By Dave Steinick
If you are into sports, food, social gatherings, or creative television commercials, you are probably aware that this coming Sunday is one of the biggest sporting events of the entire year - the Super Bowl!
For 50 years (yes, this is the golden anniversary), the Super Bowl has been responsible for millions of people gathering for conversation, friendly betting, and fun foods, some of which were invented exclusively for Super Bowl parties. And of course, you may actually watch the game…. maybe.
It is estimated nearly 115 million people watched last year's Super Bowl.
I have always gotten so excited about the Super Bowl. I have been a football fanatic as far back as I can remember. My family would buy me a football every year for my birthday in the beginning of November, by which time my football from the previous year was quite worn out. One year, I was so excited about the Super Bowl, I invited dozens of friends to my house for a party. I had forgotten one minor detail though - I was scheduled to head to Phoenix, Arizona on vacation. Yes, I watched the Denver Broncos battle it out with the Atlanta Falcons from my hotel room in Flagstaff, Arizona. Oops! Fortunately, my friends understand my lack of skill when it comes to organizing my social calendar.
It is hard to deny the attraction of a crock pot full of bourbon weenies; a platter full of peeled shrimp; a pork loin lightly smoked, wrapped in a multi-layered blanket of bacon, rubbed with sauce, and baked a little longer; more chips and dip than you can shake a stick at; and hot cheese with salsa, ground beef, and sausage. If you are into hot wings, how many different flavors can you name? How many can you actually make? Be smart, make your party a potluck! Oh, and if you are feeling very creative, you can always build a miniature football stadium out of meats, cheeses, and other assorted foods. Yes, this exists - there are plenty of pictures on the internet. And go easy on the guy who brings a watermelon carved to look like the Death Star from Star Wars. That’s pretty darn creative, actually.
Not everyone who shows up to your Super Bowl party is necessarily a sports fan, but this game is one of the finest excuses to get together. Of course, Christmas ranks number one and then there is the 4th of July and Labor Day, but you can't forget the Super Bowl as what SHOULD be noted as a national holiday. When you have somebody make a comment about a “nice punt” when in fact it was a 42 yard field goal, you know that he/she is a good friend who showed up to see you! That is special.
If you are into sports, food, social gatherings, or creative television commercials, you are probably aware that this coming Sunday is one of the biggest sporting events of the entire year - the Super Bowl!
For 50 years (yes, this is the golden anniversary), the Super Bowl has been responsible for millions of people gathering for conversation, friendly betting, and fun foods, some of which were invented exclusively for Super Bowl parties. And of course, you may actually watch the game…. maybe.
It is estimated nearly 115 million people watched last year's Super Bowl.
I have always gotten so excited about the Super Bowl. I have been a football fanatic as far back as I can remember. My family would buy me a football every year for my birthday in the beginning of November, by which time my football from the previous year was quite worn out. One year, I was so excited about the Super Bowl, I invited dozens of friends to my house for a party. I had forgotten one minor detail though - I was scheduled to head to Phoenix, Arizona on vacation. Yes, I watched the Denver Broncos battle it out with the Atlanta Falcons from my hotel room in Flagstaff, Arizona. Oops! Fortunately, my friends understand my lack of skill when it comes to organizing my social calendar.
It is hard to deny the attraction of a crock pot full of bourbon weenies; a platter full of peeled shrimp; a pork loin lightly smoked, wrapped in a multi-layered blanket of bacon, rubbed with sauce, and baked a little longer; more chips and dip than you can shake a stick at; and hot cheese with salsa, ground beef, and sausage. If you are into hot wings, how many different flavors can you name? How many can you actually make? Be smart, make your party a potluck! Oh, and if you are feeling very creative, you can always build a miniature football stadium out of meats, cheeses, and other assorted foods. Yes, this exists - there are plenty of pictures on the internet. And go easy on the guy who brings a watermelon carved to look like the Death Star from Star Wars. That’s pretty darn creative, actually.
Not everyone who shows up to your Super Bowl party is necessarily a sports fan, but this game is one of the finest excuses to get together. Of course, Christmas ranks number one and then there is the 4th of July and Labor Day, but you can't forget the Super Bowl as what SHOULD be noted as a national holiday. When you have somebody make a comment about a “nice punt” when in fact it was a 42 yard field goal, you know that he/she is a good friend who showed up to see you! That is special.
You may or may not have a favorite Super Bowl commercial. My personal favorite is the 1979 Mean Joe Green commercial where a kid offers him a coke and after refusing a few times, he chugs it and in return he tosses his jersey to the kid. Anyone idolizing a sports icon knows just how special that moment would be, and after all, it's all about imagination, right? I mean, we watched Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny play basketball back in the 90's, we've seen giant humans dressed as mice come bashing through a wall for a bag of Doritos, and we've seen Clydesdale horses out on a snowy field playing football. The creativity and money spent is amazing to me.
So, you may not know the names of any players on the field this coming Sunday, you may not even care if the game is on, just don't forget about the friends, the food, and those memorable commercials. Who knows, by tuning in, you may actually have fun and enjoy the game!
So, you may not know the names of any players on the field this coming Sunday, you may not even care if the game is on, just don't forget about the friends, the food, and those memorable commercials. Who knows, by tuning in, you may actually have fun and enjoy the game!