This year, I won’t be watching the Super Bowl, and I believe my decision is valid.
For many fans, the Super Bowl is a must-watch event, but for me, it’s not the same. My favorite team, the Cincinnati Bengals, didn’t have a shot at making the playoffs, and the other teams I would have liked to see in the big game got knocked out early. So, the Super Bowl has lost its excitement.
To make sure I kept my word on this, I purchased tickets to watch the Charlotte Hornets take on the Detroit Pistons at home on the same day as the Super Bowl. The reason behind this is that the tickets are inexpensive and it offers me a chance to watch a team I actually care about.
The main reason I was looking forward to the Super Bowl this year was Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance. I never have experienced the Pistons playing live, so the opportunity to see them on a Sunday when I am relativity-free just made more sense to me.
It isn’t just because I am upset the Kansas City Chiefs made their way back to the big game yet again. The Super Bowl has just felt bland throughout the last few years and I have a few reasons to support my case.
It’s hard to stay invested when the teams that captured my attention earlier in the season aren’t in the running anymore. Especially when you have watched the games religiously throughout the regular season.
There’s also the issue of familiarity. Over the past two decades, we’ve seen a lot of the same names dominating the NFL. Tom Brady, the Manning brothers, Ben Roethlisberger, and many others. Now, we are seeing the same thing happen with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
While I respect their talent and the legacies they’ve built, it feels like the same old story year after year. I understand this is common in sports, where dominant players stick around for a long time.
But wouldn’t it be refreshing to see a new, young face take the spotlight? Someone like Jayden Daniels or even a team like the Detroit Lions winning the Super Bowl would shake things up in a way that feels new and exciting.
It’s not that I don’t appreciate the greatness of the players we’ve come to know, but a change in the narrative would feel like a breath of fresh air for fans like me.
Finally, there’s the culture surrounding the Super Bowl. For many, it’s more of a social event than a celebration of the sport itself. The game often becomes an excuse to eat junk food, drink excessively and socialize, which can be frustrating for a true sports fan.
I want to watch the game for the game’s sake, not to be distracted by the party atmosphere. I understand that for some, this is part of the fun, but it doesn’t appeal to me. I’d rather focus on the action on the field with my small-knit group than navigate the constant chatter, eating and drinking that often overshadows the game.
For these reasons, I believe it’s perfectly valid to sit out and not watch the Super Bowl this year. Sports fans should feel comfortable skipping an event if it no longer excites them or aligns with their preferences.
Whether it’s because their team didn’t make it, the same names keep showing up, or the surrounding culture of the event doesn’t match their love for the game, it’s okay to take a pass. We’re all entitled to our opinions, and for me, skipping the Super Bowl is a choice I feel confident in making.