Guest Writer

The Super Bowl – through my Australian Eyes

Dear Readers,

Meet Fiona Mack. Fiona is a highly-esteemed doctor, spirited women’s health advocate and educator. She is also my BFF in Australia. We met through our daughters who are closest of friends. They just gave birth, two days apart - such is the bond they have. Welcome Louie and Leah! Their older boys, Harry and Kai, are two months apart and inseparable. Fiona joined us for her FIRST Super Bowl and here are her impressions.

Milwaukee visit! 8/2022

I have just watched Super Bowl 57 live on a screen in Australia with my friend Anne (aka Dr Annie K.), our 2 daughters and their 4 wee children, Anne’s Australian son-in-law and an Argentinian mate of his. 

What an Event!

From the start, I must admit to being totally uneducated on American football.  In fact, that ignorance extends to the various codes of “football” played here in Australia – Rugby Union (the original British game), Rugby League (our Australian adaptation of Union), and Soccer (or real “Football” as most countries in the world refer to it). However, I do love Aussie Rules, the uniquely Australian code developed in the mid-19^th century to keep Cricketeers fit in their winter off-season.

American Football is known as “Gridiron” here and looked upon with curiosity and doubt – what kind of a game is this  where the players wrap themselves up in cotton wool?  What is with huge helmets and body armour-type shoulder pads they wear!?  Our Footy players are no such pussy cats – the most protection they use to survive the rucks, scrums, line-outs and fierce tackling is a mouthguard. (Although that could be interpreted as foolish!)  And what about those high grip gloves an NFL player wears to better their chance of catching the ball…isn’t that cheating?

All doubts about the actual game aside, watching the Super Bowl today was fun. For those of you readers who don’t know, Anne is passionate (PASSIONATE) about American football. I was so surprised and intrigued when I first learned that about her – it seemed such an unlikely trait for some reason. She takes being a fan of a sport to the next level! When she talks about her home team, The Packers, there is a spark in her eye and a fire in her belly. I love that. If only we could all find such a passion in our lives.  Her love of the game is shared, perhaps to a lesser degree, by her daughter and has been totally embraced by her son-in-law.  But Anne is most definitely the expert on game play, rules, all the intricacies of a fair catch, out of bounds, touchbacks and dead balls.  And some tricky “2 steps” requirement that no one else could quite grasp? 

For the four plus hours of the game, we feasted on a repast of chili, corn chips, popcorn, salads and quiche and salsa. There was beer and iced tea. Our 2 week old babies nursed on their mothers and our 3 yr old little boys entertained themselves and devoured most of the corn chips. 

And there was more than just football happening on the screen…. there was a stadium crowd of 80,000 people who had each paid an average of $USD 5,500…..there were 30 second advertisements costing 7 million USD each …. we deemed the John Travolta and friends’ Grease-themed home internet ad as one of the best along with the one for the RAM 1500 REV with its less than subtle sexual innuendos.

Finally, but far from least, was Rihanna announcing her new pregnancy at the end of her halftime show performance. But we four women in our little audience picked that right from the start 😊  

Fiona with a collection of strange balls wearing a NSW (Cockroaches) State of Origin shirt and a footy team (Rugby league) beanie - The Parramatta Eels.

Have a super week,

Dr. Annie K.