It’s a sad fact of life that no matter how good the sport, how high the stakes or how awesome the match-up, there will always be some snooty naysayers who turn up their noses at a magnificent sporting feast.
Occasionally though there are those sporting events that are so big, so outlandish and so bloated with hype that the naysayers are forced to turn and look.
The NFL Super Bowl is such an event.
By far the biggest sporting event on the US calendar, the Super Bowl transcends all barriers of society.
From dubious beginnings, it is now an international juggernaut devouring all viewers and dollar signs in its path.
It is however on a Monday down under, and with sickies at a premium, some sports fans may be thinking about giving it a miss.
Perish the thought!
Here are five reasons why you need to clear the four hours from your schedule next Monday and watch the Super Bowl.
1. The Harbowl
The city of Baltimore and San Francisco may be about as far apart as you can get in the US, but their football sides do have one common denominator- a Harbaugh.
Even for a sport that has had more Hollywood films dedicated to it than World War II, having two brothers square off as head coaches in the season decider is a little far-fetched.
But, nonetheless Jim and John Harbaugh will be the men going berserk on the sidelines come Monday morning.
Will they shake hands? Will they have a bust up post match? Will the loser complain to their Dad? It’s an armchair psychologists deconstructed dream!
2. The quarterbacks
Even the occasional NFL fan knows the deal here: the quarterback runs the team and takes home the prom queen. This year things are a little different though.
To dip into the bottomless sports cliché bucket San Francsico’s Colin Kaepernick and Baltimore’s Joe Flacco are the fire and ice of the NFL.
Kaepernick is a tattoo-covered young upstart wowing the crowd with his natural ability, while Flacco is the heavily pillared workhorse striving to prove he deserves to be among the game’s ‘elite’, all while boring the paint off a white picket bat turd.
Make no mistake you’re going to hear about these guys a lot during the game, and whether they’re airing it out or getting sat on their arse, it will sure be entertaining for us.
3. The talking point
Occasionally the quarterback needs a hand and will hand the ball to the other blokes.
This is great, and inevitably throws up at least one memorable moment every Super Bowl for which the game is forever remembered by.
The chewing gum helmet, Garo’s goof, Wes Welker’s drop. All of these single events are magnified beyond all significance of the other 59:55 of the match traumatising the players involved and giving the audience a social point of reference.
Essential water-cooler fodder.
4. The half-time show
Perhaps I’m old fashioned, but for most sports’ half-time spectaculars I’ll save up something other than my undivided attention, particularly after two plates of buffalo wings, three chilli dogs and a six pack of Millers High Life.
The Super Bowl is different though, and its half time show remains the yardstick against what all choreographed lip-syncing is judged.
It really does need to be seen to be believed, if only for the stuff that inevitably gets blurred out when replayed on the nightly news highlights real.
5. Everything else
The marching bands, the outrageous over analysis, the players bouncing around like teenagers on the first night of schoolies, a national anthem rendition that’ll make you wear your dark sunnies inside and yes, even the stupid ads.
Everything about the Super Bowl is bigger, louder and brasher than anything else the world of sport can conjure up.
And as a bonus it should be a ripping game to boot!
Yes, there certainly is something for everyone, and faced with the above there is no ascertainable reason you wouldn’t watch the match.
Unless of course instead you’re instead following The Roar’s live blog of the event with yours truly come game day, in which case I look forward to your company.
Let’s play some football!
Follow Chris on Twitter @Vic_Arious
Steve
Guest
Yes: Brooklyn Brewery- everything they make is worth drinking. For mainstream beers, Samuel Adams is decent too. Anything from Bud or Coors is makes CastlemaineXXXX taste like Chateau Lafitte. Good if you're a kid looking to get drunk for the first time, but not fit for a grown man to drink.
Tom
Guest
Neither. Hunt down some decent American beer like Anchor Steam or Sierra Nevada.
butross
Guest
Duff Dry
jerome pervez
Guest
hahahah! i see what you did there boomstein.
Jesse
Guest
Australia never hash commentators.
boomstein
Guest
Superbowl in the UK finishes at 3am Monday morning. Think yourself lucky! =p
boomstein
Guest
Big Ray will murder the opposition. Should go alright in the Superbowl, too.
boomstein
Guest
Duff Dry for the win!
chris
Guest
Coors and Bud are awful and in the same vain as Fosters and XXXX. But Chris is right with Anchor Steam plus other American Craft Beers like Brooklyn Beers and Goose Island.
Jerome pervez
Guest
coors IMO is better the bud light.
Chris Chard
Expert
National Bohemian or Anchor Steam depending on who you're going for RR
RebelRanger
Guest
Whats the beverage for the occasion? Coors or Budweiser?
Dane Eldridge
Expert
That's Lombardi-like innovation!
swannies05
Roar Pro
CC, thanks for the video. I actually remember seeing this one, unbelievable stuff.
Chris Chard
Expert
HA ha, I've actually taken to carrying around a yellow flag and whenever something happens at home/in the office/ on public transport I just throw it on the ground Seriously though a couple of flags are great to have on hand when watching the NFL with your mates, you can improvise and just use napkins etc
Dane Eldridge
Expert
Also just ran an audible at work where I stopped working after I promised my boss solid productivity until 5pm.
B.A Sports
Guest
Fonz My tip for you for next year is to get NFL Game Pass. If you are going to watch lots of games, its a pretty reasonable price and you can watch games live or on demand. My routine was to watch Thursday Night matches (played friday lunch our time), on Friday night when i got home. Plug the lap top into the big screen crack a beer get a pizza and it feels like Friday night football! (and it is pretty easy to avoid live NFL scores for a few hours here in Aus)
Nigel Wakeley
Roar Guru
Fingers crossed the coverage on One won't have any Australian commentators - just let Nantz and Simms talk please!
B.A Sports
Guest
You better pass Jim the gravy when he asks for it, cause I wouldn't mind betting he doesn't mind throwing a scoop of the mash potato across the table if someone ticks him off!
Chris Chard
Expert
Mate chuck in a couple of 'play-actions' and 'gadget plays' and you'll be the bloke running the Super Bowl squares comp! CC