[Weekend editor’s note — a bit less formal of a post today, as I wanted to open it up to the readers to discuss their Super Bowl traditions! -AE]
I always wear a jersey when watching the Super Bowl, even if it’s between teams whose jerseys I do not own.
Granted, I’m a fan of God’s Own New England Patriots, and for a lot of my Super Bowl-watching life, the Patriots were in the Super Bowl, so finding an adequate jersey to wear on Super Bowl Sunday wasn’t really an issue.
I used to work every Super Bowl Sunday morning, too. From the summer after high school through college (and beyond, for longer than I’d like to admit), I worked at a grocery store in Portland. I don’t have to tell you that Super Bowl Sunday is one of the busiest days of the year in the grocery store industry.
A lot of my coworkers would ask for the entire day off months before the game. I always felt bad for my coworkers who weren’t football fans and were stuck there, so I never asked for the full day off. For five straight years, I would work an “opening” shift (from 7 AM, when doors unlocked, till 3 PM) on Super Bowl Sunday.
Something else I always did when the Pats played in the Big One: watch the game by myself. Whenever my teams are in important games, I watch them by myself. I get so anxious and jittery that I’m almost unable to focus on anything other than the game, and pacing back and forth in front of the TV. That gets weird for other people.
I know I’m not the only one with weird little “traditions” around the Super Bowl. It is this centerpiece of American culture. Some folks bake cookies designed to look like the participating teams’ logos or jerseys.
So I wanted to open the floor up to the comm-uni-ty. What are your Super Bowl rituals? Do you wear jerseys (or other gear) while watching, even if it’s not your team playing? Do you make a specific food? Do you sit in a specific spot? Let us know in the comments below.
Enjoy the game, everyone!
Fellow grocery store worker here. Up until this year, I’d usually wear my Giants jersey, and one of the Super Bowl victory caps. Just can’t bring myself to do it this year.
Does doing the Ticker count? It’ll be the eighth time today.
For people who don’t know, the Capitals always have an early-afternoon home game which is the most exciting part of the day for me, especially this year because I’m a Commanders fan and would have liked to see the Bills today so I got the only one of four possible matchups that I didn’t want.
My family never did much as a kid, and when I left for college Brady was starting his dynasty, so I unwittingly started a tradition of doing anything but watching the superbowl.
It’s wonderful. Most of the population is inside for 4+ hours today. The outside world belongs to those of us who just don’t care.
Always eat wings, that’s about it.
Thanks to YouTube, I spend the 2 weeks between the Conference Championships and the Super Bowl binging the NFL Films Super Bowl recaps.
God football looked (and sounded) glorious in the 70’s. RIP John Facenda.
I have great memories watching the recaps all Super Bowl Sunday leading up to the game. I might have to follow your YouTube tradition next year.
The tradition I’d like to have is skiing out west during the Super Bowl – I imagine the slopes are empty…
Ha! I said the same thing and can confirm!
I alternate every year between watching the final episodes of M*A*S*H and Seinfeld.
When my kids were growing up we went all out… decorated the place with both teams colors and I’d always buy the official Super Bowl plates, cups and paper goods. We would make a football field cake. Had lots of fun. Once they moved away my wife and I dialed it back to just having a pizza and some snacks while watching the game. One other longstanding thing… I never watch the pregame foolishness. TV gets switched to the game just a few minutes before kickoff. That’s really just an extension of my usual routine. I never watch the talking heads.
I don’t really have any Super Bowl traditions that I feel closely tied to. When I was a kid, my mom would buy a few different meats, cheeses, and veggies, and we’d all customize our own sub sandwiches and eat them together while watching the game. Now that I’m out on my own, I usually watch the game by myself and don’t really have any special food that I go for.
I don’t have a particular rooting interest this year, but I do happen to have a Chiefs jersey, so I’ll wear that today.
And I’m with you on wanting to watch by myself if it’s an important game for my team; I act very similarly.
Making some sort of food related to the game. Like BBQ burnt ends for KC, or cheesesteaks for Philly. This year we’re doing Gumbo because the game’s in New Orleans
I’m starting a new one today. Going to Costco when the Super Bowl starts, and when I get home I’ll watch it recorded. I won’t fast forward it since I’ll actually watch the commercials, so I won’t check my phone. This is supposed to be when Costco has the fewest customers.
You can fast forward through the game and just watch the commercials.
Seriously though, my friend (and I’m sure many people do this) fast forwards until he sees a score or red zone action, then just watches that. He’s a very efficiency minded person
Skipping it as has been the last 10 or so years.
When I was younger…someone at work had a Super Bowl party. 20 people and the game was irrelevant. Might as well have been a beer and pizza afternoon any day of the year. Lots of beer. I mean lots of beer. And Monday half the crew didn’t make it. The past 15, I’ve either hosted two couples and actually watch the game or if its two teams we can’t get excited, wife and I go out. No crowds. Some places had more people than during Covid.
