Television spots produced for the Super Bowl have become one of the most widely anticipated aspects of the big game. More than a few of this year’s collection of super spots stood out, some for being painfully bad (most of the Bud Light offerings, Danica Patrick’s truly awful GoDaddy Girl fantasies), others for providing genuine chuckles (“Man’s Last Stand” from Dodge, E-Trade’s “Girlfriend”), and still others for sparking Golden Oldie memories for boomers in the audience (the Griswolds’ “Hotel Hell Vacation”).

Then there were the two spots that stood out in ways that at least one of the commercial sponsors likely did not intend. The first of these was the heart-warming spot of Pam Tebow and her Heisman Trophy winning son, Tim. Although it contained no overt pro-life pitch, the Tebow spot encouraged viewers to get the full story at the Focus on the Family Web site, the Internet home of one of the nation’s most vigorous anti-abortion voices. Pro-abortion advocates went into a pre-game tizzy trying to get CBS not to air the Tebow spot, but the network wisely aired it anyway. After the game, National Organization for Women President Terri O’Neill claimed the Tebow spot promoted “violence against women” with its obviously whimsical tackle of mother by son. If that is the best NOW can do, O’Neill should consider Lincoln’s sage advice concerning not speaking up and removing all doubt about being a fool.