I just got done watching most of the 63 Super Bowl commercials on Youtube since the game wasn’t televised on my satellite provider in Khon Kaen.

Super Bowl XLV Logo Khon Kaen

Super Bowl XLV Logo Khon Kaen

Since I have only seen part of one college football game since I have been in Khon Kaen, Thailand, I wasn’t surprised that the game wasn’t broadcast on my system.

I planned ahead of time and checked on the Khon Kaen forum and was told that a local system here in Khon Kaen, KTV, and the All Sports Channel on a different system should have the game.  I had access to neither of these.

I hoped that I might be able to see the game on my system but wasn’t sure since there is no TV guide or listing in English.  So, after I got home from my morning bike ride, called mom and dad in Michigan, I turned on the TV and surfed the 90 or so channels only to find 4 soccer games, 1 tennis match, and some guys playing golf.  No American football.

But, I figured I would be able to find it streaming live on the Internet.  Wrong again.  The US Justice Department busted lots of sites and scared off even more.

Last resort was to look for a radio station online and searching led me to Westwood One.  I went to their site and they wanted to know what city in the U.S. I lived in so that they could find a local station for me.  Next.

Off to NFL.com and their front page said they were broadcasting live in 13 languages.  Yes.  They have English – from the BBC.

I got out my game time meal of cornflakes topped with bananas, a bottle of Sponsor, and my wife made me some coffee after.  Too early at 0700 to be drinking Singha beer.

So, I got to listen to some guy named Alistar call the game.  He had what sounded like an American doing the color but the Brit did the play-by-play.  Once I got used to the minor accent, he did a decent job and was enthusiastic about the game for the actual play, not for one particular team.

The only thing I missed was the 6 hours of drivel that leads up to the game and the 63 commercials at $3 million per 30 seconds.  But, thanks again to the Internet and Youtube, I got to see Eminem selling out to Brisk tea and Chrysler.

Volkswagen had the best ad in my mind with the mini Darth Vader feeling the force and Go-Daddy was a letdown just trying to get you to go to their web site.

I still miss the old Bud vs. Bud Lite commercials during the Super Bowl and I miss the anticipation of the one day when we all eagerly awaited watching commercials.  With the Internet, most of the ads were already out days before the game.

Oh well, that is life in Khon Kaen.  At least I got to listen to Green Bay defeat Pittsburgh in what sounded like a very exciting game.  I will have to hunt and download it and watch it after the fact.

Hopefully, next year, in a new house with a different satellite provider, I will be able to see some real football in Khon Kaen.

Tags: