Super Plans for Super Sunday

by Kirk Cassels

Whether the weather is prophesized or not by a groundhog and its shadow in Punxsutawney on Friday is of little-to-no interest to those who will celebrate a separate, albeit commercial, holiday in Miami on Sunday. Yet as jealous as you may be of anyone attending Super Bowl XLI or lounging in the warmer climate, do not let it ruin the final hours of an unusual two-holiday weekend. Even if you are not a fan of the Chicago Bears (with their formidable defense and frighteningly-talented kick returner) or the Indianapolis Colts (with the multi-sponsored, Mr. NFL-quarterback-himself Peyton Manning and his receiving corps), there are big plays to digitally rewind and watch in slow motion, as well as commercials to critique. Should you be hosting guests this Sunday, there are a few things beyond food and the size of your television screen that may require a moment of consideration.

For starters, if you wish to experience a pre-party unlike one that any Super Bowl fan may have at Pro Player Stadium, you can have a traditional tailgate party. Strict National Football League rules have kept the parking lot free of grills and gatherings at the Super Bowl since 2002, so as much as the grill and lawn chairs in your backyard or driveway may physically be thousands of miles away from the game you can still celebrate in truer fashion than fans on location. Of course, the near-freezing temperatures outside may change the mind of the less passionate fans.

The Super Bowl (with its hours of pregame coverage, theatrics, sporadic celebrity appearances and performances, halftime shows, commercials and more) certainly takes center stage for the day, but it should not encapsulate all corners of your home. To benefit those in attendance for the party and the people (instead of the game) it is both courteous and creative to designate one room of the house the “Super-Bowl-Free Zone.” Keep the beers, banners and jerseys away from this room, which is hopefully far away from any television or radio broadcasting the game. To go the extra mile, set up a television in this room that specifically displays anything but the big game for the day. Not only may it serve as a source of succor for some, it may provide a much-needed presence of the world outside of the football arena or place for riled up fans to take a timeout.

With a fully established “Super-Bowl-Free-Zone” in place, you are free to make the rest of the home a well-resourced and well-organized system for the true fanatics. Depending on how many televisions, radios, and computers you may have it is best to spread them throughout your house in locations you foresee being frequented the most. A screen in the kitchen, a hand held radio in the bathroom, the webcast on the computer in the quiet study, or anything you could possibly place in the hallways in between it all and your guests will catch every moment of the action.

As much as you may spread the media and technology throughout the house, however, it remains likely that a significant number of guests will gather in one location– nearest to the biggest screen in the building as possible. With that in mind, it is important to consider how that occupied space will be managed and organized. There remains limitless potential for passion to break out into bickering about the best seat, obstructed views, control of the remote and much more. A set of rules, games or methods to randomly designate and assign seats (even if for a temporary period of time) could serve as a practical means, but your best chance at policing the activity may have to be in a language that football fans may best understand– that of a referee. You may or may not have to dress the part of an official, but a handful of yellow flags or recognizable symbols that cry “party foul” are necessary. Are someone’s feet on the table in another guest’s way? Throw the flag and penalize them for Illegal Use of the Feet with a punishment of 15 minutes without any good seat in the room. Are guests hogging all of the salsa? Call them for Holding (the bowl too long) and penalize them with the duty of playing beer boy or waitress for a half-hour or so. In the spirit of the Super Bowl, along with the interest of comfortable viewing for all, a party referee may be the official authority you need.

Should your party referee permit the common Super Bowl tradition of betting at your party, it is always fun to set the gambles beyond the outcome of the game. Some circles enjoy betting on such minutia as who wins the coin toss, whether the coin toss will be heads or tails, which team may fumble first etc. Think of creative bets that can be fairly placed outside of the game. For instance, which soda company will air a commercial first? What color will Prince’s outfit be during the halftime show? How many times will the broadcasters mention that Peyton Manning has a brother that plays quarterback for the New York Giants and a father that once played quarterback for the New Orleans Saints? Will Jim Belushi and/or Bill Murray show up to trump their Chicago fandom? No one knows for sure, but many are sure to wager a guess or two.

The Super Bowl may not be the grand and official Sunday holiday that grants us a day off from the office the next day, but it is still worth a reason to celebrate. Conveniently placed somewhere between the New Year and Valentine’s Day, it provides reason to get together and share time. How you best spend that time is at the expense of the host’s planning and organizing capabilities. Hopefully, your game plan will provide your team with all it needs on the big day.