Fast-forward twenty years, and the commercial load during NFL games has reached an even more ridiculous level. During the first quarter of Sunday’s playoff game between the Vikings and Eagles, there was one period where one play was followed by a commercial break, followed by two plays and one more commercial break, and one more play followed by one more commercial break. Four plays, three breaks. I’m sure those who paid $80, $120, or $160 per ticket inside the Metrodome were thrilled to sit through that.

With one minute left in the third quarter – and with my interest in the game waning – I documented a similar chronology:

Fumble, 1:50 commercial break

Incomplete pass, 1:40 commercial break

Running play, 1:50 end-of-quarter commercial break

Incomplete pass, punt, 1:40 commercial break

During that sequence, the clock inside the stadium said that one minute and 22 seconds of the game had elapsed. The clock in my TV room said that 13 minutes of my life had elapsed.

I know what you’re saying: “Commercials pay the freight so TV viewers can watch the games for free.” Consider those Thursday night games carried on the NFL Network, a cable channel you have to pay money to watch. They have excessive commercials during those games, too.