The Super Bowl XLIV by Jamil Shawwa

Do not ask me what is XLIV stands for, I just copied and paste, but after checking it out with some sources, it means it is our Super Bowl #44. It is maybe the biggest sport event and day in the US. Two teams represent the top divisions, Eastern and Western- of the Unites States- play on what America considers the world cup. It is the American football, close to Rugby, but here our players wear helmets and protects their bodies with all sorts of things, because it is and can be a tough game. I sound ignorant, and maybe I should not have written about it but how could I or any body- in America- ignore the super Bowl Sunday. America, even in the snowy areas, is mesmerized in front of its TVs enjoying a full day of events. In America super bowl is not a game, it is a ritual, a war, peaceful one though, a tradition, where families, friends, and people who never met talk about it in their homes, in the stadium, in their cars, planes, cafes, bars, restaurants, in their job, in the kitchen, every where. America today talks only Super Bowl. Americans are unique in the way they watch this game, as I mentioned above, never say a game, and say the super bowl. Now, I have to admit one thing though and I really feel ashamed as an American to admit that I have never watched a full or whole game of professional football in my life. While in Iowa, couple of my dear law professors used to invite me to watch college football- colleges from all over the US compete on a college football championship. Back to the super bowl, it is really a social event, as I mentioned, where people consume tons of fried chicken wings, munches, appetizers, pizzas,tons of beers and soft drinks. it is a feast no doubt about it. Today we are not democrats or republicans; we are not with or against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, today is our day, only domestic, and only the super bowl. America is a world by itself and in itself. America though tries always to extend it's hands to the rest of the world, and feet if necessary- American football is played mostly by hands, soccer is played only by feet- as we have started over thirty years ago to integrate ourselves with the rest of the world in the universe most popular sport, Soccer, in America, football in the rest of the world. We have a league here for soccer and we have an Olympic soccer team. However, nothing compare to the American Football when it comes to the popularity, the passion, and the commercial side of it. Advertisers pay millions of dollars to have their commercial played during half time, the most watched event, maybe, sometimes more than the game itself. Half time events and festivities have become a big part of the super bowl; top of the world singers come to sing sometimes, and tens of millions of Americans attached to their TVs, it is the time to hit them with these commercials, many of them have become so memorable. If my memory is not betraying me, Brittany Spears had a very popular Pepsi ad in one of the previous super bowls. We are all at home today, some because we have no choice because of the snow, but the rest is at home for the super bowl.

PS: Forgive me if I sounded ignorant up there, I just did not know what else to say.