Super Bowl shows offered more misses than hits as vapid commentary dulls exciting game

More than 62,000 people attended the Super Bowl in Miami. Years from now, that number will swell to 2.2 million or so as people will insist they caught the final act of the NFL’s 100th season up close and personal.

The rest of us on Sunday were subjected to Fox’s broadcast, and depending on the amount of beer and chili intake, it was a mixed bag before digesting the 49ers and Chiefs.

Kansas City won 31-20 for its first Super conquest in 50 seasons. The broadcast was OK, a C-plus grade to match a C-plus game, unless you’re wearing Chiefs colors the rest of the winter. Then it was all A’s. Fox color voice Troy Aikman was solid, per the norm, a three-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback who understands this stage.

Joe Buck? He was actually a bit less insufferable than usual. He dulls broadcasts with a tendency to over-dramatize the moment, but he had some good moments. He expertly tied in the historic aspect of Kansas City winning in a city in which the 49ers last won the Super Bowl, 25 seasons ago, and the Fox broadcast captured the emotions of Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who in his 365th career game finally won that elusive Lombardi Trophy.

The great pregame gushfest

The Fox pregame show was long, often dull and otherwise uninformative. FOX was supposed to be on its game here but it was more miss than hit.

A lot of it was a gushfest of Fox announcers/interviewers playing the role of fans more than journalists. Fans expecting unique insight got little of it. Otherwise, why employ so many retired NFL players?

One pregame segment included the giddy Tony Gonzalez and even more giddy Rob Gronkowski, each all-time great tight ends. They sat with the top tight ends of today in Travis Kelce of the Chiefs and George Kittle of the 49ers. The Pope could have interviewed these tight ends and gotten them to talk. There was no insight out of this segment outside the refreshing take from Kittle, who said the joy of pancaking a foe is “the breath leaving his body.”

Gonzalez ended the segment by telling the tight ends, “Go out and make us proud!” They then took selfies and embraced like long-lost brothers.

An unwanted dance-off

Another pregame yawner segment was Michael Strahan’s star-struck interview with halftime entertainment headliners Shakira and Jennifer Lopez. Stomachs by the tens of millions surely turned when the big man tried to dance, to seize the moment, and we all hoped he might rip his britches.

Said my lady Heather, looking on in bewilderment, “He’s awful but J-Lo and Shakira are amazing.”

Nailed it. The halftime show was energized and included pole dancing, a children’s choir, fireworks and some Led Zeppelin.

Insider lack of input

Fox before kickoff turned to another “insider” in Alex Rodriguez, the one-time baseball player and current flame of Lopez. He was supposed to offer insight — something, anything — on what the halftime show might offer. He offered nothing beyond a kiss to Lopez and this on-air comment, “It’ll be a family affair. I can’t tell you anything other than that.”

Introducing Joe Buck. Twice.

Buck had a pregame segment in which he said, “I’m a blessed guy” to call his sixth Super Bowl and to follow his father Jack Buck who called the Chiefs’ last Super Bowl a half century ago. Fox then turned to Buck sitting with 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, and Buck reminded viewers of his pedigree — again. He whiffed when he pressed Shanahan with this question, “You realize you’re a helluva coach, right?”

Shanahan didn’t bite.

Jimmy J strikes

Jimmy Johnson, the freshly named Hall of Fame inductee as a Cowboys coach, had a good pregame interview with Reid, the longtime Chiefs coach. They talked about the years of waiting for this golden chance, and they joked about the classic 1970s clip of a hulking and huge Reid dominating little guys in an age-group Punt, Pass and Kick contest.

Then the local FOX signal went out for a good 20 minutes. Chaos everywhere, but also a needed break from the pregame drudgery.

100 and then some

We were all treated to the site of scores of NFL greats from the NFL’s all-time team, including Joe Montana. Then the double bonus of four 100-year-old World War II veterans participating in the coin toss.

This story was originally published February 2, 2020 at 7:54 PM with the headline "Super Bowl shows offered more misses than hits as vapid commentary dulls exciting game."