The build-up, the hype, the hoopla, the mania and its now over! The Super events of the last few days are history. On Sunday, the country was divided into two categories, Patriot’s fans and Giant’s fans and on Tuesday they were divided into Republicans and Democrats, and in New Orleans the division was the Saints and the Sinners.

Do you feel relief? Do you feel like something has been decided? Do you feel resolute that your side prevailed? Or the agony of defeat? Or the agony of too much revelry?

Why is it that our country insists on division and winning? It is all that we are focused on as we enter the Super Bowl of football and politics. We need to win, we need to defeat the other team, and we need to brag for the next year or four. Our country acts like kids on a playground!

The Super Bowl has become a multi-level event and faded into the wings is the fact it’s just a football game. Yes, I said it. Just a football game! But what a game this year!

Now, the reason I downplay the game is that my New Orleans Saints were not involved this year when I had such hope….but I digress…

For me, I have to focus on a team to win…and when there are no Saints, I must look for a connection. Favre did not make it, which left me cheering for our Saint’s royalty offspringers-the Manning brothers! Archie’s boys must take up the slack when my Black and Gold leave me hanging.

Peyton made me feel victorious last year and now Eli has charmed his way in. What is the secret Archie’s DNA holds? Can we manufacture it? Are women everywhere lining up and asking for a donation so they too can grow up a Super Bowl MVP football quarterback? I might even consider having more boys….what am I saying!

The hoopla of the pre-game had an American Idol feel this year and throw in a super model girlfriend and the game felt more like a Celeb award show rather than a NFL championship. Ryan Seacrest was interviewing on a red carpet, Paula was still lip synching her songs after 12 years, and add an awesome performance by winner Jordan Sparks whose father played for the Giants and all that was missing was a sour-faced Simon ridiculing our great American past time. As my own personal judge of the pre-game show, I paid more attention than usual so it must have worked.

Do I feel bad the Patriots lost their perfect season? Nope. Spy gate is still smelling up the reputation of the team. I saw a sports headline that made me shake my head in frustration, “Patriots Disappointing 18-1 season” What! How can you call that disappointing? Sure, they failed at the end, but can you call their season disappointing? The coach acted un-sportsmanlike! Not a coach accused of spying on other teams to gain an advantage? Count your blessings Belichick! I will trade you my 7-9 season for 18-1 any day! Without a whine! Now MY NOLA season was disappointing to the tenth degree! But I digress…

The lesson is plain and has been retold many times in sports, never count the underdog out. I will be in the parade of folks who said they knew the Giants could win…I did..really. It’s Archie’s boy, ‘nough said. Besides, too much confidence for a team is good for the other team. Works like that in politics too. Plus, I heard Jessica Simpson was cheering for the Pats! Go girl!

The game was so good that the experts whoever they may be, said the commercials which have in the past gained more attention than the game, were lackluster and folks got up during them to get their snacks because they did not want to miss any of the football game. What!

I must confess, I did not watch the half-time show either. Tom Petty creeps me out and without the possibility of a wardrobe malfunction, I am not interested.

Historically, the games have not been that entertaining. It was getting so bad that they probably considered changing the title from Super Bowl to Super ‘Bull’ referring to the ever-growing focus on the commercials; but the title ‘Super Bull’ really belongs to the Super Tuesday event which is every bit the hype of a divisional championship game gearing up for the Super Bowl of Presidential campaigns.

This year it is more than the football game that is completely competitive. Today’s politics reminds me of a Divisional championship race, just like some of the great games we got in post season play like the Giants versus Packers game, we have Obama versus Clinton on one side and then we squeeze in four teams vying for the divisional republican championship on the other side, McCain, Romney, Huckabee and Paul.

Will the underdog, Huckabee pull a “manning” and refused to be sacked? Will Obama who was not a household name until Oprah began his campaign two years ago leap into the air and catch a ball suspended on his head, falling back to the ground and hold on with dear life? Will unknowns without much experience like Tyree outshine those with long glorious pasts like Moss?

Will the perfect democratic candidate see her season crash and burn at the end?

Will winning matter if both sides refuse to work together….will it be like a Reuben, Taylor Hicks shallow victory?

Will the nation come together in victory of either side? Or will another campaign divide us so deeply again that we will just use the win as bragging rights? Back to red and blue but now each color has shades of its own to contend with. The red state with pink spots and the blue state with dark navy areas. What does all this mean?

Who really wins? The corporate that runs all the entities…the backers, the funders, the commercials. That’s who is really winning. So eat your Doritos, drink Pepsi or Bud light, and keep on voting for corporate America. In Super Bowls or Super Tuesdays, it’s the power of the almighty dollar that carries the vote. Maybe we should just color the map….green states.

During all the extended hoopla, we must throw in the Super Mardi Gras celebration mixed within all the football and politics. I am sure the candidates missed opportunities to campaign with the royalty of the Mardi Gras balls but what happens at MG should stay out of the press!

Super Fat Tuesday is over, the fat lady has sung, and who doesn’t feel fat after all the snacking from the Super Bowl? It’s Ash Wednesday and time to behave.

Let us all get back to our normal, humdrum lives where our victories lie in just achieving kid’s homework, bath and bed by midnight. First down! By dragging our sorry ends up in the morning and getting to work to make our living! SuperDelegate! By making our ends meet and bringing home less fat, turkey bacon! Touchdown! And by working off all those cheesy dips and hot wings from the Super Snacking! Victory!

Gosh, I feel Super fat.