Game Report: Seattle @ Minnesota

Fred Mackaman

Game Date:  Sun Jan 10, 2016

Teams: Seahawks @ Minnesota Vikings

Network:  NBC

Pregame Thoughts

I’ll be watching this game not to see my hometown team win, but to see the hated Seahawks lose.  It’s going to be tough, though — the Vikings are five point underdogs and Seattle whipped them pretty badly the last time they met.  Today, though, it’s in sub-zero weather (granted, on a heated field).  I’m so glad that I’m strictly a virtual fan of NFL football, otherwise I’d feel compelled to head over the the Bank and catch the game in person.  Plenty of cheap seats available.

 Overall Response

Weather was a factor, but it didn’t look too bad.  I was a little preoccupied with the heated field.  Seems to me that negates a lot of the effect of the cold weather.  An unheated field in this weather would be like playing on concrete, but with a soft field like the Bank — they might as well be in Dallas.   I enjoyed watching the game as long as the Vikings were up — which was almost the whole game.  But to lose it at the end by a single point … pretty sad for the fans.   Poor Blair Walsh will be remembered for missing that final field goal that would’ve won the game, and he’ll be forgotten for having scored all of the nine points that the Vikings earned.   Seems to me it wasn’t his fault the Vikings lost, but if he’d just made that easy kick, those damn Seahawks would be done for the year.  Seattle takes it, 10-9.

TV Razzle Dazzle

Pretty cool opening credits — special for the playoffs.  “One Moment” theme.  Otherwise, business as usual.  I wondered a few times if the cold weather affected the cameras or Jumbotron, but apparently not.

Entertainment value

5/5.  Fun to watch the cold folks in the stands.  Vikings interception in 3rd period – yes.  Weird play when Wilson missed the snap — talk about your lucky breaks.

Commercial commentary

  • 116 separate ads, Testosterone Factor 5.06/7.00.
  • Biggest categories:  Cars/Trucks and NBC TV shows.
  • Several cool commercials I feel like I’ve not seen before:  Apple TV, Pepsi, Miller Lite, Chevy Malibu.  Made me wonder if lots of companies produce special commercials to roll out during the playoffs when the ratings are likely higher.
  • No Fantasy Football ads, and for the first time since November, no Holiday theme ads (although plenty still have winter settings).
  • It was a pretty short game with plenty of breaks for injuries and timeouts, so they got through all the ads in pretty short order.  Left lots of time for the commentators to chat.

Interesting Extras

Richard Sherman candidate for Player of the Year.  Nice shot of downtown Mpls from the U — Guthrie in plain view.  Minnehaha Falls frozen over – very cool shot.  Communication issues with the Seattle headsets is alleged.  Caledonia HS recognized for some Vikings award.

