Super Super Bowl coverage?

When it comes to Super Bowl Sunday, everyone knows there’s a lot more going on than just the game. For the entire event to be an overwhelming success, most people — diehard football fans and non-fans alike — agree that the usually star-studded commercials must be pretty creative. \nWhile I’m not here to dispute that theory, I would also like to note that for a Super Bowl to be unforgettable, all of the coverage must be factored into the equation. \nPre-pregame: I’ve decided to separate the pre-game section of the programming into two parts: the one with Ryan Seacrest and the one without. Airing from 2 to 5 p.m., this broadcast included some short behind-the-scenes info on each teams’ best players, which was sometimes informative and completely typical. \nThe worst part was the addition of Seacrest and the red carpet, which was nothing more than him asking inane questions to celebrities who were with the network — Hugh Laurie — or pimping their new projects — Samuel L. Jackson — and it just didn’t work. As a Seacrest apologist, even I was disappointed, especially when he asked John Krasinski which team he was rooting for when Krasinski wore a Patriots hat. The live performances by Willie Nelson/Sarah Evans and Alicia Keys were a push, but Paula Abdul’s “comeback” was more laughable than most of the people they cut on “American Idol.” \nGrade: C\nPre-game: Finally, Fox’s football guys Howie Long, Terry Bradshaw and Jimmy Johnson got some quality airtime. The three brought their normal facts-mixed-with-funny shtick, and it worked. We’d heard every storyline about XLII by that point, so they did their best. And no offense to the founding fathers, but the weird reading of the Declaration of Independence was even too red-blooded-American for Fox’s taste. \nGrade: B\nNational Anthem/Halftime show: Each of these performances, by Jordin Sparks and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers respectively, was a pleasant surprise. Sparks was phenomenal. I’m glad she just sang the National Anthem instead of trying to do something new with it. Petty’s performance went as expected — great song choices, and he sounds almost identical to how he did 15 years ago — and the stage design was superb. Maybe one day a network will take a chance on a younger act, but in the post-wardrobe malfunction era, Petty’s been the best. \nGrade: A-\nCommercials: The commercials were as boarderline awful as Tom Brady. It was obvious that some companies shelled out most of their budget on the $2.7 million spot price and not the ad itself. There was an over-emphasis on “cutsie” animals and gimmicks that aren’t funny anymore — FedEx, I’m looking at you. Standouts were hard to come by. Pepsi’s two spots, one with Justin Timberlake and the other mocking “Night At The Roxbury” are the ones I can remember just one day after. \nGrade: C-\nOverall, Super Bowl XLII was saved by the amazing game and quality music, while the TV-related content was lackluster. Only one question remains: Who was worse, Seacrest or the Pats’ O-line? \nGrade: B-