Every February, millions of Americans assemble in front of their televisions to watch the Super Bowl, the National Football League’s championship game. After the first game with the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs in 1967, it became known as the Super Bowl. Throughout the years, as American life has progressed alongside the Super Bowl, many traditions have sprung up around the game.
Every year, the Super Bowl provides a chance for people to gather in their living rooms with family and friends to watch the big game. People may also spend their Sunday evening in bars or restaurants to watch the game or even make bets on who will win. Super Bowl betting is a flush market, with many offices setting up company-wide betting polls or tables for their employees to partake in.
Food is also one of the Super Bowl favorites. Rather than a sit-down lunch, food is commonly served as buffet style. Buffalo wings, BBQ wings, dipping sauces, pizza, and potato chips are all traditional Super Sunday foods. It’s the second largest “eating day” of the year in the United States after Thanksgiving.
Taylor Droppa, a graduate student of occupational therapy, said that Super Bowl Sunday is usually a time when she gets together with her friends. She said, “We order pizza and eat all of our favorite dishes while watching the game.” Taylor added that despite not paying much attention to the game, she enjoys seeing her pals become overly enthusiastic about the team they are rooting for.
Some folks even organize their Super Bowl parties throughout the year, planning months in advance for the big day. Lyndsey Buren, a sophomore medical laboratory science student, said that for this unofficial American holiday, everyone who watches the game at her house will coordinate what snacks and drinks they are bringing. She mentions that her family will play Super Bowl Bingo as the game progresses, checking off boxes that correspond to things that occur during the game. “I like to watch the Super Bowl because it brings people together and it’s a great way to spend time with the important people in your life,” Buren said.
Nowadays, the Super Bowl halftime show often attracts more attention than the game itself. According to Insider, the NFL introduced the halftime performance in the late 70s to improve the Super Bowl and provide more entertainment for the public.
Xena Vasquez, a sophomore social work student, said, “We definitely watch the halftime show, which is usually what most of us are excited for, depending on the artists.” Hype begins for the half-time show the minute the artists are announced, and this section of the Super Bowl is often the most viewed music performance of the year.
Getting booked for the Super Bowl halftime show is a dream goal for many artists, as being premiered there can do wonders for their career. Musicians aren’t the only ones using the Super Bowl for promotion, however; in recent years there has been a sharp increase in interest in the ads that run alongside the game.
These ads become so popular that they almost take on a life of their own. Online, one can find numerous Super Bowl ad compilations and even rankings of the creator’s favorites. Good ads for this event need to be memorable enough to stick out in the viewer’s mind, so a large amount of them have only gotten zanier and more ludicrous over the years. No need to look any further than this year’s Doritos ad, which includes a fox beatboxing as a result of ingesting “Flamin’ Hot” Doritos. Speaking of chips…
From a simple annual football game to a year-round entertainment spectacle, the Super Bowl has evolved. Starting with the amusing commercials to the game itself, it delivers entertainment for everyone. So even if you’re not a sports fan, Super Bowl parties are a great way to spend time with family and friends and for great food. Next year, make sure you reach out to your loved ones to enjoy the game, half time show, and commercials.