Here’s the commercial roster for the show.  I’ve sorted this one by category, but  you can also see which quarter the ads were telecast and in what order.  Remember, asterisks (*) mark commercials with a football theme (especially when the product advertised is NOT explicitly football-related).
Quarter Commercials:  Seattle @ Minnesota, Sun Jan 10 2016, NBC.  Total:  116 Category Ad Number Testosterone Factor:  Avg. 5.07/7.00.  
HT Delta Airline 58 5
3 Southwest* Airline 71 4
3 Cadillac Auto 73 2
3 Cadillac Auto 78 2
3 Cadillac Auto 81 2
3 Chevrolet Auto 72 4
HT Dodge Ram Auto 59 7
2 Ford F Series Auto 47 7
3 Ford F-series Auto 91 7
2 Ford Fusion Auto 54 3
HT GMC Auto 67 5
HT Honda Pilot Auto 64 1
1 Honda Rav 4 Auto 9 7
4 KIA Auto 106 5
4 KIA Optima Auto 94 5
4 KIA Optima Auto 108 5
1 KIA Sorento Auto 2 5
4 KIA Sorento Auto 101 7
4 KIA Sorento Auto 114 7
1 Lexus Auto 16 6
HT Toyota Auto 62 7
1 Toyota Tacoma Auto 7 7
2 VW Auto 35 5
2 VW Auto 38 6
2 VW Auto 42 4
1 Bud Light Beer 10 7
2 Bud Light* Beer 33 5
3 Bud Light* Beer 86 7
1 Corona Unlimited Beer 30 4
1 Miller Lite Beer 21 7
2 Miller Lite Beer 46 4
3 Miller Lite Beer 79 7
4 Miller Lite Beer 95 5
4 Miller Lite Beer 110 7
3 National Car Rental Car Rental 85 7
2 Samsung Galaxy Cellphone 43 4
4 Samsung Galaxy Cellphone 111 4
3 Fitbit Computer 83 3
1 Microsoft Surface Pro Computer 15 3
1 Microsoft Surface Pro Computer 17 5
2 Microsoft Surface Pro Computer 34 5
2 Microsoft Surface Pro Computer 36 5
2 Microsoft Surface Pro Computer 53 6
3 Microsoft Surface Pro Computer 74 2
3 Microsoft Surface Pro Computer 74 5
2 Amazon Prime Delivery 49 3
4 USPS Delivery 104 6
4 Bose* Electronics 96 7
HT Trustone Financial (Local) Financial 66 4
HT Football America (TV Show) Football 68 4
3 NFL Game Pass Football 89 7
1 NFL Network Football 13 5
HT NFL Now Football 61 7
HT NFL Turning Point Football 70 6
2 Play60 Football 44 6
1 SNF All Access Football 5 6
1 Farmer’s Insurance 29 7
1 Geico Insurance 14 6
2 Geico Insurance 40 4
4 Geico Insurance 100 4
2 Nationwide Insurance 41 7
3 Nationwide Manning* Insurance 75 6
1 State Farm Rodgers* Insurance 25 7
4 State Farm Rodgers* Insurance 105 7
4 United Health Care Insurance 97 4
1 USAA Insurance 12 5
3 Mayo Sports Medicine (local) Medical 93 4
2 Batman v Superman Movie 55 5
1 Colony Movie 23 7
3 Dirty Grandpa Movie 77 7
1 Race Movie 19 6
4 Ride Along 2 Movie 113 7
1 Their Finest Hours Movie 11 7
4 Chili’s Restaurants 98 4
1 McDonald’s Restaurants 20 4
2 McDonald’s Restaurants 39 4
2 McDonald’s Restaurants 50 4
3 McDonald’s Restaurants 88 4
4 McDonald’s Restaurants 103 4
HT Papa Murphy’s Restaurants 65 3
1 Subway Restaurants 4 5
2 Subway Restaurants 52 4
3 Subway Restaurants 82 5
4 Subway Restaurants 115 5
1 Wendy’s Restaurants 26 4
4 Wendy’s Restaurants 109 5
1 Direct TV Satellite TV 24 7
1 Pepsi Soda 8 4
HT X1 Infinity Streaming 60 7
3 Intuit Turbotax Tax Preparation 76 7
1 TaxAct.Com Tax Preparation 27 6
3 Only in MN (local) Travel 92 4
2 Biggest Loser TV Show 37 2
HT Blindspot TV Show 56 7
1 Golden Globes TV Show 18 4
3 NHL TV Show 90 7
3 Rio Olympics TV Show 84 4
2 Shades of Blue TV Show 48 5
4 Shades of Blue TV Show 112 6
4 Soccer NBCSN TV Show 102 6
1 Superstore TV Show 32 3
4 Superstore TV Show 107 3
3 SVU TV Show 75 4
1 Telenovela TV Show 28 3
HT The Blacklist TV Show 57 6
3 Today Show TV Show 80 4
HT Tonight Show TV Show 69 4
HT You, Me, and the Apocalypse TV Show 63
4 You, Me, and the Apocalypse TV Show 116 4
1 Boom Beach Video Game 3 6
3 Call of Duty Video Game 87 7
1 Apple TV Wireless 31 4
1 Sprint Wireless 22 5
2 Sprint Wireless 51 4
1 Verizon Wireless 1 4
1 Verizon Wireless 6 4
2 Verizon Wireless 45 4
4 Verizon Wireless 99 4