Packer HQ
Super Bowl Sunday approaches! For those who are counting, this is the 45th incarnation of the Super Bowl, and it is likely to set a worldwide television viewing record (again).
But, if you are one of the few who do not get all hyped-up about the game, I’ve got a few good reasons to watch.
The Ads
If the game is bad, there are always the ads to look forward to. I think the phenomenon has slowed down a bit over the past few years, but there are still a ton of creative spots that will be shown. On Monday morning, USA Today always has a recap of the best and worst – which I, of course, never agree with.
I’m a sucker for the E-Trade baby, though.
The Trivia
There is always killer trivia around the Super Bowl. For example, did you know that this will be the the first Super Bowl in 43 years to not have any Cheerleaders? It’s true – neither the Green Bay Packers nor the Pittsburgh Steelers (nor the Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions and New York Giants, for that matter) employ cheerleaders.
Back in the days when AOL was still relevant, the Motley Fool (yes – the financial site!) used to run a Super Bowl quiz on their message boards. The quiz had questions like:
- How long will the National Anthem take to sing?
- When will the first points be scored (exact time!)?
- Who will make the first tackle?
- What will be the first commercial to air after kickoff?
It was great fun! I’m disappointed to report that I don’t believe they have created a quiz in several years. If they have, my google-fu has failed me – here’s the last set of questions that I can find.
The Food
Ahh – one of the primary reasons to get together with a group to watch the game. I am a fan of dips, and here are a few good ones!
The classic, almost-addictive, dip. It’s basically shredded chicken, cream cheese, hot sauce and chedder cheese, with some ranch or blue cheese dressing added for an additional kick.
I’m not going to lie – I haven’t tried this one yet. But, pureeing ‘sliders’ sounds like something interesting to do before the game. I bet it’s good, assuming you don’t watch the preparation. It can’t be pretty.
My staple dip. If you are not familar with Cincinnati Style Chili, well, forget what you know about chili, cuz this ain’t the same. One of the more famous restaurants that make the chili is Skyline (which is mostly found in SE Ohio/N. Kentucky). The dip is super-simple – spread cream cheese in a baking dish, cover it with chili, cover the chili with cheese. Best dip ever!
The Gambling
By gambling, I’m not talking the multi-million dollar kind that is illegal in most states. I am talking about the ‘friendly-wager- between-friends’ type of gambling. The most prevalent wagering game at Super Bowl parties has to be Super Bowl Squares.
To play, you set up a 10×10 grid of squares, with each square representing a possible game score. Then, you watch the game and check the score at the end of each quarter of the game. So, if the first quarter ends Packers 10 / Steelers 7, the person who owns the square representing (0,7) wins. Of course, it usually costs money (typically $5 or so) to own a square – that’s where the gambling comes in.
It sounds silly. But, it’s a total blast when somebody scores near the end of a quarter, changing winner of the pot at the last second. Good times!
The Game
Seriously. Green Bay and Pittsburgh are both really good. This should be a tight game, with lots of big hits and athletic plays.
For the record, I picked the Green Bay Packers to win the Super Bowl at the start of the playoffs – and I can’t switch now. I think the injuries to the Steelers offensive line will allow the Packers defense to dominate. My prediction:
Green Bay Packers 27, Pittsburgh Steelers 21
I hope that I draw (7,1) in my squares game!
