bowling

Peek at a Big Game IT 'war room' -- at Domino's Pizza

On Super Bowl Sunday, Domino's Pizza is planning to deliver millions of pizzas (it estimates that a total of 11 million slices will be delivered) and 2.5 million chicken wings. According to Domino's execs, the national game day gorge has become more than just a manner of beefing up on drivers, dough tossers, and yes, beef -- it's also quite an undertaking in the information technology department.

According to the Michigan-based company, a third of Domino's orders come though a digital channel these days, and of course even the analog orders run through the corporate network. In 2007, for the first time, Domino's saw the need to put together a game day "defense" team on Big Game day to sit in a conference room and keep an eye on all the information systems. … Read more

Super Bowl from the sidelines: Tech readiness is priority No. 1

It's always a treat to watch the game coverage by the peerless NFL on CBS team, which is the very best in the business. And backing up our amazing group of analysts and experts in front of the camera is a trained crew of CBS Sports production and technical pros behind the scenes.

Their No. 1 priority is to deliver the perfect angle of every play, along with the sophisticated replays, zoom, and hyper-broadcast detail that TV viewers have grown to love. The production logistics and technical complexity associated with broadcasting the Super Bowl are astounding. This year, CBS … Read more

Crave Ep. 107: Madden NFL 13 predicts Super Bowl XLVII

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Sorry, San Francisco. An annual Madden NFL Super Bowl simulation predicts the Ravens will trump the 49ers in the final seconds of Sunday's Big Game. Get on this, Vegas! And with "Star Wars" in the news, Crave asks if J.J. Abrams can pull off the impossible directing both "Star Wars Episode VII" and "Star Trek." Are you into it or not into it? Maybe a J.J. Abrams and "Star Wars"-themed musical will help you decide.

Bar Refaeli kisses nerd in Go Daddy Super Bowl ad -- world outraged

America has a relationship with sex that can best be described as uncomfortable.

Over the years, the wily manipulators at Go Daddy have tried to soothe -- or, for some, exacerbate -- this discomfort with various sexual exploits at Super Bowl time.

This year is no exception.

For the company has decided to offer an ad in which Bar Refaeli kisses a nerd who is not quite as pulchritudinous as herself.

Which nerd could be?

The point of this is clearly strategic. Go Daddy as a brand is both sexy and nerdy. Of course it is.

And of course certain … Read more

BlackBerry teases Super Bowl ad with colorful, um, something

You know it's going to be wonderful. Or terrible. Or just dull.

Yes, I'm talking about the Super Bowl. But I'm also talking about BlackBerry's new ad for its Z10 smartphone that will debut during Sunday's game.

BlackBerry doesn't have a florid history with respect to advertising. Can you even remember one BlackBerry ad that moved you to anything other than obliviousness?

This time, though, it's going to be different. Perhaps.

So, as CrackBerry.com reports, the brand formerly known as RIM today tweeted one still frame from its forthcoming ad.

It was … Read more

Get a 55-inch LED HDTV for $679.99 shipped

You've got the beers, the wings, the dip, and the chips. Are you really planning to watch the big game on your beat-up old 37-inch TV? Time to man up! (Which, in my world, means buying fancy electronics.)

Today only, and while supplies last, Best Buy has the Insignia NS-55E480A13A 55-inch LED HDTV for $679.99 shipped (plus sales tax). If you really do need it in time for the game, you may be able to pick it up at your local brick-and-mortar BB. (Click "Check Stores" to see availability in your area.)

Update: Weirdness at Best … Read more

Samsung, Rogen, Rudd brilliantly mock Super Bowl in Super Bowl ad

It's not that the NFL is run by draconian white men in suits who try to prevent you from uttering the word "Super Bowl" in an ad unless you pay them vast amounts of money.

Well, actually, that's how it sometimes seems.

So Samsung has decided to take the rise out of the trademark trickeration that rises out of Super Game ads every year.

In an ad that teases its forthcoming Super Contest spot, Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd are attempting to get around their inability to make an ad that features phrases like "Super … Read more

Getting ready for Super Sunday

We're on the ground in NOLA gearing up for Super Bowl XLVII. Many of our shows, crews, and talent have been here for days. Now it's a whole lot of buildup and anticipation for super Sunday -- the biggest day of the year in television, sports, advertising, and marketing.

For many people, it's a national celebration -- a day of fun, cheering, bonding, eating, and drinking in front of the TV. For teams it's an epic battle, the single biggest day of the year for sports. For advertisers, it's a rare and valuable opportunity to … Read more

The 404 1,198: Where we captcha your mace face (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- This man will take your picture while macing you.

- Ticketmaster does one thing right, dumps captchas.

- PornHub's rejected SFW Super Bowl ad is brilliant marketing.

- Swedish police raid teenagers playing Call of Duty.… Read more

Madden attempts to predict Super Bowl XLVII victor

Do you know who will win the Super Bowl in New Orleans this weekend? If you're a San Francisco 49ers or Baltimore Ravens fan, I can venture a guess as to who you might choose. But let's put aside your bias for a moment.

Using the video game Madden NFL '13, EA ran a mock game featuring the 49ers and Ravens to determine who would take home the Vince Lombardi trophy. If you think the prediction is hogwash, you're probably correct on some levels (it is just a video game, after all), but it's worth noting that the annual simulation resulted in correct predictions for seven out of the last nine Super Bowl showdowns. Such accuracy must mean something, right? EA summarizes the first few quarters: … Read more