Much of what made watching the Super Bowl entertaining to me when I was young has since been lost with age and better alternatives.

While I am not the most avid football watcher, I do enjoy watching it when I can, but the mechanics and hype around the Super Bowl baffle me.

Especially when the teams playing have no geographical relationship to most of the country, it is astounding how much the country is infatuated with a game where, in most cases, their team is not playing.

What emotional investment can be had watching games like that?

The last time I watched the Super Bowl was two years ago. I found myself cheering neither team on. When the game ended, all I could say was, “Well, its over.”

Super Bowls seemed to have become a holiday. This holiday, of course, celebrates specific teams for a specific sport that seemingly hypnotizes most of the U.S. population.

The argument could be made that the Super Bowl has become much more than just the sport being played on the screen. The appeals of the commercials played are actual arguments to the gravity of the game.

In no other situation has a commercial ever been a reason to watch something. I cannot understand why people clamor for advertising, and seemingly only in Super Bowl specific situations.

Yes, there is a little more thought and effort put into making the commercials entertaining during the game, but people do not seem to understand advertising does not stop after the Super Bowl ends.

Most of these commercials will air long after the original air date. Also, the internet exists. These commercials are collected on several entertainment websites forever. So if there was a need to watch the commercials, there is less of a need to watch it during the game. The need to watch it during the game is now unnecessary.

So, if not to watch the game or commercials, why watch it? Is it the half-time show?

That makes little sense as well because of how much negative backlash these mini concerts get after the dust has settled. Hype for the shows builds and builds and then when the artist finally hits the stage, the country seems to give a resounding sigh of disappointment.

This happens every year.

But because of the bowl’s official unofficial holiday status, the case is made the game brings people together to party, hangout, eat and chill with friends and family. This, of course, is not the reason the come together though.

Friends and family join together for these types of parties to be with one another. If something on the screen is need to keep their attention, several options in recent history have been made available to avoid the Super Bowl.

These alternatives include the Puppy Bowl, Kitty Bowl, Fish Bowl and Toddler Bowl, the much cuter, more adorable alternative to the Super Bowl. They replace anything that can be given at a Super Bowl, but with more adorable flair.

The Super Bowl is worn out. With better alternatives emerging and less reasons to watch it, I think people should look at how much they should really be caring about this game.

Jarad Jarmon is a senior journalism major. He can be reached at 581-2812 or jsjarmon@eiu.edu.