Was This the Anti-Gay Super Bowl?

Two sports writers are saying today that last night's Super Bowl was tainted by anti-gay themes, both in the commercials and on the sidelines. King Kaufman writes about a rather odd Snickers advertisement that aired during last night's Super Bowl. First, watch the ad in question:

It's a bizarre ad on a number of levels, not least of which is the unspoken assumption that two men kissing is disgusting. Noting that and other commercials, Kaufman writes, "OK, network and advertising people, we get it. Gay is bad. Thanks for the tip."

And following up on the report that Colts coach Tony Dungy has been criticized for a scheduled appearance before the Indiana Family Institute, Jim Buzinski of the web site Outsports criticizes Dungy's post game speech, in which he suggested that God guided his team to the Super Bowl: "Sorry, Tony Dungy and Colts owner Jim Irsay – God did not want you to win the game," Buzinski writes, adding that Dungy's comments are "made even worse by Dungy's upcoming appearance before an anti-gay Christian group."

The NFL has received credit in recent years for its efforts to increase diversity, especially among head coaches in the league. But just as two black men coaching in the Super Bowl represents progress, the NFL should act to combat any perception that last night's game was the anti-gay Super Bowl.

UPDATE: Worth Repeating has more on the Snickers commercial.