2009 Super Bowl XLIII Report Card
 
The game
 
A
A classic. Back and forth, with big plays and prime time athletic talent. 
The anthem
(Jennifer Hudson) 
A
Layered emotion due to Hudson’s family tragedy. The best since Whitney Houston’s 1991 rendition.
Half-time show
(Bruce Springsteen) 
B+
The Boss still has knees! Entertaining. But did most viewers relate? 
Al & John     
B+
By the book, as expected. Let the drama of the game shine through.
The ads     
D
Terrible. Again proving too much money can kill creativity. Alec Baldwin a bright spot in quirky Hulu ad.
Trophy presentation 
C
Anti-climactic. Nothing saps excitement like a raised spaceship pod with forced speeches and interviews. Looked like a set piece from U2’s Lemon Discoteque tour.
The party I attended     
A+
First class. All the trappings: too much food, too many desserts. Big screen home theater viewing awesome.
Clinton Stark
Clinton shoots videos for Stark Insider. San Francisco Bay Area arts, Ingmar Bergman and French New Wave, and chasing the perfect home espresso shot 25 seconds at a time (and failing). Peloton: ClintTheMint. Camera: Video Gear