Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Super Bowl of Obligation


Have been back for a few days, but little time for blogging. Yesterday was the US secular Holy Day of Obligation known as the Super Bowl. This has now become something of a secular para-liturgy. The introductory rites include pretzels, nachos and beer. Then, the main part of the rite develops with the meal, usually taken during half-time, unless the commercials are viewed, which is also very much part of the ritual. After the game, beer etc, is still consumed with the post-game analysis, which is, of course, greatly helped by the amount of beer consumed during the game. Having played Rugby as a youth, I have absolutely no interest in American Football, finding all the stops and starts incredibly irritating, so I had a rather lovely 'silent Super Bowl' - watching a rather fine French movie about the role of Algerian troops in WW II called 'Indigenes.'

5 comments:

GOR said...

I can see Father that your ‘Americanization’ is not yet complete. Well, I can relate. Having been here nigh on 40 years I still have no interest in basketball. But, living in Packerland, football is de rigueur (but, hold the raw beef and onions…).

While living in England I did eventually acquire a mild interest in cricket. And while soccer was my game in my younger days, I can’t stand to watch it any more. Too much pussy-footing around. Get on with it! And less of the histrionics when begging for a foul…

gemoftheocean said...

Geez, Laweese. What up wid dat?

Even the Sainted 5'4" Fr. Shipley and I managed to watch a good portion of the game before and after the Mass. [Mass was at his house, him being 81.]

I got there and nothing was yet set up. So we watched the end of the second quarter. Had Mass (which took slightly longer than the 20 minute half time, and the went and grabbed KFC and watched the end of the 3rd quarter and most of the 4th quarter! And it was a good game too (for once, not being a blow out) it was the best kind of game, one that went back and forth in the scoring.

AF isn't anything like Rugby - (how in the hell can you have enough sense to pick up the ball and not be allowed to throw a forward pass? Oh well, at least Rugby is infinitely better than soccer, which is for women and pansies. [It's not really a sport unless you can get killed playing it. Now WATCHING soccer...]

gemoftheocean said...

And Gor, yes...the historionics some soccer players go through when they are lightly brushed makes you think they are going for an Academy Award for "Best death scene of the year."

It makes you want to throw a brick through a TV screen and yell "stop crying, little girl, cowboy up and stop acting like a pussy!"

Julie said...

Perhaps you should give up American Football for Lent, hahahah

Liz said...

Father, I'm one American who is no more enamoured with American football than you are. I was most disappointed when the males in my house (who had declared this Superbowl not worth watching since their team wasn't in it) decided to watch anyway in hopes that "Not the Colts" would win. There was much rejoicing when that happened. However, since they had made such noises about not watching they didn't get the Buffalo Wings I've made in years past. We never have gone for the all out feast. Feast days here are on the liturgical calendar not determined by sporting events.

I'm not a huge sports fan, although I enjoy a little baseball. I can tolerate some of the Olympics (the curling, the speed skating, some of the skiing and the figure skating). However, frankly, I mostly attend to my knitting when sports is on the TV.