For most, February means Valentine’s Day. For many football fans, February means only one thing: getting to watch their favorite and least-favorite teams battle it out over the pigskin. Whatever your personal opinion on the Super Bowl is, the game is a cultural phenomenon. Even if you don’t care who wins, get confused every time the ball changes hands and still don’t understand what a “down” is, chances are you still might end up watching the Super Bowl with some sports-crazed friends or relatives.
So, for those members of the population who are sports-illiterate and really don’t care who wins, here are a few ways to enjoy the Super Bowl.
Intercept the chips and dip
If there’s one thing the American public enjoys as much as football, it’s food. To maximize your enjoyment of the game, maximize the number of savory snacks that make their way into your mouth. Try making, or buying, some classic Super Bowl party foods like chips and dip, wings, pigs in a blanket, loaded potato skins and nachos. If you want to go the extra few yards, make cupcakes decorated with the competing teams’ colors. You might miss a few plays making your way from the couch to the kitchen so many times, but you can afford that.
Relish the commercial blitz
According to USA Today, a 30-second ad during the 2016 Super Bowl cost 5 million dollars. Companies pay dearly for Super Bowl ad time and rarely waste a second with uninteresting content. As a result, Super Bowl commercials tend to be vastly more entertaining than the game, at least for those viewers who are generally uninterested in sports. From the always-hilarious Doritos commercials to the nostalgic Snickers ads, the commercials are there to pick up the slack in the game.
Snap to the halftime show
The NFL pulls in the biggest stars from both the sports and entertainment arenas for the Super Bowl. This year, Luke Bryan will sing the National Anthem at the start of the game, while Lady Gaga will take the stage for the halftime show. Football might not be easy to understand, but music can be a universal language. If you’d rather dance than punt, the halftime show might be just what you need to stay entertained during the game.
Tackle the party
Even if you don’t like football, Super Bowl parties can be an opportunity to connect with friends and family. If some of your friends and family don’t like football, use the time to get to know them better. If, on the other hand, your viewing companions are jumping up and down in jerseys and face paint, maybe it’s worth it to try to understand why they’re so passionate about the game. Who knows? Maybe next year, you’ll be the one yelling at the screen. Football is a team sport, whether you’re on the field or on the couch.
Hopefully, by the time the winning coach is soaked in Gatorade, you’ll know a little more about one of America’s favorite sports. If not, at least this year you made it all the way to the end zone
