I remember watching the 1988 Super Bowl in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. I was on a project there and we were invited to a compound which had access to the AFRTS.
Doug Williams and
the Washington Redskins scored 4 touchdowns in the second quarter which
meant we could go to sleep early - oh, 4 am local time. But the
broadcast did not have commercials - the reason 22% said in recent ESPN
poll were the reason to watch the Bowl.
The Super Bowl, since has expanded its live feed around the world. Everyone can watch how technologically savvy the game is, as I wrote in Technology Innovation and the NFL But if you wanted to see the original US commercials too, you had to leave VCR or TiVo on at home. We have had "time shifting" for a while when it comes to TV. Record it on schedule, watch it any time.
Now along comes "place shifting". Satellite TV allows for watching the show on a Jetblue flight or an automobile. On the ground, there is the exciting new Slingbox
technology (the company recently picked up another $ 45 m in funding)
which allows you to watch programs from your home TV on your laptop
anywhere you can find a WI-FI hotspot. At the CES in Las Vegas last
month Sony introduced its response to Slingbox - its LocationFree Player Pak.
Of course, almost 20 million folks watch the game at home and invite 50 million of their friends. Reason to do some "furniture shifting" and bring in those giant TV sets - per this USA Today article aptly titled Rooms to fit any television? To enjoy in sharp high definition "every bead of sweat on Bud Light bottles as clearly as those on the players."
Finally, there are always those that enjoy the empty streets on Super Bowl Sunday. Here's an article on some of your alternatives for the evening. But at least be savvy enough to discuss the commercials at the water cooler Monday morning. These guys based around the corner in Hong Kong will allow you to download the MPEG4 files on your iPod. Especially if you plan to collect on the Bowl square sheet, likely a lot more automated than a few years ago so there is a little less "square shifting".
My pick: Seahawks by 3. I went to school in Dallas and still have not forgiven the Steelers for the 70s. Also, got to go with a technology savvy owner, much as I do enjoy watching Big Ben throw the long ball and Big Jerome rumble.
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