10 Bold Predictions for the Super Bowl Pregame and Halftime Shows

There are certain things about the Super Bowl that appeal to every different person out there. 

For those who are not into sports there are always the infamous Super Bowl commercials, whether it be Volkswagen and their Star Wars-themed project or Coca-Cola with their floating Family Guy balloons. 

Now for the sports fans out there who are looking for a competitive all-out effort by their favorite teams, the Super Bowl is the perfect place to be. 

On this day, everything is on the line for these two teams.  There is plenty of extra money, pride and legacy that are at stake.

However, if none of those fancy the audience, there is always the pregame and halftime shows for entertainment.

After Justin Timberlake’s mishap with Janet Jackson, there is a part in every viewer hoping something that ridiculous can happen again.  Whether that is ethical is up for debate. 

Anyways, here are some bold predictions (hopes) for what will come about during this year’s Super Bowl pregame show.  

It Will Still Be About Tim Tebow

There are certain facts of life that are inevitable.  The most famous two that have been quoted by Ben Franklin are death and taxes.  Little did Mr. Franklin know that he was missing one more fact of life, Tim Tebow. 

Ever since his emergence at Florida, his fame has grown exponentially.  In fact, Tim Tebow has become so famous that even his childhood football coach was interviewed on ESPN about the growth of Tebow. 

Now this is not a discussion on whether people like or dislike him.  There will always be an opinion on the guy, which is exactly why he is so famous. 

Very rarely is there a type of player that causes as much buzz as Tim Tebow has.  It is most likely due to his spectacular resume alongside his not-so-spectacular mechanics. 

However, he has and still is proving that he can win at whatever level he is at.  Tebow has done that in college at Florida and as a starter on the Denver Broncos. 

Due to these and other factors, Tim Tebow will still be talked about during the Super Bowl even though he was knocked out two rounds earlier.  

There Will Be at Least 50 Mentions of Eli vs. Peyton

Eli and Peyton Manning allow for one of the most intriguing stories to be brought up in a major American sport.  In short, they both have Super Bowl rings, both are great players and until recently, only Peyton was considered to be an elite quarterback.

However, now that Eli is in his second Super Bowl, it leads the audience to question if Peyton’s superiority is warranted.  With Peyton hitting the end of his career soon, it looks like Eli is poised to make a run at “The Best Manning” award. 

This is not to say that Peyton or Eli is bad in any sense.  Both have shown that they are some of the greatest to play the game at their positions.  Peyton may go down as one of the smartest quarterbacks ever to play and Eli might be one of the best finishers (at least from 2011 stats). 

Five or six years ago, talks that Eli is better than Peyton would have been laughed at.  Now it is a serious topic of discussion, especially if Eli can manage to win his second Super Bowl in 2012.  

More "Celebrities" Will Be Asked About the Game

With our sports world and entertainment world being so closely linked, it is inevitable that both worlds will collide on football's biggest stage.  What I mean by that is every year, there is always a random celebrity coming on giving his or her opinions on the game.

Not to say that these celebrities have no substance to what they are talking about, but it seems more logical to ask a Hall of Fame inductee rather than Brad Pitt.  However, it would be naïve to neglect the reasons behind the madness. 

Interviews with celebrities do bring in more viewers (the ones who are not that interested in football).  Those interviews also generate revenue and as many of us know, the sports world is more a business nowadays than in decades past. 

Whether you think celebrity interviews on the Super Bowl are irrelevant, there will definitely be a few in this year’s show.  

Madonna Could Be Refreshing...

…but most likely not. 

Just recently, the Super Bowl halftime performer has been confirmed and to this writer’s disdain, it is Madonna. 

Not trying to take away from any of the accomplishments that she has received.  She was a great singer and performer back in her career.  She is a storied pop icon and will most likely remain an A-list celebrity for the rest of her life. 

However, in all honesty, she is getting old (in every sense of the word).  For most of the fans watching the Super Bowl, Madonna is not the first choice in performer that they would have in mind. 

