The Super Bowl is Both Meaningful and Meaningless

Every year, the Super Bowl takes over America. It’s a spectacle of athleticism, strategy, and over-the-top entertainment. My feelings about it? They’re complicated.

Growing up, I didn’t care much for sports. My friends were passionately invested in their teams, but I was more focused on artistic pursuits. I’d show up to Super Bowl watch parties mostly for the snacks and socializing. In fact, I often found myself annoyed when people were too locked in on the game to hold a conversation. But then college happened, and at my Big Ten school, sports weren’t just games. They were cultural events. I started to see what I had been missing: the camaraderie, the collective euphoria after a win, even the heartbreak after a loss. Sports, at their best, bring people together. That kind of bonding is invaluable.

Over time, I developed an appreciation for the strategic elements of sports. Beneath the physicality, there’s an intricate chess game being played. Although sports evolved from war games—which isn’t exactly my favorite historical footnote—at their best, they celebrate planning, execution, and high-level problem-solving. They ideally provide a space where we can engage in competition without real-world consequences. And then some fans take the whole thing far too seriously. But that’s another issue entirely.

Of course, sports aren’t just about entertainment. There’s also the question of how they function in society. Noam Chomsky, for example, highlights the ways that sports serve as a distraction, a way to divert public attention from things like systemic inequality or social control by the capitalist class. And he’s not wrong, at least not entirely. The more hyper-focused people are on “sportsball,” the less they’re paying attention to the forces shaping their lives. When fandom tips into obsession, or when someone’s emotional well-being is entirely tied to the outcome of a game, well…that’s a potential problem.

But people also deserve outlets. Life is hard, and entertainment offers a much-needed escape, whether it’s through sports, movies, music, or something else. The problem is lack of balance, not sports itself. If watching the Super Bowl is an enjoyable tradition, then that’s great! But if it frustrates a meaningful engagement with the world, then that’s probably not so great.

Ultimately, I’ve come to see sports as neither inherently good nor bad. They can foster connection, sharpen strategic thinking, and provide joy. But they can also be an opiate of sorts by numbing people to the realities around them. The key is being mindful. Engage in the spectacle without being consumed by it.

So, by all means, enjoy the game. Just don’t let it be the only thing you play.