Boycott the Bowl? Likely not

Will NFL viewership continue its decline during today’s Super Bowl or will we break the downward spiral by all tuning in to yell against Tom Brady?

I get it; your main reason for watching the Super Bowl is the commercials. Maybe that is really true.

While NFL viewership has declined by as much as 10 percent over the last two years since Colin Kapernick took a knee during the national anthem, Super Bowl ad sales have remained strong.

NBC’s parent company Comcast reported that things were on track for the network to haul in $500 million in total ad sales for the game. That would be a new record for the Super Bowl, a total that has more than doubled in the last eight years. The average cost of a 30-second ad is projected to rise about 1.1 percent to $473,775 for this Super Bowl.

Maybe it is the strong matchup of Patriots versus Eagles that is causing the optimism but experts say the Super Bowl could actually account for 2.5 percent of U.S. broadcast TV’s 218 ad revenue.

I just keep thinking about what I could do with $473,000. Buy a motor home and retire to the road. Tailgate at every Bronco game until John Elway dies. If I’m lucky that might even include another Super Bowl.

I gave some thought to boycotting NFL games this season. I’ve heard lots of people tell me they had done just that but I don’t believe most of them.

Things looked pretty good when this season started. Our Bronco defense still looked good and things seemed to be coming together on offense. Then only about a fourth of the way into the season Elway’s coaching lineup didn’t look so wonderful and our season started to come home to roost on our quarterback bullpen. Who knew we would be using our quarterback bench just like a bullpen?

I’ll admit, by the halfway mark, if there was something better to do, like pick grass burrs, I didn’t mind protesting the NFL. It had less to do with principle than it did stinky play behind center.

Therefore, I resolve to swallow my principles and watch Super Bowl LII — just for the entertainment factor of the commercials, you understand. Besides, who knows when a wardrobe malfunction might occur on national TV. Bill Belichick’s sweat shirt could ride up far enough that we get a clear view of the lint in the sly dog’s belly button. Or Al Michaels’ dentures might actually come all of the way out of his mouth during the pregame show.

There just has to be something more redeeming to this Super Bowl than watching Tom Brady come from behind one more time.

Ah, just once to see Captain America fall on his face.

Karl Terry writes for Clovis Media Inc. Contact him at: [email protected]