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Watching Super Bowl XLVII Without Watching

Sports fans watch sports. Social media fans watch social media. But what if you’re both?

I am both a sports fan and a social media fan. My blog is all about sports and social media. Even Cupid.com could have gotten this coupling right. It’s a match made in heaven.

You can’t watch a sporting event in this day and age without social media being a part of it in some way. Whether its Twitter handles, Facebook comments, or fan tweets, it’s seems to be a very part of the fabric of broadcasting sports now.

I’ve watched this relationship grow exponentially for almost four years now. Things I used to do in the past on my blog about sports and social media are commonplace now. It’s getting more difficult to be on the cutting edge, to be different or to stand out from the crowd in the social media-sports circle. So I had to come up with something different. And I did.

My theory was off the wall. My idea was bordering on nuts. But, who ever said geniuses were sane, right? [Shh. Don’t tell me I’m a genius or insane until after you read this, okay?]

But I did the unthinkable. I watched the Super Bowl without really “watching” it.

I watched it….but only on Twitter.

***

Yes, I’m serious. I let the tweets tell me the story. No pre-game shows, no game, no halftime show for me. Just tweets.

Part of my reason was to be unique. But the other part is my job as a social media/sports reporter. I curate news and reaction to sports solely through Twitter. And because of the magnanimity of the Super Bowl, I knew I would miss a story or a key tweet by watching the game. Heck, I had to be on Twitter anyway to curate content so why not let it tell me the story, right? It made sense at the time, at least.

Because of the nature of my job, I am unable to share everything with you today. There are many tweets and stories I found (and still finding) that will either be seen on the ESPN show UNITE or I’ll have to add them later (which is true). Between my retweets during the game and tweets I’ve gathered, I have an overabundance of tweet reaction to this game. Without further ado:

***

Pre-game

Lots of dropped beads here. C mon man on Twitpic

(Via @ESPN_Chris)

Alicia Keys before the National Anthem

I saw the fireworks:

I even got to see the Super Bowl program:

Do we really think he means this? I don’t.

Other pregame chatter (including an RT with a comment I made):

https://twitter.com/scottfeschuk/status/298194320324964352

Who needs to “watch” the Super Bowl when people tweet out this (You Go, Southern!):

Click this link to see the video: telly.com/1IHVU4

Twitter told me who the captains were:

The pregame music was astounding:

I didn’t realize how astounding until I watched it just now (note: prior video was deleted by user. I have updated with the one below.):

Ah yes, where would we be without commercials? One, in particular, dominated my Timeline early:

https://twitter.com/WorseThanCrocs/status/298221317298216960

But apparently, GoDaddy wasn’t the only commercial I needed to see:

Umm, yeah, okay, where were we. Yes, on to the game. The things you learn without watching:

https://twitter.com/TomahawkNation/status/298214520365654016

https://twitter.com/shighkinNBA/status/298223884136742912

And the fake FG wasn’t a good call:


https://twitter.com/celebrityhottub/status/298228426224062464

And then along came Beyonce:

Again, who needs to watch the halftime show when…:
(Thanks SB Nation)
SB Nation Beyonce pic

(NOTE: Prior video was replaced with the one below as the user’s account was deleted)

http://youtu.be/kKVorba5GLs

Play resumes with a TD by Jacoby Jones:

Lights went out (I blame Beyonce) –

Great job on this GIF:

LightsGoOutSB

*

Now after Beyonce and the lights going out, Twitter suddenly became a blur. That, or typing this at 11:30 at night, has made it that way. By then, it was just a matter of retweeting what folks were saying under the Twitter accounts I work for. [I tweet under other accounts, not just mine.)

The task to continue to actually favorite or copy links to tweets and videos became overwhelming. Mostly because I got caught up in the game itself…still on Twitter. The 49ers, after the long, drawn-out, lights-out delay, came back with a vengeance to make it a game. So much so that they had a chance to take the lead in the waning moments of the game with a first and goal.

First and goal, game on the line, end of the Super Bowl?

It was at that moment that I blinked. I caved in to the Twitter peer-pressure of “best Super Bowl” ever and turned it on. I watched the last two 49er plays and as well as the Ravens’ taking over on downs and ending with a safety and punt.

I FAILED. MY TWITTER EXPERIMENT OF WATCHING THE SUPER BOWL FAILED. 

Or did i? I “saw” the fumbles, the interception, the momentum shifts, the commercial commentaries, the amazing GIFs, the snide commentary, the whining, the celebrations, the gaudiness, the sorrow…I “saw” it all. For someone with no real rooting interest, it was fine. It’s not for everyone. Lord knows I won’t do it again for another major event unless absolutely forced to.

And especially NOT for “March Madness”!!!

I’ll leave you with some pictures I just came across to end this little adventure:

Photo by leighannetuohy • Instagram

Before blasting my experiment, NFL Network is re-airing the Super Bowl tomorrow (or today, Monday). Guess I really didn’t miss anything then, huh?

******

CadChica Sports

Posted by Sunny Cadwallader

CadChica Sports - Because there's more to the story than what's black-and-white

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