Super, Solo

I'm looking forward to watching the Super Bowl tomorrow evening—alone. Anyone else with me?

Three days ago, when laying out my plans for tomorrow evening, I told my wife that I needed to get in front of a television set back home about a half-hour before Super Bowl 58’s opening kickoff.

“Do you want to go somewhere to see the game?” she asked. “Maybe a bar?”

Nope—the game’s enough on its own, I explained. I prefer to watch it by myself.

The next day, we ran through the same conversation again. She hadn’t quite believed her ears the first time. To her—and no doubt, to others familiar with my extroverted personality and all-around sports zeal—my desire to watch the game solo Sunday seemed peculiar.

But this is simply me coming out of the When the Big Game Is On, Let Me Be closet. I want to take it all in without interruption—the plays, the replays, the color commentary, even the $7 million commercials that grow tiresome by the second quarter.

For one thing, although I might be the only one under my roof watching the game, I will hardly be isolated. There will be over 100 million fellow Americans (and, if last year’s popularity is any indication, 50 million-plus folks internationally) also tuned into the proceedings.

As the action between the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers unfolds, at least a few of them are bound to text me or get texts from me.

Nine years and nine days ago — with my son, Zach, late in the New England Patriots’ dramatic win over the Seattle Seahawks. (This was before Seattle’s final, ill-fated drive.)

As a shared national experience, nothing else comes close to the Super Bowl. Of the top 12 most-watched TV broadcasts in U.S. history, 10 have been Super Bowls—the exceptions being ginormous historical moments (the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969, at #1, and Richard Nixon’s resignation as President in 1974, at #10).¹

And in an increasingly fragmented world with seemingly more options than ever, the Super Bowl spectacle is getting bigger—last year’s contest between the Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles was the most watched telecast ever, with an estimated 115 million viewers.

To anyone who has ever been with me for a Super Bowl viewing, let me be clear: I enjoyed the experience.² While the football-viewing zealot inside me fantasized about slipping into a nearby empty room and having the game all to myself, my extroverted side had a wonderful time.

Thanks for the invite.

But tomorrow, if you’ve got my number, a simple text (perhaps with a pre-game prediction)³ will do.

1. I realize that the U.S. population has grown steadily over the years, so the better metric would be the Nielsen ratings. Even by that standard, the Super Bowl shows up 19 of the top 30 times.

2. Especially when the New England Patriots won, which was—wow—a whole heck of a lot!

3. My prediction: San Francisco 28 Kansas City 27