If you were to ask my six-year-old niece, Lucy, for whom she cheered, during the Super Bowl; she’d jump-up and yell “Beast Mode!”  Ditto my eight-year-old nephew, and my thirtysomething brother and sister-in-law.  Of course, when I first heard her say it, I thought she’d said “Beemo” and thought she was referring to some character from Minecraft, or Skylanders, or whatever the kids are playing, these days.

But no; it was Beast Mode.  The nickname for Seattle Seahawks running-back, Marshawn Lynch – who has, for the past two years, led the NFL in rushing touchdowns (during regular season play).  And so, over breakfast that morning, my family proceeded to school me on the Beast Mode phenomenon.  And as the lover of any great character, I was hooked.

But it wasn’t until the recent multimedia blitz – including a dancefloor hit created from remixed samples of his famous “I’m just here so I won’t get fined” quote (hear it, on the SoundCloud player, below); numerous essays about his effect on our nation’s youth (both pro and con) by sociologists, psychologists, and other learned folks; any number of Instagram memes; a guest-segment on Conan, that’s been viewed more than 8 million times (of Lynch playing Mortal Kombat X, with Conan O'Brien and Rob Gronkowski); and a hilarious sketch on Saturday Night Live, wherein he’s satirically portrayed by Keenan Thompson – that it really sank-in: By not speaking, Marshawn Lynch has become an unwilling spokesperson for a generation.

Beast Mode Fever has moved the concessionaires at CenturyLink Field to create a custom sandwich!  Made with two patties, ham, two strips of bacon, cheddar cheese, onion rings, lettuce, tomato, and red onion; “The Beast” ($15) comes with a bag of Skittles (known to be Lynch’s candy of choice).

There are even people absolutely convinced that the Seahawks’ decision to pass the ball (instead of handing it off to Lynch) was a conspiracy, based on the theory that were he to have scored the winning touchdown, that he’d have been named MVP, and then would’ve refused to give an acceptance speech.  Now, I love a great conspiracy theory as much as the next guy, but I’m pretty sure the benefits of winning a second consecutive Super Bowl outweighed any such notion, were it to even have occurred to anyone, in a position to affect such things.  Of course, I don’t pay attention to the sports, so what do I know?

Oh!  I know what I know..!  I know that Katy Perry put on one incredible Halftime Show, with amazing assists from Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott and the ASU Sun Devil Marching Band!  Entering on the back of a three-story tiger?  Dancing sharks?  Flying around the stadium on a comet, singing “Firework” as a huge display of fireworks goes-off overhead?  Yes, yes, and oh Hell yes!  And of course, the conspiracy folks are up in arms over that, too – talking about how Perry’s performance was all about promoting the Illuminati, the Gay Agenda, and Dark Magic – which is utterly ridiculous, of course.  Except for that bit about the Gay Agenda (I’ve heard that’s totally a thing!).

Super Bowl XLIX
NBC Sports | February 1, 2015
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Get into it!