While I didn't watch, Super Bowl XLVI was still entertaining

So, M*A*S*H keeps slipping down the Nielsen Co. list thanks to the popularity of the Super Bowl these days.

For 26, the season finale of the television drama back in 1983 was THE most watched single program in history. All that changed three years ago when New Orleans and Indianapolis met in Super Bowl XLVI, when an estimated 110 million people watched. Since then, it has been reported that last year's game between Pittsburgh and Green Bay beat it (111 million) and this year's Super Bowl beat that at 111.3 million.

While I count myself amongst those who watched the M*A*S*H finale and the Super Bowl in 2010, I have sat out the last two years.

Yeah, I can hear some of my friends out the saying to themselves 'some sports editor you are.' However, I did listen to the games on the radio — this year while playing Madden Football on the Playstation. I love listening to games on the radio, so that didn't bother me at all. The only thing it prevented me from seeing was Madonna perform this year.

Madonna, I wouldn't walk across the street to see if I had a free ticket, so I doubt I missed anything there.

As far as column fodder goes, I'm not doing myself any favors by not seeing the commercials because that's usually good for at least a paragraph or two. Which essentially leaves me to talk about the game itself.

One of my friends actually poo-pooed the previous Super Bowl (XVII) when the New York Giants and New England Patriots met. He said that it wasn't exciting, even though the Giants won the game by scoring with 35 seconds remaining and that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had a chance to lead his team back in that small amount of time after the following kickoff. That was before his fourth down desperation pass fell incomplete.

My friend said that the best Super Bowl ever was Super Bowl XXXIV because that game came right down to the final play before the St. Louis Rams ended up beating the Tennessee Titans 23-16. This after the Rams stopped Titans wide receiver Kevin Dyson on the 1-yard line on the final play of the game.