But after all is said and done, she is the performer who is set to play and hopefully she can breathe new life into the halftime performances.  In recent years, the shows have been lacking in excitement and overall execution. 

If Madonna can prove that the hype for the halftime show is not just fabricated by the media, it will be a huge gain for future performers.  

The WAGs Will Be Shown More Than...

…most of the players.

Lets be honest, as I have mentioned before, sports and entertainment have become intertwined with each other.  So much that many athletes see themselves as celebrities and consequently end up in relationships with other celebrities. 

It makes for a good story and realistically helps create revenue for those writing about it or taking pictures.  This is neither good nor bad, but just funny how much of an event the Super Bowl has become. 

With that comes the marketing of good-looking celebrity girlfriends and wives over the lesser-known players playing in the game.

Chances are there will be more shots of Gisele Bundchen than New England safety Patrick Chung.  

The Commercials Will Be a Disappointment

Some of the best commercials have come out of Super Bowl ad spots.  One example is the infamous Coca-Cola ad involving a Family Guy, Underdog and Charlie Brown balloon.

As the video shows, it starts off with Stewie going after a giant bottle of Coca-Cola.  This goes on for a few seconds until an Underdog balloon emerges.  From there a friendly battle for possession ensues until the ending with Charlie Brown being crowned the victor.

Granted the previous example is one of the best commercials ever to be made, but overall the quality has fallen short since. 

Commercials nowadays are going for the “shock and awe” approach where marketers are doing whatever they need to in order for brand recognition.  The style of story telling has started to dissipate, and that is why commercials have started to get weaker. 

Every year there is anticipation leading up for not only the game but also the commercials that come with the game.  It is the most famous commercial ad spot in television. 

Unfortunately, there is too much hype for these commercials setting themselves up to fail.  

There Will Be at Least Three Motivational Stories

Sports are one of the most marketable industries out there.  Not only because of the worldwide interest in competition, but also the back-stories surrounding all the different players. 

For example, Disney will most likely buy out the rights to Tom Brady’s football story after he retires.  The story of a second-to-last draft pick coming in and winning three (and possibly more) Super Bowl rings. 

The media loves these types of stories because it sells.  No matter how small the player, it seems like they will find a story and exploit it.  There will be a few montages with narration by Morgan Freeman and dramatic music in the background. 

Nevertheless, we will all watch and have a renewed sense of love for the sport we grew up watching. 

90 Percent of Conversations Will Involve...

Tom Brady...

This is understandable. 

Tom Brady is one of the best ever to play quarterback.  He is currently playing in the Super Bowl and leading one of the most prolific offensive attacks in the history of the league. 

Eli Manning…

He has shown that he can compete with the elite quarterbacks in the league.  His stats show us that he is one of the best finishers in the league.

The 2007 matchup of the Giants and Patriots helps solidify Eli’s story with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.  There are plenty of stories there to stir up. 

Tim Tebow…

As much as I hope this does not happen, it is almost guaranteed there will be at least one segment looking at Tim Tebow’s year. 

He is a walking conversation starter.  Whether we love or hate him, there is always an opinion waiting to be screamed out.  Tebow has probably occupied about half of all football stories this season and it does not look to slow down anytime soon.  

There Will Be at Least One Technical Problem

Probably the most random of the predictions, but it could happen.  For some reason, no matter how advanced our technology gets, there seems to always be some form of technical problem during a broadcast.

It may be a mic not working or a camera going out, but for all the preparation that goes into these shows, something always happens. 

Lets hope for nothing too serious, though.  

Both Shows Will Be Entirely Too Long

With every year’s Super Bowl comes another way for companies to advertise their own products in fun and creative ways. 

In doing so, they pay entirely too much money for too short of time.  Both shows will have a few too many interviews and stories along with discussion about rumors that most likely will not happen. 

Not that these shows are not fun, they do have some entertainment value. However, too much fluff and random stories get old after a while.