In just a few days, millions of Americans will gather around their television sets and watch the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers suit up in Super Bowl XLV in Dallas, Texas.
Unless you’ve been under the proverbial rock, you know that the Super Bowl is a big deal, a really big deal. The halftime show. The pre-show entertainment. The multi-million dollar commercials.
When it comes to an event this big, the casual observer might wonder what all the hoopla is about. Well, we’re here to help. Here’s a brief list of 10 things you might not know about the big game.
- The audience: 106.5 million people tuned into last year’s Super Bowl between New Orleans and Indianapolis, making it the most-watched television program in history. The game passed the finale of M*A*S*H, which had held the top spot for 27 years.
- The tickets: Want tickets? You need money, a lot of money. The Super Bowl is one of the hardest tickets in sports, mainly because the NFL only distributes a limited number of tickets through an annual, random drawing. Most tickets are sold through online brokers—and they cost serious cash. Currently, the cheapest individual ticket available through one popular online broker is just under $3,000.
- The commercials: The only thing that costs more than a ticket to the Super Bowl is an advertisement during the big game. One 30-second ad in last year’s game cost somewhere between $2.5 and 2.8 million.
- The security: Since the September 11 attacks, the game has been designated as a National Special Security Event by the Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security. This simply means that the Super Bowl has even more of a security presence than most NFL games. Plus, no blimps allowed. Sorry, Goodyear.
- The name: Former NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle originally wanted to refer to the game as “The Big One.” But another NFL bigwig, Kansas City Chiefs Owner Lamar Hunt, coined the term “Super Bowl” after he watched his kids play with a toy bouncy ball known as a “Super Ball.” Hunt suggested the name as a temporary one until they could think of something better, but—as you now know—the name stuck.
- The food: According to the USDA, Super Bowl Sunday is second only to Thanksgiving in food consumption in one day. Which begs the question…how much weight is it possible to gain in 24 hours? On Super Bowl Sunday, many people find out.
- The weather: When it comes to choosing a Super Bowl location, the NFL has a major rule: warm weather, please. For most of its history, the NFL has said that they won’t award the game to cities that have an average temperature below 50 degrees, unless the city has an indoor stadium. The league recently ignored the rule when they awarded the 2014 Super Bowl to New Jersey’s new Meadowlands Stadium—the home of the Giants and the Jets. Bundle up.
- The halftime shows: In the early years, the halftime entertainment was simply a college marching band. The show then evolved into a group of different acts sharing the stage. In 1993, Michael Jackson was the first solo act to perform the entire halftime show. And, in 2002, U2 performed one of the most memorable halftimes with their tribute to the September 11 victims. The halftime show has not gone without controversy—just ask Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake.
- The ring: The league pays for 150 rings to go to the winning team, typically featuring gold and diamonds and valued in the neighborhood of $5,000 each. Who has won the most rings? Neal Dahlen won five rings on staff with the San Francisco 49ers and two rings as General Manager of the Denver Broncos. On the player side of things, Charles Haley won the most rings (five)—two with San Francisco and three with Dallas.
- The records: The Super Bowl has had its fair share of exciting moments and games. But there are a lot of things that have never happened in the game. To name a few: a shutout, overtime, a punt return touchdown, snow, an offensive play over 90 yards, and a matchup between two wildcard teams.
Enjoy this year’s game. And if you’re one of those crazy people paying $3,000 for a ticket, you’d better be using cash! (This article from www.daveramsey.com)
Have a Happy Super Bowl Sunday! No skipping church to make food or get your house ready!!!!!!
Remember, God 1st, Super Bowl 2nd, and Family 3rd?
Wait, that doesn’t sound quite right! Can someone remind our husbands of that this Sunday?
Oh well, I’m just in it for the snacks and maybe a commercial or two…..
~T 🙂
Below is the recipe for one of the appetizers I am making. The rest of my favorite appetizer recipes can be found here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/members/4littlefergusons/recipe-box?page=1
Slow Cooker Mexican Dip
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 pound bulk hot Italian sausage
1 cup chopped onion
1 package (8.8 ounces) Spanish rice, made per directions
1 can (16 ounces) refried beans
1 can (10 ounces) enchilada sauce
1 pound Velveeta, cubed
1 package tortilla chip scoops
In a pan, cook the beef, sausage and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Prepare rice according to the package directions.
In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine the meat mixture, rice, beans, enchilada sauce and cheese. Cover and cook on low for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until cheese is melted. Serve with Tortilla scoops. (This will fill up your 3 qt. crock pot!)
This is a very hearty dip, sure to fill the bellies of even the hungriest men at your party!
