The pregame festivities might have been the highlight — unless you’re a big Broncos fans.
I enjoyed the nod to past Super Bowl MVPs, although many of them didn't get the memo to stand on the big yellow dot, wave and then move on. Hey, was that Tom Brady sprinting by?
Lady Gaga delivered a solid national anthem and the obligatory jet flyover never gets old.
My three winners and losers from Super Sunday:
WINNERS
Von Miller — The game's MVP is a free agent, which means he'll soon be rich enough to hire Beyonce for a concert at his house. Miller was on the field a lot (thanks to the Broncos' pathetic offense) and produced 2.5 quarterback sacks and forced two fumbles, one that resulted in the game's first touchdown. Miller was sucking in oxygen on the sidelines, but he looked fresh the entire game.
Dachsunds — Loved the Heinz weiner dog stampede commercial. Maybe it was because there were so few commercials that elicited an audible laugh. The Kevin Hart "first date" commercial also was hilarious.
Budweiser — Peyton Manning mentioned in his postgame interview that he was "going to drink a lot of Budweisers." A marketing genius. Look for a Papa John's/Bud party pack campaign.
LOSERS
Cam Newton — The NFL MVP totaled 310 total yards — more than twice as many as Manning — but his three turnovers proved to be the difference. He also inexplicably failed to dive on a lost fumble that all but sealed the win for Denver. Newton's bitter postgame press conference showed him as a sore loser. After an image-boosting year, Newton took a big step back. Gotta learn to lose graciously.
Mountain Dew Kickstart — I have no idea what that creepy monkey in a diaper was doing; I just wanted it off my 60-inch flatscreen ASAP. Proof that not all animal ads work.
Coldplay — I know next to nothing about this band, but its Crayola-inspired halftime show didn't make me search for them on iTunes. Beyonce and Bruno Mars should've kicked them off the stage.
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