Tag Archives: Super Bowl Fun Day

Super Bowl Fun Day

SuperBowlSusan Brown Health and Wellness Editor

Super Bowl Sunday is fast approaching and, as the frenzy builds, parties are planned, friendly bets are placed, and supermarkets and pizza chains are geared up for major sales of chicken wings, guacamole, beer, salty snacks and of course, pizza. The food centric football bash gathers families, friends and fans to cheer on their team, disagree with the calls, and maybe more importantly, eat, drink, party and have fun! Second only to Thanksgiving Day in food consumption, and the busiest day for pizza deliveries, Super Bowl excesses result in over 1.5 million people calling in sick the morning after, and another 4.5 million arriving late for work. As Super Bowl Sunday has essentially become an American holiday, some wonder if it shouldn’t be followed by a day of recuperation we might call Super Bowl Monday.

As millions of us look forward to the championship game, what fun would the Super Bowl be if we didn’t indulge a bit?

Although this eating fest arrives just as people are forgetting about or giving up on their New Year’s pledges to adopt a healthier diet, one day of eating and drinking to excess doesn’t have long-term effects on metabolism or general fitness. Although we may experience bloating, heartburn or indigestion, most people return to normal within a day or two. Beware that if your team loses, you are more likely to eat high calorie, unhealthy food the day after the big game. The best cure for Sunday’s indulgence, once your hangover subsides, is to restart healthy habits on Monday. Those who consider Mondays as a day to get back on track after any indulgent weekend are the most successful at losing or maintaining their weight long-term. In other words, it appears that it’s what you eat Monday through Friday that matters most.

In a good news announcement, a major effort has been undertaken to drastically reduce plastic pollution at the stadium.

Super Bowl LII aims to be the first zero waste game in history. In a collaborative effort called Rush2Recyle, the NFL has partnered the US Bank Stadium in Minnesota, Aramark, the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority and PepsiCo to recover more than 90% of the 40 tons of trash generated at the Super Bowl. To help meet this goal, Aramark partnered with Eco-Products to develop compostable cups, trays, straws, utensils and peanut bags that will help reduce 70% of the waste. Approximately 200 employees and volunteers will serve as project ambassadors to educate the 66,000 attendees about items that can be recycled, composted, and lastly, thrown away.

The sponsors have high hopes that this idea will spread to other leagues, teams and site operators, as it appears there’s no grander stage than the Super Bowl to draw attention to the important issue of recycling and reducing waste. So, while we are socializing and enjoying the game, it pays to be mindful of own carbon footprint and the impact of waste on the planet, oceans, and sea life. Not only Super Bowl Sunday, but every day, being pro-active and environmentally friendly is the socially responsible way to be.

Super Bowl Fun Facts

  • When Super Bowl I was played on January 15th, 1967, the priciest ticket cost $12, and a 30 second commercial cost $40,000. This year’s event, if you’re lucky enough to score a ticket, will cost approximately $3,200 per ticket, and a 30 second commercial will cost $5 million.
  • In the U.S. alone, more than 111 million people watched Super Bowl LI. At least 100 million Americans are expected to watch Super Bowl LII. As many as one billion people are expected to tune in globally.
  • Americans will drink 52 million cases of beer, largely American brands.
  • Chicken wings, pizza and potato chips are the most popular Super Bowl snacks with more than 1.3 billion chicken wings consumed and 12.5 million pizzas.
  • Along with 8.2 million pounds of tortilla chips, 160 million avocados will be consumed, largely in the form of guacamole.
  • It’s estimated that Americans will consume up to 2400 calories per person during the game.
  • Justin Timberlake will perform the 13-minute half time show. Katy Perry’s Super Bowl XLIX performance remains the most-viewed half time show, followed by Lady Gaga’s performance at Super Bowl LI.
  • The National Anthem will be performed by Pink, and Hamilton star Leslie Odom Jr. will sing America the Beautiful.
  • The seven-pound Super Bowl trophy, designed and manufactured by Tiffany & Co., takes nearly 70 hours to forge at a cost of $50,000.
  • Super Bowl Championship rings are manufactured by Jostens at a cost of $36,500 each.
  • The American Gaming Association estimates that approximately $4.76 billion will be bet on the Super Bowl this year with just 3% bet in Nevada.

Have fun everyone. Enjoy the game, the food and the comradery!

References:
Super Bowl Project to Score Zero Waste on Gameday. https://www.environmentalleader.com/2018/01/super-bowl-zero-waste/
Super Bowl LII Ratings Will Be Super, But Not A Record. https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradadgate/2018/01/31/super-bowl-lii-ratings-will-be-super-just-not-a-record/#29c21e1c11fd
Lady Gaga Pulls Second-Most Viewers Ever for Super Bowl Halftime Performance. https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7684905/lady-gaga-super-bowl-halftime-viewers-number
Here are the extravagant rings given to Super Bowl champions over the years. http://www.businessinsider.com/super-bowl-champion-rings-2017-2/#super-bowl-i-1967-green-bay-packers-35-kansas-city-chiefs-10-1
Gamblers expected to bet a whopping $4.8 billion on the Super Bowl and only about 3% will happen in Nevada. http://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-will-be-bet-on-super-bowl-2018-1