I used to go to a similar party. Someone would keep an eye to announce quarterly scores/winners for the grid but otherwise the room with the tv was probably the room with the least people in it, if anyone was in the room at all.
….Less people….
I guess the only “tradition” I have is watching the game and avoiding the halftime show.
My tradition for the past decade has been to go to Trader Joe’s during kickoff. Including workers there’s often less than a dozen people in the store.
I was going to skip it this year but it is free on Tubi. I went to a grocery store in a college town once during the game and it was just exchange students and myself.
I also avoid all of the pregame broadcast and I wish the game would start 5 hours earlier.
One thing I like to do is get at least one food item that I would normally pass on over price and enjoy it during the game.
My wife and I usually play golf. We have the course almost to ourselves.
That’s awesome!
I go grocery shopping. The Whole Foods by me is typically very packed and stressful on Sundays, so I love going during the game because it’ll be empty. I don’t really care about the NFL, haven’t watched the game in like, 5 years.
Same teams over and over again, it’s just, whomever has the best QB will make it at least every other year. Boring AF. Went through 20 years of Brady, now it’s the same with Mahomes, I’m over it.
Snowboarding. Everyone seems to think Super Bowl Sunday is an all-day event, and the slopes are usually almost empty (especially in Colorado if the Broncos are involved). You can still get in a full day with no lines and be home by kickoff.
We eat tacos and always watch the halftime show no matter how boring it is.
ex. The Rihanna halftime show
When I did watch the game, I would order a pizza at about 1 PM, bring it home and put it straight into the refrigerator, and leave it there until kickoff. So it would be at the proper temperature, see.
These days I only care if the 49ers are in it, which sadly means watching the guys underestimate Mahomes and lose late. Not the biz.
Great sports day. Church, Jersey Mikes, watch Waste Mgm’t/Phoenix open, turn TV off at halftime to take a walk, turn tv back on about 45 mins later, enjoy the rest. One beer each half and the best part, watch is solo. No one yapping the whole game. No one walking in front, no one trying to explain something I already know. No one being annoying.
Watching it at my parents house, and my dad would make a big “breakfast” for us at halftime (since with the time difference that’s about 1:30am). Not going over tonight though due to illness on both ends.
My tradition is to go surf a normally crowded, great break under the assumption that I’ll have the wave to myself while everyone else is watching the Super Bowl, only to remember that every other surfer has this exact same idea, and it’s one of the most crowded surfing days of the year.
So, the opposite of my snowboarding experience! Faaaaaascinating!
I don’t make a big deal of it anymore. Don’t you know, the NFL is scripted, Need to get KC that 3rd trophy in a row.
When it was just me and my parents, I would use the opportunity to make California Dip out of sour cream and Lipton Onion Soup mix. I’ll bet I haven’t eaten California Dip in over 20 years.
Always make Velveeta/Rotel cheese dip, hamburgers/hot dogs, veggie plate (celery/cucumber slices/baby carrots/cherry tomatoes) with ranch dip & smoked buffalo wings. And lots of “Silver Bullets” LOL Although not as many “Silver Bullets” this year. My wife has outpatient surgery first thing in the morning. So, I need to be a good boy!
As a Carolina Panther fan, for the past eight years I’ve worn a t-shirt in Process Blue that reads “Cotchery Caught It”. I will wear this shirt every Super Bowl Sunday until the Panthers win the Big Game (so I guess I’ll be wearing this the rest of remaining Super Bowl Sundays…haha). I haven’t run into a true Panther fan who doesn’t know what this shirt means. FYI…if the refs didn’t overturn the call, the first quarter Von Miller strip sack for a TD doesn’t happen and the complete shape of the game is changed. (At least in my mind it happens that way…that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Haha)
I always watch alone. Spend the entire day in front of the TV, watch all the pregame stuff starting at 730 am. Decorate my TV room with both teams balloons and stuff. Wear my Commanders/Redskins Jersey and cap. Always watch alone because I like to focus on the game, not all the distractions that come with people. I always record the game and save the broadcast on an external hard drive. (Have the last 35 or so). It’s a holiday and the best non-religious non-family associated day of the year for me!
For the past couple of years, my girl friend and I do the Long Beach NY Polar Bear Plunge. We raise a few bucks for the Make A Wish foundation and get a little jolt to the system. Very fun event.
Growing up in the 80s and 90s my dad would have “just for fun” football squares and we’d play other assorted games. Also have food to snack on all day leading up to the game. He’s been gone 12+ years now and tomorrow would be his birthday.
I’m a Lions fan so no wearing a jersey or T-shirt ever. I do decorate by putting out my gumball helmets of the two teams on my TV stand. And for the past 20 years I’ve made chili in the slow cooker, even if no one else shows up.
RIP Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.
Good riddance as well. I won’t have to hear about you guys till fall again.
So much better than the previous weekend guy. No more 5 @ 1 stuff. Keep on rockin.
Well you picked a terrible weekend to make your point.