The Who

( Reuters / February 1, 2013 )

Super Bowl XLIV

The team: The Who

Playbook: It was an old-fashioned laser light show at Miami's Sun Life Stadium during the Super Bowl halftime show, as vintage rockers The Who energetically went largely without gimmicks and shtick during its brief mini concert. Relying on little more than the sturdiness of its riffs and Roger Daltrey's still arena-piercing yell, the Who tried to pump some life back into its classic rock hits, many of which have since been reclaimed as the soundtrack to a CBS crime show.

Result: A 7-yard first-down run. It'll do, but won't make the highlight reel. The Who relied on nostalgia, playing the part of a band 30 years younger, but couldn't hit the high notes and sync the guitars like they did in their younger days.