Super Bowl is the (sporting) night of nights in America, and while the outcome of the NFL finals is v. important, it’s also v. important to celebrate it right. But how do you do that if you’re just visiting the USA? Who do you cheer for? Where do you cheer? What do you eat, and drink, and wear, and OH GOD HELP! Fear not guys, here’s the Contiki guide to celebrating the Super Bowl while travelling in America.
Step 1. Learn the basics
Brush up on some basic knowledge about the NFL (National Football League) like rules, who’s who in the zoo and which team you want to go for. The teams in the 2018 Super Bowl are the New England Patriots from the Greater Boston region, vs. the Philadelphia Eagles from, you guessed it, Philly.
The entire game goes for about 3.5 hours (including the commercials and half time show). There are 4 quarters, each technically going for 15 minutes, but with time outs and all that jazz it’s about 45 minutes a quarter.
The two main ways to score are by a touch down, worth 6 points (which can be converted to 7 or 8 points by kicks or running it again from the two yard line) and kicking the pig skin from anywhere on the field through the goals to get 3 points.
Each team has an offence (aim is to score) and a defence (aim is to stop the other team from scoring) side and they swap on and off the field depending on the play. Since you can tackle in the NFL, the defence guys are going to be BIG guys.
For 2018 the star players are the Quarterbacks (which you would know from any teen movie); The Patriots’ Tom Brady (a legendary player with 5 Super Bowl wins under his belt) and The Eagles’ Nick Falls (the underdog team whose star quarterback was injured at the end of last year leading to Nick standing in).
Step 2. Find somewhere to celebrate
The Super Bowl is a bit like Australia Day or Independence Day; it’s less ‘national holiday with street parades’ and more ‘hang out with your friends in a low-key environment’. That said, it might be hard to snag an invite to a house party when you’re a traveller, so your best bet is to find a cool sports bar (there may be a cover charge FYI) showing the game, or set up your own lounge room! Most hotels will have a TV, so get the right channel, some beverages and USA-inspired snacks and settle in for the big game.
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Step 3. Plan your party
Besides the famous half time commercials of the Super Bowl, the food on offer is the next most hyped part of it. The idea is everyone brings a plate of delicious snacks along to share and these can range from giant nachos to a football shaped cob loaf. It’s pretty important you prepare! Party planning can also include making sure you have ice-cold American beers on offer and some themed decorations. Football field platters, team colours and giant foam fingers all add to the fun.
The one last important thing that goes into planning is picking a team and sticking to it. You MUST commit to your chosen team. Changing half way through is a big Super Bowl no-no. No matter who you choose, it’ll be a blast!
TLDR: Watch this video below for a quick run down of the rules and how it all works ?