Great game last night. I picked New England to win. I wanted to New England to win for the sake of Tom Brady and Rodney Harrison.

I think New England is the real deal. They are the model franchise of the salary-cap era. They have a chance to become a true dynasty, because they remain a young team, a team that should be able to control costs, a well-coached team, and a well-balanced team. I wouldn’t be surprised if NE repeats next year. The only question, as with any team, is injuries.

As for the rest of the game — I don’t buy the “custom failure” argument. I think it was deliberate.

But the entire half-time show was inappropriate. Too much skin and too much grinding for family programming. It was embarrassing to watch with my grandmother in the room. The range of acts presented was too immature for the majority of the audience. The whole thing was ill-conceived from the beginning.

As for the commercials, they are beginning to get tired. Same themes. Same jokes. Just a bit cruder and more callow.