1) Tony Dungy. I lived in Minnesota when Tony was the quarterback at Minnesota, and was surprised when he began his professional career on defense. Although most people know him for his champtionship ring, Dungy has had some difficult moments in his life, most notably the suicide of his son. But his new passion for helping young people is nothing short of impressive. He just released a new book (Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance), and it atop of my list of future-reads. His comments about Larry Fitzgerald show what a star performer and star person Dungy is – a great role model.

2) Bob Costas. The Chicago Cubs’ icon Harry Caray always called Costas the “best young broadcaster in the business.” It couldn’t have been that long ago, was it? Costas is now clearly one of the best in the business – period. One thing that stood out for me during the pregame show was not only how smooth Costas is, but how he dealt with a set crowded with five people holding microphones. Maybe you have to be a broadcaster to appreciate this, but Costas was able to involve them all and make them all look good. Not many sportscasters/studio hosts can do that.

3) President Obama. Say what you want about his politics, but he was incredibly charming and engaging during his interview. Unlike previous presidents, who got all wishy-washy when asked to predict the big game, Obama unflinchingly said he was pulling for the Steelers. Of course, Steelers owner Dan Rooney had endorsed Obama, while Cardinals owner Bill Bidwell is a staunch Republican. But beyond that, Obama seemed very sincere when answering Matt Lauer’s wide range of questions. It almost felt like Obama was sitting there watching the pregame show with you. The interview was a definite winner for the new president.

By the way: If you need to pick up some home improvement materials, go to the hardware store during the Super Bowl. You will have the place to yourself.

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.