Schieffer: More Than Just a Game

Several people asked me this week, "With all that's going on, how can you leave Washington and politics behind and broadcast from a football game?"

The answer is easy enough. We went to the airport and got a direct flight!

And I don't even follow pro football that closely. My interest in the game starts and stops with my college team, the TCU Horned Frogs, who in case you missed it had a pretty fair team last year.

But here is the deal: on Super Bowl Sunday it's hard to get a conversation going about anything BUT the Super Bowl.

Want to talk politics? Inside the Beltway maneuvering? Good luck, but on this one day, I don't think so.

The truth is the Super Bowl long ago became more than just a football game. It's part of our culture, like turkey at Thanksgiving and lights at Christmas, and like those holidays - beyond their meaning - a factor in our economy..

Even people who don't like football tune in to watch the commercials. You can't say that about many things.

So you could argue we're here because the Super Bowl is big news. I won't. I believe it's more important than that.

I think it's one of those breaks when we can put aside the things that really matter and for a few hours just gather with friends or family and enjoy something that makes absolutely no difference in the course of human events.

We need that every once in a while - maybe lately, more than ever. I feel lucky to be a part of it.

[Henri_Rochard]

From justsane-2009 --

"I agree with you completely Bob, which is why it is so disconcerting that..."

Katie Couric started asking President Obama about stinking HEALTH CARE.

Dropping the political B.S. for one day is something that Couric should've paid attention to.

[soap-suds]

I put Bob Schieffer up there with the group that includes Walter Cronkite as a real journalist. However, that does not mean I always agree with his opinions. This is one such instance.

I believe sports, from public school to professional, take a stronger position in many minds than any significant national issues. Take education for instance. Many public schools across the country are taking budget hits due to the recession. Many teachers have been fired, academic programs scrubbed, but I have not heard of a single extramural athletic program that has been suspended. I admit there might be, but I have not heard of one and I read a lot.

[justsane-2009]

I agree with you completely Bob, which is why it is so disconcerting that CBS has chosen to run an advertisement from Focus on the Family. Abortion is an extremely divisive issue that has no place in the Super Bowl lineup.