As a foreigner, I never understood the appeal of the Super Bowl. It happens every year, so who cares which team wins or loses? It also doesn’t really matter who the champ is because in a years time, it will probably be someone else.
Because of this, I never felt the gravity of the situation like I would from a FIFA World Cup. The World Cup is a huge deal where I’m from. When Argentina plays — especially in the elimination stages — people don’t leave their houses. The whole country is heavily invested, and speaking negatively of our chances of winning is like saying Voldemort’s name.
With the Super Bowl, it’s more of a social activity than a passion for the sport. People just gather to watch it with friends and have a fun night. Obviously there are diehard fans, but those people are limited to the two teams that are playing. Plus, all the commercials and publicity for it make it seem like the game isn’t even what matters.
This is why I could never bring myself to care about “the greatest night in sports.” It’s just two teams playing a really confusing and specific sport that has a ton of pausing and explanation, which then gets drowned out by the most obnoxious and attention grabbing commercials of the year.
All of this being said, I did enjoy Super Bowl LII. It was the first football game I watched from beginning to end, and the only one that I knew what was happening. Also, I cared about which team won and lost — something that I had never actually experienced with American football. I found it really entertaining, as both teams put on a great game. Would I watch it all the way through again? Absolutely not. I’ll be “of age” next Super Bowl so needless to say I will be in Flavortown for the duration of the game.