Who’s in the kitchen:Super snacks

Chances are your team is not in the “Super Bowl”again this Sunday (or maybe not even since 1969 when they made their only appearance--just saying) , didn’t even make it to the playoffs, you swore off football after your team’s performance this year, you never liked football, you don’t even know the rules of football…but chances are you’re going to be hosting or going to a party to celebrate The Big Game.

You might be attending the party as a sports fan, an unwilling spouse of a sports fan, a spouse of a sports fan who wishes you’d be doing anything else, to view the commercials, just want to eat non stop for three hours or basically have nothing better to do.

Since most of us don’t care about the teams facing each other this year, I thought I’d try to find some interesting facts surrounding this huge yearly event so I can segue to the cutesy football theme snack recipe. For those who will fast forward to the recipe, at least let your husband read the article. A lot of time went into researching; I’d hate for it to go to waste.

The game was created as part of a merger agreement between the NFL and its then-rival league, the American Football League (AFL). It was agreed that the two leagues’ champion teams would play in an AFL–NFL World Championship Game until the merger was to officially begin in 1970.

After the NFL’s Green Bay Packers won the first two Super Bowls, some team owners worried about the future of the merger. At the time, many doubted the competitiveness of AFL teams compared with their NFL counterparts. That all changed when…. (OK JETS FANS, PAY ATTENTION NOW, I’M GOING TO THROW YOU A BONE) in 1969 (the ultimate sports dream came true for many New York sports fans when the Jets, Mets and Knicks were crowned champions in their respective sports) the AFL’S New York Jets defeated the NFL’s Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III in Miami. Before the game, Joe Namath (like many other sports heroes who promised championships, like Patrick Ewing and Rex Ryan, who as we know turned out to be the kiss of death for their teams), predicted the underdog Jets would win the Super Bowl. Fulfilling that promise immortalized Namath…that and that panty hose commercial he daringly did.

By the time the first Super Bowl was played, the term “bowl” for any big-time American football game was well established. Lamar Hunt, owner of the AFL’s Chiefs, first used the term “Super Bowl” to refer to this game in the merger meetings. Hunt would later say the name was likely in his head because his children had been playing with a super ball toy (a vintage example of the ball is on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio) Although the leagues’ owners decided on the name “AFL-NFL Championship Game,” the media immediately picked up on Hunt’s “Super Bowl” name, which would become official beginning with the third annual game.

The NFL is vigilant on stopping unauthorized commercial use of its trademarked terms “NFL,” “Super Bowl,” and “Super Sunday.” As a result, many refer to it as “The Big Game,” or other generic descriptions. A radio spot for Planters nuts parodied this, by saying “it would be super...to have a bowl...of Planters nuts while watching the big game!”)

Because of its high viewership, commercial airtime during the game is the most expensive of the year. As a result, watching and discussing the broadcast’s commercials has become a significant aspect of the event (almost as important as to who wears what at the Oscars).

Did you know……

Approximately 151 million people will tune into the game, which will be shown in 232 countries and territories and broadcast in 34 languages…of which only one, the word “football” doesn’t mean “soccer.”

Viewers will drink 325 million gallons of beer

1 billion chicken wings will be consumed along with 8 million pounds of popcorn, 28 million pounds of potato chips, 52 million pounds of avocados

1 out of 12 people watching will be bored and waiting for the commercials.

6% will call in sick on the Monday after the game.

Antacid sales will increase by 20% the Monday after as well.

35% of people who attend the game will write it off as a corporate expense.

Excluding XXXIX, the famous “I’m going to Disney World” advertising campaign took place every year since XXI, when New York Giant Phil Simms became the first player to say the tag line.

Some people will tune in just for the halftime entertainment (or as in my daughter’s case, when Springsteen performed, they will live for it).

Early Super Bowls featured a halftime show consisting of marching bands from local schools. It has turned into a half hour extravaganza with some of the biggest performers in show biz. One of the most memorable, for me at least, was when U2 performed, and the band played under a large projection screen that scrolled through the names of the victims of the 9/11 attacks.

Chocolaty, crunchy footballs

INGREDIENTS;

3 Tbs butter or margarine

40 regular marshmallows or 4 cups mini

½ cup peanut butter

6 cups Kellogg’s Cocoa Krispies cereal

White opaque writing gel or frosting (comes in a ready to use tube)

DIRECTIONS;

Melt butter or margarine, add marshmallows and stir till completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, till smooth.

Add the cereal and stir well till it’s all incorporated.

Once mixture has cooled somewhat, spray your hands with Pam and shape the mixture into 2 inch footballs.