THE PARTY
Months of grueling exercise; hours of press conferences; four quarters of sweat-drenched, hard-hitting, jaw-knocking plays.
The Super Bowl may be exhausting for its competing players, but luckily for those fans watching the game at home this Sunday, the only thing left to tackle is the party.
If your house is the local venue for football fanatics to gather, SPM and some of ASU's Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears fans are here to help you plan a Super Bowl party that will score you some extra points this year.
The fans
Hosting a roomful of screaming sports buffs can be intimidating, but being surrounded by friends is an important part of making the party enjoyable, says Rich Gray, a journalism junior and Colts fan.
That doesn't mean everyone needs to be cheering for the same team, adds lifetime Bears-fan Molly Davis, an education senior. "Fans of both teams [are important] because the competition makes the game," she says.
Ease the rivalry among your group with some friendly fun. Play a game of horseshoes in tribute to the Colts, or practice your best impressions of Mike "da Bears" Ditka.
The drinks
While too much booze may cause your guests to make passes at each other instead of watching them on the screen, beer is still an essential part of any Super Bowl party. But what kind of beer you buy depends on which team you're rooting for.
For Chicago fans, Miller Lite is the drink of choice because "it's the beer of Soldier Field," Davis says, referring to the Bears' home field. As for Colts fans, choose Budweiser, the biggest sponsor of the Super Bowl according to the New York Times.
As civil engineering senior John Kliethermes says simply, "You've just got to have the beer there."
The food
Keep your guests energized with plenty of finger food.
For Bears enthusiasts, stock up on hot dogs and the necessary toppings to make a traditional "Chicago Dog": onions, tomatoes, relish, spicy peppers, mustard and a pickle. If you'd rather sit out on the food preparation, check out Z's Chicago Style Restaurant (2019 S. McClintock Drive), which imports all of its ingredients weekly from Chicago and has catering packages for the big game, manager James Hunter says.
For Colts fans, think hometown cooking; marinate bratwurst in Budweiser before grilling, roast corn on the cob and soak it in butter or serve up breaded tenderloin sandwiches. Whatever food you choose, make it easy; no host likes to be sidelined during the game while trying to prepare the grub.
THE TEAMS
What you should know about the Colts
The Indianapolis Colts started their season with a nine-game winning streak and earned a spot as the third-best offense in the nation, according to SuperBowl.com. Fans can look forward to a "high-powered" offense with a "great ability to put points on the board," says journalism junior Rich Gray, a longtime Colts fan and former assistant sports director at The Blaze campus radio station.
The Colts' player to watch
Colts quarterback Payton Manning not only calls and executes the plays, but he's also "a really nice guy," accounting freshman and Colts fan Amber Johnson says. Johnson attends church with Manning and two other Colts players while in her hometown of Carmel, Ind., and says Manning plays the guitar and sings for the church congregation while in town.
What you should know about the Bears
The Bears are returning for their first Super Bowl game since 1986 with a defense ranked fifth in the nation and an early-season winning streak of 5-0. The Bears' "amazing ability to force fumbles" is geological sciences senior Terry TerEick's favorite aspect of the team. "I've never seen a defense so committed to turning the ball over," TerEick says.
The Bears' player to watch
Linebacker Brian Urlacher and the Bears' defense are set to make a notable showing. "The defense is what has been getting us where we are. Without Brian Urlacher … we would not have stomped on the teams like we have," Davis says.
Reach the reporter at: nicole.stewart@asu.edu.
