Enjoying a lowkey Super Bowl Sunday
How to make the most out of the big game during a pandemic
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Sunday’s Super Bowl, the 55th edition of the National Football League’s championship game pitting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the Kansas City Chiefs, will be the most unique and bizarre game of its kind to date.
The spectacle of one of the year’s biggest sporting events will look very different from usual, from the mask-clad coaches and players on the sidelines to the thousands of empty seats in the stands, as attendance is expected to be 25,000 people. For reference, Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, home of the Buccaneers and the site for this year’s Super Bowl, has a capacity of over 65,000 seats.
As the coronavirus continues to disrupt all aspects of our lives, the big game is yet another hallmark event that we’ll have to enjoy in our own little bubbles. This year, we’ll be trading the usual Super Bowl watch parties for a comfy seat on the couch with our families or roommates.
Here are some ways you can take your Super Bowl Sunday to the next level and make it one to remember.
Super Bowl drinking game
Most people like to enjoy the big game accompanied by their favourite adult beverage, so why not compensate for the lack of social interaction with a couple (or many) sips of your drink of choice as your follow the action. Here’s a drinking game you can play for this year’s special matchup.
- Take a sip when the commentator mentions how old Tom Brady is.
- Take a sip when the commentator mentions that Patrick Mahomes’ dad played baseball.
- Take a sip when Tony Romo correctly predicts a play.
- Take a sip whenever anyone brings up the GOAT debate.
- Take a sip when the broadcast mentions that the Bucs are playing at their home stadium.
- Take a sip when the broadcast mentions that Brady is playing in his 10th Super Bowl.
- Take a sip anytime there’s a car commercial.
- Finish your drink when there’s a StateFarm commercial.
- Finish your drink if Brady throws a pass over 20 yards.
- Finish your drink if a team converts a play on fourth down.
Friendly betting
The Super Bowl is probably the biggest sports betting event of the year. I won’t recommend putting much money on this game because of all the uncertainty and because I’m not much of a bettor myself. I will, however, recommend that you create a small-scale betting game between you and whoever you watch the game with. Everyone submits between $2 and $10 dollars into a pool and makes picks for a plethora of categories: coin toss winner, first touchdown, most total yards, game winner, Super Bowl MVP, etc. You can get creative with the categories! At the end of the game, tally the amount of correct picks each contestant made, and crown a winner! A bit of advice for the winner: try not to get stuck paying for the food.
Order food from a local eatery
Super Bowl watch parties are another opportunity to cook up a feast and prepare a nice spread for friends and family to enjoy during the game. Since we can’t have guests this year, I suggest ordering a fun meal from your favourite local restaurant. Small businesses’ struggles during the pandemic have been well documented, so we should try giving them a boost when we can, like letting a local eatery cater for your mini Super Bowl watch party.
