But now the game itself isn't much more than a backdrop for the ads. The real blitz is the marketing blitz. The sheer dollar amounts are staggering. Some companies will spend a fortune. The game will feature so many ads that even advertisers are complaining.
Pro sports is awash in money.
Funny thing is, for all the money, the game itself is no better. No more drama than Super Bowl III, when Joe Namath promised a victory for the New York Jets and carried off the upset over the Baltimore Colts, 16-7. Many would say the game is worse. It's played by squads of overpaid athletes, bulked up to inhuman proportions, playing a game planned like a corporate marketing campaign but without spontaneity and joy. Much of this is true for college bowl games, too.