Betting on the Super Bowl

 

“So what do you say we up the bet?” my friend from my place of business asked me.  “I’m tired of betting the usual.”  On such occasions he and I usually bet a single, solitary paperclip.  [NOTE: yes; we are both well aware that this is lame.]

“Well, what should we bet?” I asked. 

“How about a Schwartzie!”  A, “Schwartzie” is a corned beef hoagie with coleslaw & Thousand Island dressing from Primo Hoagies an awesome sandwich franchise from Philadelphia, PA.

“Ok, so if you win I buy you a Schwartzie and if I win you buy me a Nonna’s Veggie.”  A “Nonna’s Veggie” is an eggplant, sharp provolone, broccoli rabe & roasted red pepper hoagie that I have fallen in love with.

“I don’t know… who’s playing?” I asked.  I am not a sports fan.  I prefer the commercials and movie trailers to anything that’s happening on the field. 

“Baltimore & San Francisco,” he said.  “What do you think?”

“Well, Baltimore are the, ‘Ravens’, right?”

“Right.”

“Edgar Allan Poe is one of my favorite writers and Baltimore obviously cares about him too.  Still, Jack Kerouac spent some time in San Francisco…  Ya know, I’ve gotta go with Poe.  I’m for the Ravens.”

“Good!  Do you want to bet a point spread?” my friend asked. “I’ll go 27 – 20, San Francisco.”

“No.  I’m confused enough already.” I said meaning every syllable. “Let’s just stick with who wins the game.  If the Giants win then you get a Schwartzie and if the Ravens win then I…”

“The 49ers.” My friend corrected me.

“YES, of course; the Gold Rush!  It all makes sense now.”  We went on to ‘seal the deal’ with a fist bump.  Win or lose, Primo Hoagies is in my future.  I’m hoping for victory on Super Bowl Sunday!

We shall see. 

What I’m really looking forward to are the tent-pole movie trailers and the commercials.  The Super Bowl charges upwards of 4 million dollars for a 30 second spot.  This is where the corporations with deep pockets come to display their wares to the public.  Being a member of the public and a purchaser of wares I might watch on a lark; however, from a psychological and advertising standpoint I find it fascinating.  These corporations are firing across the bows of ALL demographics when they advertise in this game.  There are hits and there are misses and each shot that is fired costs between 4 – 5 million dollars.  Those are expensive cannon balls.  This is what makes the spectacle interesting to me, the much larger game of demographics & advertising.  The studios and corporations are betting on US, the hearts & minds of the viewing public, to consume and invest in their wares. 

Making movies is a gamble in itself and there is no guarantee that a movie or a product will prove worth the commercial investment.  Here’s a brief breakdown for the tent-pole movies advertising during the Super Bowl from USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2013/01/31/movie-super-bowl-ads/1878365/.  Disney is betting on two offerings with, “The Lone Ranger” and “Oz: the Great and Powerful”.  That’s 10 million dollars for two 30-second spots.  Those are high stakes.  For the studios and corporate entities that advertise it must be worth the price of admission.  That is the big game behind the Super Bowl.  That is what I find fascinating. 

I’m betting a hoagie but the big boys are betting on a whole lot more than that.  So, Gentle Reader, enjoy the Super Bowl for whatever reason you’re watching it.  For yours truly that reason is rumored to happen during the second quarter when the new Star Trek trailer is unveiled.

Go Poe!