I grew up watching NFL. In my youth it was an inglorious task, watching tiny little figures scramble across the screen, mediocre camera work and bad sound. When Instant Replay began it was from one camera, not six. The cameras were up in the stands and although they were high tech, the cameras weren’t flying around the field. The views weren’t nearly as robust and crisp or as real as they are today.

Still, it was the Super Bowl.

We all watched Lynn Swan jump 10 feet flying through the air to grab the ball. We all watched Emmitt Smith weave routes around linemen and carry three tacklers five yards further than they wanted to go. We all saw Brett Favre reclaim the crown of Bart Starr. And we saw it all together.

That is kind of cool. In those moments we are all on the same sofa.

And the commercials were seen by everyone at the same moment. We all laughed together, teared up together, or guffawed together. The entire nation was delighted and surprised and we all breathed together.

Today, the spots are all aired out on social media to get as many eyes to the message as possible. I understand this. I accept it and see it as a good strategy. However, during the game, they lack the shock value they once had.

It kind of reminds me that my Mom would ruin jokes. In her Hungarian accent she would say “Sveetheart, tell that joke about the…….(and she would say the punch line!!!”

Today I still watch and I still admire the great commercials and I am grateful that the networks have kept this airing of excellent commercials during the Super Bowl as a ritual. I just wish it was more of a reveal than it is today.

I wish we could see it for the first time as one audience. We can still share our favs on social media.