So I have to admit right off the bat, I'm not a huge fan of pro football, although I've developed a slightly better understanding of Teh Rulez lately, which makes it slightly more enjoyable. However, I do like watching a good competition of any type, so I figured I'd catch at least some of the Super Bowl... and then it turned out really all I had to watch was the last quarter.

But anyway, the real treat was the half time show.

Yes, I said it. The half time show. Usually it's totally lame, with a bunch of cheesy dancers, songs I've never heard of, and poorly planned "wardrobe malfunctions."

This year, though, it was Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Yeah, I know, that's what I thought too -- "Tom Petty at a half time show? WTF?" I mean, Tom isn't the guy you play when you want to energize people. Tom Petty music is for sitting around chilling with a beer in one hand and a joint in the other. Tom Petty is Mellow Man.

But it turned out it was actually fun to watch him on the Super Bowl stage. I saw TP&THBs at the Blossom Music Center back around 1986 or so, and was always impressed by the fact that he sounded as good in concert as he did on the radio.

2007 is slightly different. The past two decades haven't been terribly kind to Tom -- an odd looking man before, now he's positively cadaverous looking. He's never had a great singing voice, sounding kind of thin and reedy, but he's just compelling as all hell to watch. By the time they rolled into Running Down a Dream, I had sort of forgotten that I was watching a halftime show. It was more like a stroll down memory lane, getting together with an old friend who just resurfaced... looking a bit worn, but still the same guy, nonetheless.

Oh yeah, and the Giants won :)