---was the NFL's own. I forget the specifics, but it implied that Brett Farve couldn't let go of being in the NFL. What a great dig it was at him (if you saw it the same way all of us at my party saw it.) It definitely caused the longest and most hearty laugh of the night.

Agreed about the homophobia, but I was more offended by the xenophobia exhibited by many more of the ads. Perhaps it was xenophobic in a strict sense, but there were those that definitely took swipes at recent immigrants to the US.

Oh, and about the game, I'd give the MVP award to the offensive line which pretty much controlled the game allowing Manning and co. to do the very little they needed to do to win.

I have to admit I didn't see it as anti-gay -- and I'm speaking as someone who tends to be fairly sensitive to these things and who saw it with some (new) gay friends. I mean, hell, I live in San Francisco :)

As I saw it, it didn't make fun of gay people -- it made fun of straight people who are uncomfortable with any sort of suggestion of homosexuality in their conduct. It's pretty clear these guys are NOT gay, and while you could call their conduct anti-gay, we're laughing at their conduct, not validating it.

I saw the game on tape after the fact, but heard the whole thing on the radio while driving. I wonder why no one cares about the Superbowl radio ads?

I read a book last evening.

I'm not much of a fan of pro football, but I'm very happy to see Dungy get a super bowl win. He grew up in my hometown, and his family is/was the nicest bunch of people you'd ever want to meet. He's a real class act, and while I can take or leave his religious leanings, it's good to see a nice guy finish first.

Congratulations to Tony Dungy and Good People(tm) everywhere.

As a 46 year old who has given up watching pro football with obnoxious former players as commentators (and the Jr. High bantor of the Terry and Howie genre) for college ball on Saturdays, I decided to tune in for the big one and see what I'd been missing. Maybe another corny, patriotic half-time show choreographed to 'It's a Small World After All'.

Imagine my disappiontment. Bad choice for venue (tropics), next time choose San Diego or Phoenix. Bad game. Bad commercials. Bad commentary. Prince was actually decent.

Bottom Line: Waste of time. Surfed-on in the 3rd quarter. Come on King admit it, the whole thing (including the game) was less than average...

King, so often you (properly) go into the minutiae of how bad broadcasting and broadcasters can be, and while I didn't listen to much of the broadcast last night I certainly watched the game. Or tried to, anyway.

At least three cameras were seriously affected by the weather last night. Yes, I know it was raining, but haven't there been hundreds of NFL games played in the rain before? Two cameras ALWAYS had water splashed on them such that it seriously affected the quality if the picture (one of those two cameras was the flying camera above the field, and I'm willing to forgive this one) and at least one camera was foggy all night.

It was the freaking Super Bowl! And they couldn't afford a couple plastic shields and anti-fog glass for the cameras? Nobody at CBS ever said, "Hey, what is our plan if it rains?"

Sheesh.

Am I the only one who is incredibly agitated by Phil Simms' commentary? I think I'd even rather listen to Gumble. Simms must have enrolled in the Teddy Atlas School of Intonation - sometimes I would swear it was Atlas up there in that box. And in a profession known for stating the obvious, he frequently is able to make my draw drop anyways. Last night as the camera switched to a shot of the sideline and the *driving* rain and he was heard to comment, "Well, it looks like it is still raining out there.."

Commercials - I thought the coin one was great, actually. But overall they were pretty "meh."

The Snickers ad would have been a lot better if it ended as the guys recoiled as their lips touched. To that point, it was mocking homophobia and kinda cute. Snickers would have saved a few megabucks, too.

Aside: If they're going to post the ads at a web site, then all those people who tolerate the Super Bowl and populate the Super Bowl Parties just to see the ads have been set free on Super Bowl Sunday Afternoon. This is probably a good thing, but I can see where the network might disagree.

chris I forget the specifics, but it implied that Brett Farve couldn't let go of being in the NFL. What a great dig it was at him (if you saw it the same way all of us at my party saw it.)

I saw it as a tribute, not a dig. I'm sure he participated. If it referred to indecision I could read it as a dig, but it was just saying it's hard to let go OF the NFL. Everyone else in the spot was a fan, if I recall correctly. They were sad the season was over.

royrapoport It's pretty clear these guys are NOT gay, and while you could call their conduct anti-gay, we're laughing at their conduct, not validating it.

That's roughly how I read that Heineken ad five or six years ago, but for some reason, this ad didn't feel the same to me. It felt to me like we were supposed to identify with these guys, to empathize with their plight, rather than to laugh at their overreaction as though it were silly. I think if you go to the Web site and look at the other three endings, you'll see what I mean. When the guy comes in and asks about the Love Boat, you're clearly in the shoes of the two "kissing" guys. I felt that way before I went to the Web site, though. It's just how the orignal spot struck me. I can't put my finger on why.

ChefColeman: King, no mention of the rain-dropped cameras?

At least three cameras were seriously affected by the weather last night. Yes, I know it was raining, but haven't there been hundreds of NFL games played in the rain before? Two cameras ALWAYS had water splashed on them such that it seriously affected the quality if the picture ... Nobody at CBS ever said, "Hey, what is our plan if it rains?"

I know! I meant to do an item on it but the column was already too long. I was amazed not that the cameras got wet, but that CBS never did anything about it. Never mind a plan. How about: "Yo, someone get a rag and wipe off the camera lens!"