Our View: Big game? It gives us indigestion
What, exactly, are we supposed to make of “XLIX”? That sounds more like a laxative than the ultimate American sporting event.
Perhaps comparing the Super Bowl to a laxative is fitting this year. Has anyone involved in the game given us a reason to enjoy (as opposed to merely watch) Sunday’s de facto national holiday and annual paroxysm of excess?
The only team most of us will be rooting for will be the ones in striped shirts. After all, the referees and officials might be the biggest underdogs in the history of sports. Their task is to keep their eyes on every single, tiny, difficult detail of the game. Are the Patriots’ footballs fairly inflated? Are the Seahawks’ egos deflated enough to keep their heads from exploding? Will Bill Belichick find a new way to cheat? Will Richard Sherman’s bluster make the Arizona desert even hotter?
What, exactly, are the penalties for boorish behavior, bad sportsmanship or excessive self-centered posturing?
Is there anyone on either team who qualifies as likeable? Think about Marshawn Lynch, who appears to be, well, a jerk. He answered every question in Tuesday’s media session with “I’m here so I won’t get fined.” Not that we’re particularly interested in anything he has to say, but that’s simply bad manners. Perhaps it was better than standing in front of reporters and telling them, with a straight face, that you have absolutely no idea how those footballs lost so much air. Insults, at least, are honest.
What reason do we have for watching this Super Bowl? Maybe just something to glance at between scoops of guacamole, buffalo wings, slices of pizza and swigs of adult beverages. Yes, there will be a game on TV, but it’s doubtful many people will be paying much attention (except maybe to Katy Perry). There’s all that food; all those number grids; all those commercials; all that imbibing. And what happens if we over-indulge in this festive fare and find ourselves plopped on the couch suffering stomach distress? Well, maybe XLIX will be good for something after all.
It’s a block party ... BYO broom
Those who spend most of their days downtown have a little extra incentive for keeping the public areas outside their businesses and offices clean. In an effort to make downtown Modesto as inviting as possible – and build a little competitive pride – two civic-minded “judges” will be walking the city blocks Monday afternoon to determine which block is cleanest. The “block captain” of the winning block will get tickets to a show at the Gallo and dinner at one of several restaurants. Lynn Dickerson, CEO of the Gallo Center for the Arts, and the city’s downtown planning manager, Josh Bridegroom, will be the “official” judges. In the case of the Gallo Center, Dickerson has brought in some ringers. She enlisted the Vocational Coaching and Development Institute to find people to do the job, and she says they might be hard to beat. This is the latest good idea to make a difference in Modesto. The Modesto Garden Club, Chamber of Commerce, LoveModesto and others have also found ways to help.
Help someone read these words
We like to think that the readers of The Bee’s editorial pages are particularly intelligent and well informed (sometimes even when they disagree with us). They need no help reading, even between the lines. Some adults are not as lucky. If you know of anyone who needs to improve their reading, writing or math skills, there is free tutoring available on Saturdays at Carpenter House Church, 1105 S. Carpenter Ave., in Modesto. It’s part of LearningQuest, a program of the Stanislaus Literacy Centers. Math tutoring begins at 8 a.m., history at 9, reading at 10 a.m. The target audience are those trying to get their high school equivalency degree. For more information, or to consider volunteering, call (209) 522-0656.
This story was originally published January 30, 2015 at 4:49 PM with the headline "Our View: Big game? It gives us indigestion."