Super Bowl Sunday

Kyle on America and its football:

This sport represents the only true prism that captures what this country is truly all about. Only in American football can you find short bursts of action punctuated by long meetings about how to proceed, a testament to the inactivity that has allowed every other country on earth to surpass us in productivity. This game also teaches important lessons about one’s place in society: everybody has one small job, assigned by body weight and intelligence level, and the thinnest and prettiest employee gets paid the most. Everyone has a preassigned number, and if one is caught doing something that is not in that number-holder’s job description, penalties are assessed.

America’s Team?

From Freakonomics’ 10 reasons to like the Steelers:

4. The fan diaspora.

6. The Steelers are good assessors of talent, both seen and unseen. ... Consider the fact that two of their very best players, Willie Parker and James Harrison, were undrafted.

7. The Steelers are a small-market team ... that manages to always play big.

9. Mike Tomlin, the current head coach ... at the press conference immediately after the Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens to gain the Super Bowl ... quoted Robert Frost.