A massively popular sporting event + Twitter = ample opportunities for critical thinking, irony, and sharing. My first thought about the enormity of the Super Bowl (and its related mega-money generation) is the baffling fact that the NFL is a nonprofit entity. It’s ludicrous that a highly profitable business like the NFL doesn’t have to pay taxes.
Pondering: The NFL is a nonprofit association. In 2013, the NFL had revenues of more than $9 billion. Maybe it's time to reclassify the org?
— Eric Stoller (@EricStoller) February 1, 2015
Several people were live-tweeting the Super Bowl who have absolutely no idea about the rules/regulations of the game…and I think xkcd nailed it with this comic.
xkcd gets the Super Bowl…so perfect. http://t.co/DapGjrKGxM pic.twitter.com/OhIZgyz3Fu
— Eric Stoller (@EricStoller) February 1, 2015
Sports broadcasters tend to say the most inane things. They tend to say the same things over and over again, game after game. It’s amusing that this is the state of sports “analysis.”
Basically, the team that scores the most points is going to win. #sportscasting
— Eric Stoller (@EricStoller) February 2, 2015
The actual amount of live-action on the field during the Super Bowl that is shown to us is unbelievably limited. Thankfully, Vox put together this graphic to illustrate exactly what we’re watching.
This: NFL games are mostly commercials and replays http://t.co/poMfI5DfK5 pic.twitter.com/WyW3Ph4F1A
— Eric Stoller (@EricStoller) February 2, 2015
The Super Bowl and the NFL is a dude-fest. It’s an homage to violence, competition, and patriarchy….and the majority of the advertisements for this year’s event featured dads. Moms were left behind entirely or merely used as backdrops for fathers.
The Super Bowl has been all about fathers. Wouldn't it be nice if we had an event that celebrated mothers in such an epic fashion?
— Eric Stoller (@EricStoller) February 2, 2015
If you’ve ever watched a show where someone is exploring a part of the world that has rough terrain, you know that most of the time, the vehicle that’s being driven is NOT a Jeep. Range Rovers dominate the streets of London, but they are much more suited to exploring jungles and rocky bits of the globe.
Jeep commercial shows places around the world where the terrain is much more friendly to a Range Rover.
— Eric Stoller (@EricStoller) February 2, 2015
This tweet caused some folks to question what I was saying. Again, irony can sometimes be a bit too subtle. The NFL is a nonprofit that makes billions of dollars each year. Maybe it’s time for the US to rethink its priorities when it comes to funding and taxing things. In the UK, healthcare and education are a priority. In the US, we’d rather pay to subsidize grown men giving one another concussions.
The NFL is a nonprofit and yet somehow the UK is able to provide healthcare and education for all.
— Eric Stoller (@EricStoller) February 2, 2015
A lot of people didn’t read the entire tweet from Monster. Or perhaps they read the tweet and not the inline graphic. It was a brilliant twist on what appeared to be a social media faux pas. I’ve included the original tweet below.
Brilliant. https://t.co/O6v81v8HWb
— Eric Stoller (@EricStoller) February 2, 2015
Congratulations Seattle from http://t.co/sPr4G1gHup! #biggame pic.twitter.com/eAa59yw1om
— Monster (@Monster) February 2, 2015
Lastly, it should be noted that Twitter is an amazing platform for both synchronous and asynchronous communication, engagement, and sharing.