Super Bowl 2012: Debating the Pros and Cons of the Two-Week Layoff

The two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl provides plenty of time for analysis, sponsor events, and participants' preparation.

Is it all really necessary?

America loves the annual spectacle, but citizens of today's world have the attention spans of a small children.

The NFL isn't likely to shorten the interim period.

However, there are reasons for both sides of the argument.

Pro: Plenty of Time for the Teams to Prepare

Quite often, the AFC and NFC champions have not played each other prior to the Super Bowl. Those two weeks can be a huge benefit to overworked, stressed-out coaching staffs scrambling to learn about a new opponent.

Over a third of the country tuned in to last year's game between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers. That doesn't even account for the millions of viewers abroad.

Thus, it is in everyone's interest that the game be played well, since not every person is watching solely for the commercials.

Con: Momentum Killer

Much is made about the team that is the hottest entering the playoffs. It appears that there is some credence to the concern.

The Green Bay Packers were a well-oiled, offensive machine throughout much of the regular season. After resting multiple starters Week 17 and having the bye week before the Divisional Playoffs, the team looked rusty throughout their loss to the New York Giants.

The same prospect lies ahead for the Lombardi Trophy competitors this weekend. 

The Giants have been locked-in for the last five weeks due to each game being a make-or-break proposition. There isn't anything concrete to believe that they won't be ready for this game, but the possibility remains.

Pro: Time Heals All Wounds

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski suffered a high-ankle sprain during his team's AFC Championship win over the Baltimore Ravens. Considering he caught 90 passes for a record 17 touchdowns in the regular season, this isn't a small setback.

The normally reserved Bill Belichick offered little when asked about the injury, except to say that Gronkowski was "[d]ay-to-day." 

Last year, the time off did not enable Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey to recover from his ailment. Pouncey's absence played a large factor in the outcome of last year's game.

The downtime between games will hopefully allow both teams to get healthy. The grind of a 17-week regular season, combined with the intensity of the playoffs, will wear down any man.

It's the Super Bowl. The public wants the star players to make their mark.

Con: NFL Acts Like the Pro Bowl Matters

The NFL moved the Pro Bowl to the weekend between the conference championships and the Super Bowl in 2010. The maneuver was an attempt by the league to create relevancy where none existed.

Consider that mission a failure.

It is unclear why professional sports leagues continue to shove All-Star games down the public's collective throat. There is little to no interest, save for young kids and journalists trying to get a free trip to Hawaii.

This farce of a competition is enough to shorten the preparation period to one week. Let's just get to the Super Bowl.

Pro: Every Angle Gets Analyzed

Two weeks can be a long time when one is waiting for something. Luckily, analysts provide plenty of fodder for football enthusiasts to consume to pass the time.

By kickoff, most ardent fans will know all the stats, and be armed with every argument necessary to counter any negative point. Fanatics revel in the downtime as they can comb through each breakdown available.

It also provides an opportunity for journalists to tell the human stories associated with the players. Occasionally, these stories help bring a connection between the player and the fans.

Con: Every Angle Is Analyzed

While knowledge is great, the human brain has a finite amount of space available. Do you really want the ability to multiply numbers to be replaced by a story about Tom Coughlin's cat?

If you haven't read that story yet, don't worry. It will be released sooner or later.

Two weeks leading up to a single game means that writers must find unique angles to separate themselves. In turn, this leads to tenuous angles that have little to do with football.

If done correctly, those stories can provide depth to the game. However, most are irrelevant fluff.

Pro: Provides a Boost for the Host City

The country has been mired in a recession for four years. Any viable economic boost a city can find should be embraced and exploited for the sake of the community.

In addition, Super Bowl host cities spend large sums of money to prepare for the event. The cities need two weeks to attempt to recoup as much of that cost as possible.

With parties and sponsorship events that stretch the entirety of the two weeks, the local economies are provided a shot in the arm.  

Con: Fans Want to Watch Football

Football is a religion to many Americans. Similar to some religions, Sunday provides the community with an opportunity to worship at the sport's altar.

As stated previously, two weeks is a long time to wait. Fans want to watch the game, and they want to do so now.

Out of every con, this one is the most difficult to swallow. 

Perhaps the fans should thank the NFL for the two-week delay. It allows them to adjust to life without their chosen dogma slowly, instead of suddenly.

Pro: Football Season Gets Extended for Another Week

Many football fans are more properly identified by the longer version of the word—fanatic.

Again, the NFL's followers have a difficult time spending a weekend without any games of consequence. The seven-month offseason can be a depressing time.

The Super Bowl being pushed back one week gives fans something to hold onto for just a little while longer.

However, the wait is mercifully almost over.