Super Bowl XLIX is fast approaching as the New England Patriots face the Seattle Seahawks for the championship title Sunday evening, and every football fan knows that a Super Bowl game is more than just a game; it is an experience. With that in mind, University of Miami students have been planning and preparing for the big day.
For some students, like junior Ashley Dixon, the Super Bowl experience is a tradition that dates back to as long as they can remember.
“During the Super Bowl, I go to this event that my godmother puts on every year since I was born,” Dixon said. “There’s a lot of good food, gambling games, and every year, we put in our predictions for next year and, during half time, we read out our previous guesses and laugh at how bad the predictions were. When I was 2, they even pierced my ears during the party, so this has been going on long before I even have memory of it.”
While the annual NFL championship game is a family matter for some, others prefer to spend it with friends. Senior Noelle Mendez, for instance, takes advantage of Super Bowl Sunday to gather with all her friends, even those who are not the biggest football fans.
“Every year I go to my friend’s house, where our whole group of friends meet up,” Mendez said. “We order pizza and watch the Super Bowl in the living room while the people not interested in football watch the Puppy Bowl in another room.”
While she appreciates the puppies, Mendez will be watching the final battle between the Patriots and the Seahawks on Sunday.
“As much as I love puppies, the Super Bowl is only once a year,” Mendez said. “Puppies are great year-round.”
Those who live on campus are also prepping for the big game, as being away from home does not seem to be a valid excuse for football lovers. In previous years, resident assistants have assembled televisions and sofas in the residential halls’ main lobbies, but some students also plan to use Super Bowl XLIX to have a good time as a floor.
“For regular old football games or basketball, we usually split up into our sub-cliques and watch in small groups wherever there is a TV,” said Nathaniel Countess, a freshman who lives in Hecht Residential College. “But for larger sporting events, we set up the biggest TV available in the floor study room and order pizza, bring food, et cetera. For the Super Bowl, I wouldn’t be surprised if we broke out the projector one of the floor mates recently bought, and set up one of the sound systems another floor mate has in the study room.”
A good alternative for students that do not have plans yet is the Rathskeller Super Bowl Watch Party, starting at 6 p.m. on game day.
“The Rathskeller Advisory Board does its best to make the Rat more than just a place to watch the game; we want to make it an experience,” said Julie Earl, Rathskeller Advisory Board chair. “So, by adding free wings for the first 50 people, specials, half-time games and prizes, we hope that students and community members will get more out of it than just watching the game on TV.”
Earl explained that, every year, the Super Bowl watch party brings out a lot of people, and they expect this one to be one of their larger ones because of all the giveaways.
“We are also very excited for this watch party because we will be revealing our concert performer for our first ever large-scale concert happening on Feb. 20,” Earl added.
The Super Bowl XLIX game will be broadcast live at 6:30 p.m. Sunday on NBC.
Featured image courtesy Mike Mozart via Flickr