The NFL’s strategic marriage to television has also diverted attention away from the game on the field. In 1967, advertising rates for a 30-second commercial spot cost a modest $42,500. In the years since, they’ve escalated to become the most expensive advertising time in the history of television. After 1985, in response to the huge impact of Apple’s legendary “1984” commercial, advertising rates soared to over $500,000 for a 30-second spot. This trend sparked the emergence of the “Ad Bowl,” an unofficial but hyper-intense marketing competition to produce the most creative and memorable television commercial targeting the Super Bowl’s enormous captive audience.

Tuesday's Virginia gubernatorial election was ground zero for partisan strategists hoping to gain enough momentum to carry their party through the 2014 midterms and beyond. Outside groups spent furiously, as a win in the truly 'purple' Commonwealth would serve as a springboard for future electoral victories. Two of the biggest storylines in the Virginia race (aside from the much-publicized scandals) were the role of women and Hispanic voters. Ads from Planned Parenthood and Democrat Terry McAuliffe's campaign blasted Republican nominee Ken Cuccinelli (currently the state's attorney general) for his stances on abortion, contraceptives and divorce.