The final countdown to Super Bowl Sunday is underway. The 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl will be a battle of the ages as the Denver Broncos will face the Carolina Panthers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California in this year’s Golden Super Bowl.
Super Bowl Sunday might not be an official national holiday, but it is one of the most anticipated and celebrated traditions in America today. Super Sunday draws more television viewers than any other program, and the entire weekend of the Super Bowl is jam-packed with entertainment.
Oliva Namath, the daughter of former New York Jets’ quarterback and Super Bowl III MVP, Joe Namath, has truly experienced all the entertainment of Super Bowl weekend, and in a phone interview she shared her favorite memories of Super Bowl weekend.
“The parties are definitely my favorite. Maxim’s parties are always a good time, but I will never forget the Commissioner’s Ball in Detroit for Super Bowl XL. We rode on a bus with the football players and their families to the event,” Namath said. “I sat next to Tom Brady and Jerry Rice, and the ball was held in an airplane hangar. Honestly, the highlight of my night was watching Boyz II Men perform.”
Joe Namath won the Super Bowl in 1969 before his two daughters were born, but the daughter of the Packers’ legendary gunslinger Brett Favre will always remember the week of Super Bowl XXXI as when her father led Green Bay to victory in 1997.
In a phone interview with Brittany Favre, she recalled her favorite memory of Super Bowl XXXI being the time spent with her family and friends.
“The Super Bowl is not limited to Sunday, it’s an entire week. When your family is in the middle of all the hoopla, it makes the experience that much more incredible. Super Bowl XXXI was sweetened by the fact that we were close to home in New Orleans, so everyone we loved could be a part of it,” Favre said. “Even at seven years old, I knew it was crucial to soak it in. I wanted to go to every event and really live Super Bowl mania. I honestly couldn’t get enough of it, because I knew I was witnessing something special.”
While not everyone has the opportunity to spend the week of the Super Bowl with its legends, Super Bowl Sunday rarely fails to entertain regardless of location. Besides the game itself, Americans enjoy Super Sunday for the commercials, the halftime show and of course, the food.
According to Forbes, “Americans purchase and presumably consume 10 million pounds of ribs, 12.5 million pounds of bacon and 11.2 million pounds of potato chips during the week of the Super Bowl. Super Bowl Sunday is also one of the five busiest days of the year for pizza delivery.”
This year the NFL celebrates its golden anniversary with their 50th Super Bowl. The big game hasn’t officially kicked off, but Super Bowl 50 and its festivities are underway as the league commemorates the best players, coaches and moments of the Super Bowl.
A Denver resident and Bronco’s season ticket holder, Sean Vickers is looking forward to the events of Super Bowl 50 and being able to witness his team play at the big game on Feb. 7.
“The energy at the Super Bowl is contagious. Watching the years and years of preparation, hard work and heartbreak on the biggest stage in sports is an exceptional and unique experience, and Super Bowl 50 is going to be the biggest and best one yet,” Vickers said. “It’s hard to believe I have the opportunity to attend the Super Bowl this year for its 50th anniversary. The only thing I do know is that it’s going to be a pretty spectacular night.”
Tate Rutland
Staff Writer
Published February 3rd, 2016