Just Super

The Superbowl (LIII) proved once again to be a bloated, overhyped commercial for commercials, US military might, crass consumerism, bad half-time entertainment and Tom Brady worship.  When you consider that the LA Rams should never have been there, and that an experienced QB like Drew Brees would never have floundered like Jared Goff under the intense pressure, we have to think about that inexplicable "No Call" that prevented the Saints from, at least, an easy winning field goal.  The team the Patriots were almost certain to beat was the one that made it to the show.





I'm not a big conspiracy guy,  but you know that Trump and Kraft are very tight.  The president already showed a willingness to insert himself into the Col Kaepernick protest, setting up a straw man about disrespecting the National Anthem, when the original protest was about police brutality.  The NFL bought into the fake controversy, and since it has come down hard against Kaepernick and anyone who thinks of taking a knee, is it any surprise that the league likes a narrative steeped in Nationalism and supportive of dynasty, wherein the Patriots become the symbolic champions of American supremacy and exceptionalist myths in the culture?  I think the league is very happy with the outcome and the message it sends.  The NFL (in it's response to Kaepernick, the social justice issue behind it, and it's well-publicized off-field problem with violence) is right in step with the retrograde message of the Trump administration in it's responses to immigration, policing, violence against women, and civil rights (especially those affecting people of color).  Thus the season ends with the perfect commercial for the status quo.  The dynasty rolls on.  The majority of the country isn't really happy about either of those recent triumphs, but for the most part the country has yet to come to grips with the minority rule situation that's taken hold.  Did someone high up decide the Rams were a better opponent to ensure that the dynastic symbolism remained enshrined for another year?  It doesn't take much in a tight game to sway things.  The Patriots could have beaten the Saints, sure, but a more experienced QB and an offensive coaching staff experienced and smart enough to anticipate, or at least adjust, to Belicheck's  defensive strategy would have gone a long way toward making that outcome a lot more uncertain.






Whether the fix was in, or whether it was just bad officiating and dumb luck that handed the Pats the perfect patsy,  as a spectator, the boring futility fest of a game was not worth the cost of making Brady king.