SUPER BOWL 2014: COMMERCIALS THE *REAL* CHAMPIONS!

Will Grapentine

Last night we saw Denver and Seattle duke it out (well, on paper at least) to claim greatness throughout the halls of the NFL and bring the 2013/2014 season to a close.

Meanwhile, throughout all of New England their was a collective "HUMPH" followed by some shrugs and a few eye rolls (PLUS a few cheers for Denver's demolition).

Still no matter who has played in 'The Big Game' - or who WILL play in years to follow - one thing is for timeless: Super Bowl ads ARE AWESOME!!!

Something almost as buzz-heavy as the game itself, this years Super Bowl 30-second spot will cost approximately $4 million (According to Paul Farhi of The Washington Post), right around the same price that CBS was charging to get some airtime during the Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers match up last year.

But just like the game itself has its winners and losers, the ads do too. Here are the best and worst ad spots for SUPER BOWL XLVIII.

Super MVPs

- MET LIFE 'PEANUTS': Who doesn't LOVE Charlie Brown, Snoopy and friends. With blonde pianist Schroeder at center playing the national anthem, the respectful tone of the ad indeed matches the last scene of the gang's famed Christmas Special. Simply put - "That's What 'Game Time' Is All About, Charlie Brown"

- TOYOTA HIGHLANDER FEATURING 'THE MUPPET'S' & TERRY CREWS: From the opening shot of 'The Electric Mayhem' and their tie-dyed bus, *THIS* ad made me beg the question: "Am I A Man Or A Muppet?"

- 'TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION' SPOT: Now in its FOURTH OUTING, the spot for this Michael Bay epic (based on local company HASBRO's enduring toy line) showed Mark Wahlberg in the lead and a first-look at the fan-fave DINOBOTS!

- OIKOS 'FULL HOUSE' REUNION: With John "Uncle Jesse" Stamos being the yogurt brand's spokesman for some time, THIS spot upped the nostalgia by throwing in his 'FULL HOUSE' co-hosts Bob Saget and Dave Couliar --- memory lane for THIS 80s/90s guy!

- TIM TEBOW T-MOBILE: With New England not signing on God's Messenger last fall still a sore spot to some fans, Tebow turns lemons into lemonade with a series of 'no-contract'-themed spots.

- CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER SPOT: Perhaps the BIGGEST pre-summer release of the year, this super-soldier-sequel has a tinge of government conspiracy as Marvel's First Avenger showed some serious action in this 30-second fangasm!

- BUDWEISER HORSE/DOG AD: On a personal note, I *HATE* lab and golden retrievers --- but even I couldn't help but "AWWW" at the cute-factor of a little puppy and his Clydesdale compatriot!

- SCARLETT JOHANSSON SODASTREAM: Originally banned because of digs to both Coke and Pepsi, the do-it-yourself soda maker wanted to "go viral" with close-ups of hot-dress-wearing S-Jo. Mission Accomplished!

- 'THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2' SPOT: Technically THE FIRST blockbuster of the summer (opens the first week of May), Spider-Man and Super Bowl have always meshed since Tobey Maguire's first outing in 2002 and its respective 'Big Game' spot that year!

- RADIO SHACK 80s MONTAGE: Nostalgia abounds in this ad, underscoring the electronics retailer 's recent upgrade, as it shows every 80s icon from Hulk Hogan to Alf to The California Raisins after the line "The 80s called, they want their store back!"

SUPER 'BENCH WARMERS'

- COKE COLA 'AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL' U.N.-STYLE! : I could write a who op-ed on how much I *HATE* this piece. From its over-the-top hammrd-up sanctimoniousness to the forced multiculturalism, THIS spot made me wanna GAG!

- BOB DYLAN CHRYSTLER: Again, like Seinfeld, this guy is old, overrated, and past his prime. Not my generation. Not my music genre. Not my spokesman. If the auto bailouts weren't enough to make me wanna buy a foreign model - THIS ad DOES!

- MIXED-RACE CHEERIOS AD: With all the stink this made with the yellow journalists at MSNBC to start a feud with the Republican National Committee, I expected more envelope-pushing than a mixed-race kid. Not worth the hype...

- 'GODADDY' DANICA PATRICK MARATHON AD: This female skewed ad should have been on the chopping block at first glance by the execs. If not for annoying NASCAR loser-princess Danica, for it's slight homo-erotic motif. MAJOR PASS on this one. (And Danica: get me a sandwich!)

- 'SEINFELD' REUNION AD: STUPID show. Never got its appeal...just like this ad! What was it an ad for again?

HONORABLE RAMBLINGS

- So in spite of my anti-Colbert musings (the guy's A HACK and AN IDIOT!) wasn't his BRIGHT GREEN blazer in the SECOND ad AWESOME ?! I WANT IT...

- LOVED the O'Reilly-Obama pre-game face/off! Bill O gave King Barack a good lashing, and FOX knows good timing!

- Since when did the average viewer have to be FORCED

- Got an eerie feeling during the pre-game ads, when an sd for 'THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE' aired as it showed a clip...of the just-deceased Philip Seymour Hoffman! R.I.P. ...

- LESS CAR ADS! Some were cute and creative ('MATRIX' throwback wasn't bad) but Ron Riggle and James Franco pushing hybrids?_ Guys, get REAL jobs!

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