For those less interested in the football side of the 2012 Super Bowl and more attuned to the ancillary aspects of the game, Madonna’s halftime show and anticipation over a possible iPad 3 ad top the list. However, only one is expected to show today. Madonna has been confirmed as the halftime performer, with the only real mysteries being her setlist, her special guests (Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. have been rumored, as they appear on her new single), and whether the legend will connect with a younger audience (past halftime performances from the Rolling Stones and The Who have seen mixed results in that department). But unless Apple has gone to phenomenal lengths to keep quiet about it, the iPad 3 will not see its debut during the Super Bowl. The device is expected to debut next month, so an ad today could line up with the impending debut. However, Apple hasn’t bought ad time…
That means the only way Apple could launch the iPad 3 during the game today is if it bought ad space under a disguised name (which would likely have been sniffed out by now, considering the amount of attention paid by rumor sites to Apple’s every move). It’s far more likely that Apple will use one of its own press events next month to launch the iPad 3 instead, as it has taken to doing with regularity over the past several years for its major product launches. That leaves Madonna as the primary item of interest to those who tune in to the game today without interest in the game itself. For those who do care about football, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are attempting to rekindle their flagging dynasty with their first Super Bowl win in half a decade, as Eli Manning and the New York Giants are looking to beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl again after having taken them down in the closest of contests four years ago and ruining New England’s perfect season in the process. Meanwhile, Eli’s older brother Peyton Manning will be in attendance as the game is hosted in his Indianapolis Colts’ home stadium.