It’s that time of year again. The day that every boy in America loses his mind, screaming at the television for hours on end at a team that is most likely not even representing his hometown, chowing down on pizza and BBQ chicken wings, and dressed in a jersey and maybe even a painted face.
It’s officially the weekend of Super Bowl Sunday- the most epic Sunday in American culture. Now, as girls, some of us may not be as into football as our fellow male friends. However, with these quick facts about the upcoming Super Bowl, you may just find yourself screaming at the television about an interception made by Aaron Rodgers.
1. Easy Facts About the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers
As most of you know, this Sunday’s Super Bowl will be the Green Bay Packers vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers’ home field, Heinz Field, was the location of the 2011 NHL Winter Classic, the annual outdoor NHL hockey game. The Steelers record this season is 12-4, meaning they won 12 games and lost 4. The Steelers are in the AFC Conference, which stands for American Football Conference. The Green Bay Packers home field is Lambeau Field, the only retro-looking stadium in the NFL. Their record this season was 10-6, and they are in the NFC Conference (National Football Conference).
2. How The Steelers and The Packers Made It
The Steelers beat the New York Jets in the last round of the playoffs, while the Packers beat the Chicago Bears (insert tears here…being a Chicagoan I am NOT happy). At Tulane, many were anticipating a Chicago Bears vs. New York Jets Super Bowl, considering the large populations of students from these two cities. But, the Packers and Steelers managed to pull through and fight their way to Super Bowl 45.
3. Know the Quarterbacks (And Other Players Too!)
The quarterback of a football team is one of the most important players: they are the playmakers and can easily make or break a game. The Steelers quarterback is the talented, yet highly controversial Ben Roethlisberger (nicknamed Big Ben). He is the youngest quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl (The Steelers won when he was 23 years old in 2006). He was charged with sexual assault earlier in 2010, which resulted in a 4-game suspension at the start of the 2010-2011 season. The quarterback for the Packers is Aaron Rodgers (age 27), a Chico, California native. Rodgers became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw over 4,000 yards in each of his first two seasons as the starting quarterback. Word of the wise: name dropping the quarterbacks and throwing in a statistic or two will HIGHLY impress the boys…trust me.
4. Super Bowl 45 Location
On Sunday, the Super Bowl will be held at the Cowboys Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. This is the first Super Bowl to ever be held at the Dallas stadium, and only the third time a Super Bowl has ever been held in Texas. There’s a first time for everything!
5. The Halftime Show
Halftime during the Super Bowl is always one of my favorite parts of the game. And this year, who better to choose to pump up America than the Black Eyed Peas! In years past, halftime shows consisted of older, hall of fame rock bands. Don’t get me wrong, it’s always fun to hear the old classics of Bruce Springsteen (2009 Super Bowl) and The Rolling Stones (2006 Super Bowl), but I’m SO excited that this year a band from our generation was selected. The Black Eyed Peas never fail to give energetic, over-the-top performances, and “I’ve Gotta Feeling” their halftime show will not be an exception.
So on Sunday, grab a football jersey (or make one yourself), pick your favorite team, and join in the fun of the annual American football tradition. You may surprise yourself this year and enjoy the game as much (or more) than the commercials!