I normally write something about each year’s Super Bowl since starting this blog in 2012.  I waited to write anything until now for a very important reason – I didn’t watch the game this year.  I will not explain why in this space….if you see me around town, ask and I will tell you why.

But looking at the aftermath and some of the highlights, I have two major observations on the contest.

First, I am very happy for the pro football fans in Philadelphia.  They are avid fanatics (after all, the work “fan” is short for fanatic).  They can be very tough on the home team if performance is below par, but they love their football and want to win.

The Eagles have never won in NFL championship until 2018, when they were victorious over the New England Patriots.  I spent two weeks one May in downtown Philadelphia working on a special project while a federal civil servant and grew to love Philly, its people and most of all its sports fans.

Second, the league continues to make a mockery of its concussion protocol.  The video clips clearly show a player concussed, sent to the sidelines, only to return to the game and go down again.  The NFL is not looking good on this front.  This concussion issue is one of many that results in the falling NFL fan interest, especially among younger sports fans.  This league has the financial resources to get this done right.  Concussion protocols need to be corrected and fixed now.

One last thought – the TV ratings services estimate the audience for the Super Bowl this year at just over 103 million .  That seems like an astounding number, and it is.  It will likely be the largest TV audience this year for one program.  However, it’s also the smallest Super Bowl audience in nine years.  The audience is huge, but the numbers are on a downward trajectory the last few years.  The NFL has something to worry about long-term.