The Super Bowl Craze

It’s not Christmas, New Years Eve, or July 4^th… it’s a different holiday of sorts here in America; I’m talking about Super Bowl Sunday.

It doesn’t really matter if you’re a football fan or not, something about the Super Bowl draws viewers to gather together and watch the big game. Sure, a few skeptics wave their proverbial fists at this occasion, but they are truly the minority in this country. Super Bowl Sunday might have grown to be more American than… baseball. It certainly draws more television viewers.

Why is this event such a fun American tradition?

I have a few theories:

It’s an excuse to eat pizza, wings, chips and salsa in front of the TV without feeling guilty about being one of those people who eat dinner in front of the TV. On a diet? Not on that Sunday. It’s not taboo at all to take a vacation day from your diet for Super Bowl Sunday. Don’t worry. Just eat that chicken wing. Weight Watchers will understand.
The commercials. It’s the only time of the year you don’t want to fast forward the commercials!
The social venue. We can’t talk during movies, but there’s plenty of time to talk during the big game. The Super Bowl offers a great balance of entertainment media mixed with social interaction with the people you’re sitting on the couch with.
Healthy competition. Husband and wife can wear different jerseys, rooting against each other during this three-hour stretch without any worry of filing for divorce. It’s good healthy team rivalry (unless you’re a Raiders fan, then you’re a tad destructive and might want to consider therapy). Sometimes people will have little competitions at Super Bowl parties. I always do a Super Bowl quiz every year where people predict stats as silly as “What commercial will air first, Coke or Pepsi” to more serious topics like, “Who will score first?” and “Who will throw the first pass over 39 yards?”

After the game people go back to their normal routine. Monday is filled with water cooler discussions of “Did you see that interception?” or better yet, “Which commercial was your favorite?” Web sites reply the best moments and rank the commercials.

Then a long silence… until next Fall… when it all begins again. (And in 2014, the Broncos might just go all the way!)