The unprecedented level of sabotage towards the Patriots in the 72 hours prior to the Super Bowl really soured me on the entire league even before the SB.
Football in itself is a magnificent game, but it's become too big. Since week one of the season the Patriots have become a vehicle for people at all levels of society to show their morality and cope with their insecurities. I don't think any other sports team has been in this position before, and I'm convinced it had a big effect on the Super Bowl. The Patriots, regardless of whether they won or lost, were going to be trashed after the game was over. That had to be incredibly deflating, and would certainly greatly damage my motivation to play such a difficult game.
The media is of course mainly responsible. A big reason pro wrestling has been the finest entertainment form over the last century is that it exists outside the mainstream and has tremendous control on the flow of information. While the media coverage of the NFL has always been idiotic, but in a harmless way most of the time. Now it's gotten to the point where great athletes and coaches are relentlessly attacked and torn down all for selfish, pathetic reasons. It's enough to get me to stop following this game for good, or at least a significant amount of time.
