THE SUPER BOWL OBSESSION

"Everyone knows what the Masters is, even if you're a non-golfer.
People know what Wimbledon is. They know what the Super Bowl is.
There are certain events that people just know about."
-- Tiger Woods

The Super Bowl Phenomenon

The obsession with the Super Bowl has not been hampered by the enormous amounts of people fleeing broadcast TV.., the cord-cutters who choose to get their fix on one of their other gadgets… But the Superbowl is bigger than just a championship football game -- it is a full blown American celebration -- the biggest celebrities, movers and shakers from all walks of life swarm to this once a year event like bees to honey… And why not -- the Super Bowl can generate almost $500 million dollars in just spending and over $30 million dollars in tax revenue for the host city...

Ticket prices are disgustingly high -- I think the average price was around $5000 per ticket… although down to a very reasonable $4100 over the past week (wink, wink), it is still a game only enjoyed live by the more fortunate. Besides the sky high ticket prices, most will spend another $2000 to fly and travel there, $2000 (3-4 nights) to sleep (hotels know you're coming so prices are at a premium -- good ol' supply and demand), you could pay over $2000 per night for a super premium room. Then there are the incidentals -- parking pass, meals, alcohol, tail-gating (that's a whole expense to itself), a few souvenirs -- barring any unexpected hospital visits or money for bail (for those rowdy fans), you can probably get by with.., about $8000-$8500 for your Super Bowl excursion.

There have been Superbowl tickets that sell
for well over $100,000 per ticket!

And for the rest us, who don't have an extra 8-9K lying around.., for such important matters like this.., there are tons of super fun options… One of the things that makes the Super Bowl special is it's draw of -- togetherness. Even with advertising companies willing to spend almost $6 million dollars for a 30 second spot, all while pulling out the big guns for the much anticipated Super Bowl commercials (about a quarter of the viewing audience watch just for the commercials and halftime show), it is still a reason to get together with friends and strangers alike to indulge yourself in the most watched event of the year -- and knock down a few beers and some chicken wings!

Which brings me to my next point…

THE FOOD…

The Super Bowl is one of the biggest party days of the year.., and the amount of certain kinds of foods consumed is astronomical… Almost 140 million pounds of avocados will find there way onto one of the over 8 million pounds of tortilla chips in the form of some tasty guacamole. And what's a Super bowl party without 1.3 billion chicken wings -- 1.3 BILLION. Yes, that is correct -- we will consume that many chicken wings on Super Bowl Sunday (Im guessing most chickens aren't big fans of football).., and lets not forget the 12 million slices of pizza Domino's is going to sell -- that's just Domino's. And last, but not least.., wait for it -- 52 million cases of beer will be pounded to wash down that Super Bowl spread.

Even people that don't watch, or even like football -- are probably attending some sort of Super Bowl get-together -- which is quite a phenomenon, itself. Like I mentioned earlier, almost a quarter of the viewing audience could care less who wins -- they're there for Lady Gaga, the Super Bowl Halftime Extravaganza, the commercials.., and the food. To be fair -- they really do put on some damn show…

What Non-Americans Think

And while close to 100 million Americans will tune in to watch this "clash of titans..," with the side show stealing much of it's glitter.., people from other countries are not so enamored with it -- to say the least… They really couldn't give a crap! But even still, the game will be broadcast in about 185 countries and bantered about through their respective press outlets. For so many Americans, the Super Bowl is what is great about America -- but for much of the rest of the world.., it is what they despise…

The American people are sheep.
They're comfortable, rich, working. It's like the Romans,
they're happy with bread and their spectator sports.
The Super Bowl means more to them than any right.
-- Jack Kevorkian

A bunch of stupid, fat (obese), self-indulgent, overly patriotic Americans stuffing their faces with unhealthy junk food, wiping their fingers on their flannel shirts or ugly jerseys while they chug as much beer as they can…

That is largely the opinion of the Super Bowl once you step outside of North America… While the NFL expands to places like the UK and Japan, the Super Bowl still pales in comparison to the more than 1 billion people that tune into the World Cup… But even with it's less than stellar reputation around the world.., lets face it, the Super Bowl has become much more than just a game -- it is a cultural event!


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