The Super Bowl, the championship game that crowns the winner of the season, is one of the most talked about and anticipated events of the year. This year’s game on Feb. 7th was a showdown between old vs young, experience vs novice, and defense vs offense. With all the hype the question remained: which team would triumph?

 

The analysts (and most everyone else) thought that the young quarterback would dominate the old master. That didn’t happen and the defense of the Broncos completely shut down the offense of the Panthers. The Panthers couldn’t seem to get their game going and while the Broncos weren’t stellar on offense, they were strong enough to pull out a win.

 

But, the Super Bowl isn’t just about the game, right? It has become a national event celebrated with food and parties. So what do all things associated with the Super Bowl have in common? Two very distinct things: electronics and advertising. If your team was lucky enough to make it to the end of the season than the game was probably most important to you, but for many – we simply want to be entertained.

 

The television coverage and the game itself have both evolved tremendously over the last 50 years. In the beginning, most televisions were in black and white, live television both fuzzy and grainy. Today, the electronics used are modern marvels, bringing entertainment to life. From the invention of an image dissector camera tube to the newest OLED TVs, electronics rely on many internal components that must work together to bring us the images. The innovative products designed and manufactured by Keystone, such as fuse clips, contacts, and holders, phono jacks and plugs, and USB plugs and sockets to name just a few, are instrumental for bringing the game so clearly into our homes. 

 

Do Coldplay, Beyoncé, and Bruno Mars ring a bell? The Super Bowl halftime show is driven by electronics. This year the sound systems, lighting, and stage, with built in display screens, showed highlights from past Super Bowls and flashed patterns under the dancers, adding another element to the show. Fun fact: the fireworks used are electronically controlled and fired! Timed fireworks, like the ones used at halftime, rely on a variety of Keystone components to work safely and effectively. Screw terminals and terminal blocks, alligator clips, quick fit terminals, and mounting brackets are a few of the Keystone components you can find in almost every fireworks display. 

 

Beyond the entertainment aspect, have you ever thought about just how much electronic equipment is involved in the game itself? We have and we do because we work with the electronic equipment that advances the future and entertains. Imagine going to a game without those displays? Boring, hard to see, and painful to watch. 

 

The sideline coaches and staff are also dependent on communicating with electronic headsets to speak to coaches in overhead booths. Without these headsets, microphones, and WiFi, the level of strategies would change significantly. The field players and coaches are even beginning to use tablets to see formations and plan plays. Once on the field, the communication continues with players through sound systems within certain helmets and watches that also help execute plays. This is a faster game than it once was, thanks to the speed at which messages travel through these electronic devices. These high-quality precision electronics all have a Keystone inside to secure the PC board  or to keep the power on. 

 

From the cameras to the game itself and confetti launchers, Keystone components have a role in every aspect of the Super Bowl, making it a super event! We’re happy to report that unlike football, our season isn’t over! Stay tuned in for our spring post on March Madness to learn how our products play a role in the most exciting college basketball event of the year - and remember to plug into our Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google+ pages for monthly updates! Next up: The Grammys.