Superbowl Sunday is the best day of the year for football fans, especially if the team they love is playing. However, for those who don’t follow or understand the sport, Superbowl Sunday can be a day full of confusion. So if you’re one of those people who have no idea what a first down or even a field goal is, here’s your guide to feeling a little less like an outsider this weekend.
1. Choose a team to root for. You can choose based on which team’s uniforms you like better, which city you think would be more fun to visit or which quarterback you think is hotter. Or simply ask those around you who they’re rooting for and hop on the bandwagon. Tip: Try not to choose the team the die-hard fans around you are rooting against.
2. Now that you’ve chosen a team, cheer for them when something good happens. Although you may not know when something good happens, remember who around you is also cheering for this team and cheer when they do. Tip: First downs for your favored team are a good thing, penalties are a bad thing, and don’t forget to cheer when your team scores. Don’t worry, those around you are bound to go crazy when something good happens so you’ll just know.
3. Don’t even try to learn all the terminology. No, a touch down is not the same as a touch back and a touch down is not worth the same amount of points as a field goal. That being said, don’t ask questions every time you don’t understand what happened. You WILL annoy the die-hard fans around you and you WILL NOT remember all of the terms.
4. Order food for your guests that’s easy to eat while watching. As long as you do, you get to pick the food. Everyone else will be too engulfed in the game to think about what food to order which means you get to pick. Tip: Wings, beer, and chips and salsa are always great choices for game day.
5. Make it a drinking game. Since you don’t care who wins anyway, drink every time any team scores, every time the people around you cheer, every time the camera focuses on the sidelines, or every time a player gets injured. Make it what you want, the options are endless and the rules are up to you.
Don’t worry, it will all be okay and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Either way, Beyoncé will be performing at half time and the commercials will be entertaining which will make it worth having to sit through the rest of the game. The plus side: you won’t be upset no matter who wins. Also, it’s Mardi Gras so you have a good excuse if you just want to skip the game altogether. And for all you Patriots fans, don’t worry we’ll be back next year.