Thoughts on Super Bowl XL

Did anybody else feel like Seattle coach Mike Holmgren was not trying to win the game at the end, so much as he was just trying to get the TD and two-point conversion so he could cover the spread?

And now on to the real point of the posting: a wrap up of the lackluster Super Bowl commercials.

I was disappointed generally in the overall quality this year, and specifically that the Bud Light folks didn't treat us to a new adventure with Ted Ferguson, Bud Light Daredevil. The other Bud Light ads weren't bad, but I wanted more.

There were a few bright spots as companies reprised ads that worked last year. Ameriquest revisited the idea of jumping to conclusions, while Career Builder brought back the dude who works with monkeys. But why would I want to use that job site if that poor guy is in the same crappy job he had last year? And speaking of retreads, is there anything sadder than bringing back a character who wasn't funny the first time, a la this Taco Bell ad (top right).

The Best in Class award goes to Emerald Nuts. You might remember them from when they saturated the airwaves in the 2004 baseball playoffs with "Extreme Nurses" "Egyptian Navigators" and "Envious Nomads" -- people with E.N. initials who love Emerald Nuts. This time, they upped the ante, creating a ridiculous television equivalent of an acrostic: Eagle-eyed Machete Enthusiasts Recognize A Little Druid Networking Under The Stairs. Well done, Emerald Nuts, well done.