong. MLS teams compete in CONCACAF international competitions, in the same way that Premier League teams compete in UEFA international competitions. Because that’s the region their country is a part of. Now, MLS teams often suck donkey balls, but there are nowhere NEAR as bad when compared with English, Spanish or Italian top flight teams as European Football League teams are when compared to the NFL. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-pre-game-questions/570504/16 "2011-02-07T20:56:22Z")
As much as I would like to blame everything on Fox News, the Declaration of Independence thing was something that started during the 2002 Super Bowl which was shortly after 9/11 (well a few months, I guess). They have done it ever since. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-pre-game-questions/570504/17 "2011-02-07T21:50:02Z")
> [@villa](#): > > This is just wrong. MLS teams compete in CONCACAF international competitions, in the same way that Premier League teams compete in UEFA international competitions. Because that’s the region their country is a part of. > > Now, MLS teams often suck donkey balls, but there are nowhere NEAR as bad when compared with English, Spanish or Italian top flight teams as European Football League teams are when compared to the NFL. I stand corrected, last I’d heard MLS teams didn’t really participate in anything approaching the soccer “major leagues”. Regardless, I think the point stands that (despite the existence of pro American Football teams all over the world) despite the fact that none of the teams in the NFL are from outside the US you could make the case that the NFL’s talent level is sufficiently superior that the Super Bowl is the de facto world championship of the sport. Didn’t there used to be a NFL Europe league that essentially amounted to a minor league for the NFL, skill- and player-base-wise? ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-pre-game-questions/570504/18 "2011-02-07T22:01:00Z")
From what I saw of British American Football teams (and I accept they might have improved since I left), you’d see a significant number of fatalities if they tried to go up against an NFL team playing at full strength. A good MLS team, on the other hand, can at least appear on the same pitch as ManUre or Chelski or the Arse. The league I have most problem with them referring to it as a World Title is the NBA - there are many successful basketball leagues around the world, and while I think the worst NBA franchise would handily beat the best non-NBA team (though maybe not under non-US rules…), the difference is much lower than it is in football. I’m not sure how big the gap is in baseball between a weak MLB team and a top Japanese team, for example. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-pre-game-questions/570504/19 "2011-02-07T22:21:54Z")
> [@Zeriel](#): > > Didn’t there used to be a NFL Europe league that essentially amounted to a minor league for the NFL, skill- and player-base-wise? Yes. It started as the [World League of American Football](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_League_of_American_Football) in 1991 and 1992, which had both U.S. and North American teams. After a 2-year hiatus, it started back up as the European-only World League in 1995 (changing its name to [NFL Europe](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_Europe) in 1997, and then NFL Europa in 2007). It ceased operations after the 2007 season. The WLAF was partially sponsored by the NFL; as I understand it, the later versions were entirely run by the NFL. It was, indeed, a developmental league for the NFL, though each team also had “national” (i.e., non U.S.) players (usually the kickers). There were a few NFL Europe players who were able to use it as a springboard to NFL careers, notably Kurt Warner, Jake Delhomme, and Matt Bryant.