McDonald’s Showdown (Jordan and Bird “Nothing but Net”), Budweiser True (“Wassup”), Apple’s “1984,” Coke’s “Mean Joe” jersey toss. Most people know that each of these those iconic ads debuted during the Super Bowl. In fact, the ads are often more memorable than the big game itself and have become as much a part of the game-watching experience as the action on the field. Which is why Hulu AdZone is here.

Hulu AdZone presented by Toyota launched on January 16 and is a dangerously and wonderfully addictive online hub with thousands of past Super Bowl ads divided up into categories. In addition to providing access to the memorable ads mentioned above, it also serves as a time capsule. Did you know Alan Alda did a commercial for Atari’s new XL home computer in 1984? Related: yes, Atari once had a home computer in addition to its video game console. Pong, anyone?

Caution: clicking on the below may cause you to lose the next few hours. You’ve been warned.

If you’re not interested in the historic stuff and want to focus on what’s going on now, Hulu AdZone also includes teasers for this year’s upcoming Super Bowl ads (check out this ad for Priceline featuring William Shatner). In addition, fans can engage in real-time viewing of this year’s commercials during the game on an interface accessible across all devices, including mobile phones. This is a handy feature if you’re at a party and don’t want to miss an ad on the TV if you’re heading to the kitchen for another beer or to refill the chips and dip. These are important considerations.

Of course there’s also a voting component to judge this year’s ads because everybody has an opinion. During the game on February 2, viewers can log onto Hulu.com/AdZone on mobile and web devices and vote for their favorite commercials in real-time across all devices. The votes will be tallied and announced right after the game is over.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get back to watching old ads and oh my god look at all the landline phones!

Amanda Rykoff is a veteran baseball writer who has written for espnW and Sports on Earth. You can read more from her at Bloguin's The Outside Corner. Follow her on Twitter at@amandarykoff.

About Joe Lucia

I hate your favorite team. I also sort of hate most of my favorite teams.

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