The Spectator’s Guide to Super Bowl XLVII

William McQuilkin, Author|January 29, 2014

What’s the big deal?

So, the Super Bowl is this Sunday and Seattle is going pretty nuts because the Seahawks beat the Forty-Niners last week to win their ticket into the game. To those readers who have been living deep beneath a rock for the last 48 years, the Super Bowl is a pretty big deal for Americans—you to watch the game (or just the commercials) on Sunday, eat too much food and maybe even get so drunk by halftime it’s hard to remember the last part of the game. This game in particular is looking to be something special. The Denver Broncos have the number one ranked offense in the NFL and the Seahawks have the number one ranked defense. With the smartest quarterback in the game going up against the smartest secondary in the game, some crazy stuff is bound to happen.

A Good Offense

The Denver Broncos are a team built around one man, Peyton Manning. Manning is arguably the best quarterback of his generation—though these are strong words, given that Tom Brady exists—and is no doubt able to take over a game. He runs the offense, is famous for his ability to read defenses, and re-organizes his offense according to those holes. He also set a record this season for touchdown passes in a regular season (55), passing first downs (293), passing yards (5,477), most 400-yard passing games (4) and most four-thrown-touchdown games (9). According to NFL.com, Manning is also the only player on either team to have won a Super Bowl. Manning’s offense is being called “the best passing-offense in history,” and rightly so. With Manning moving Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Wes Welker, Julius Thomas and Knowshon Moreno around to exploit holes in the defense, they seem impossible to stop.

Weed

Now, you may be a bit confused by this next bit, but this year’s game is being called the Stoner Bowl and Smoke-a-Bowl for a reason. This will be the first Super Bowl ever played between teams from cities that have both legalized weed. Cool, man. While it’s unlikely that any of the players will admit to it, someone on the field has probably puffed the herb at least once in this season. It’s one reason to watch the game, if only to appreciate the historic moment this game will represent for the stoner community. Maybe it will encourage more states to follow suit in the legalization of the sticky-icky. Who knows, maybe it’s part of the reason both of these teams have played so well this season. Just a thought…

Sleepers

While the game is full of big name players in Manning, Wilson, Welker, Lynch, Sherman, etc., there is still a handful of lesser known fellas who could wind up having an impact on the game. To begin, there’s Doug Baldwin of the Seahawks. Baldwin, a receiver, normally plays second fiddle to Percy Harvin, a more established player. However, because Harvin has been roughed up of late—having suffered a concussion in a game against the Saints—Baldwin is looking to have a bigger role in the Super Bowl game next week. For Denver there’s defensive lineman Terrence Knighton who played a key role in stopping the Patriots last weekend. Keep an eye out for this understated underdogs.

Skittles, Gushers, Etc.

The Hawks also have something of an obsession with candy. According to Richard Sherman, Gushers are his pregame snack, postgame snack, and would be his in game snack if they would let him. The man even has a special jersey in his house made entirely of Gushers sent to him by the company! Then there’s the Skittles. They are most associated with Lynch, and it’s not uncommon to see people throwing bags of them into the end-zone after a Marshawn touchdown. The reason is pretty unclear, all we know is that, in order to “FEED THE BEAST,” you have to give the man his Skittles… despite its’ quirkiness, it is the perfect excuse to go out and buy copious amounts of fruity candy to treat your guests to on Sunday.

The Weather

This year, the Super Bowl is going to be played in New York. In the winter. During one of the coldest winters on record. Thus, the weather is an issue, and it has been since that cold snap the country experienced in November. There were even silly rumors that the game might occur on Saturday. However according to Weather.com, “Just in time, it appears the frigid cold from earlier in the week will relent and retreat. Instead of daily highs in the teens and 20s, it appears 30s and perhaps low 40s will be in play for the big weekend, closer to average for early February.” This is good news, however if you’re planning on attending the festivities, I would recommend layers.

The Dark Side of The Super Bowl

Sheldon Costa
Staff Writer

Despite the ability to get caught up in the Super Bowl madness—especially when our home team is competing, there are a number of things often forgotten when the excitement begins—namely the financial and ethical concerns that the National Football League (NFL) as a whole has grappled with for most of its history.

The NFL,
for example,

IS A NON PROFIT

DESPITE BEING A

$9 BILLION A YEAR INDUSTRY

Though this could be misleading — The Commissioner of The NFL, Richard Goodell makes $30 million a year.

Though his income is taxed— it still means most of the massive stadiums constructed are financed by GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES.

There is also the fact that the NFL has an ugly history of ignoring the traumatic brain damage that past and present players have suffered, the effects of which, far from being the occasional problem, are becoming a mainstay of the game. Not only is the damage occurring to the willing players, but additionally women’s shelters and social agencies have also reported that the Super Bowl is the worst day of the year for domestic violence.

ADDITIONALLY, WOMEN’S SHELTERS AND SOCIAL AGENCIES HAVE ALSO REPORTED THAT THE SUPER BOWL IS THE WORST DAY OF THE YEAR FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

38 MILLION VIEWED LAST YEAR’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS WHILE 111.3 MILLION PEOPLE TUNED IN FOR LAST YEARS GAME MAKING IT THE MOST WATCHED EVENT IN HISTORY.

Football is a beautiful and graceful game in its own way, but we should be conscious of the fact that we are often advocating and actively sponsoring a sport that may be in conflict with our moral principles.

WHAT TO EAT ON GAME DAY

BBQ Salmon Seattle Burgers

4 oz cream cheese
1 tbl olive oil
1 red onion
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp brown sugar
4 salmon burger patties
2 cup barbecue sauce
4 ciabatta or brioche rolls, split

These salmon burgers are inspired by the classic Seattle street meat pairing of cream cheese and caramelized onions. You can certainly make your own salmon burgers or sliders if you want, but Trader Joe’s carries a great frozen version.

Heat 1 tbl olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cut onion into thin slices. Once oil is warm, place the onions in the skillet. Sprinkle with salt and brown sugar, and stir to coat. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes. Place onions in a bowl and set aside. Cook burgers according to package directions, brushing with barbecue sauce after flipping. Toast ciabatta rolls and spread cream cheese on each roll. Once burgers are done, top with sauteed onions and place inside buns.

Baked Zucchini Fries

For fries
3 medium zucchini
1 cup (8 oz) buttermilk
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt

For spicy aioli
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 tbl freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp sriracha, or more to taste

Want a healthy alternative to typical Super Bowl grub? These zucchini fries are coated in buttermilk and panko, then baked. Greek yogurt aioli is tangier and more flavorful than mayonnaise-based aioli, and is loaded with protein.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet with olive oil. Slice zucchini into thin spears. Place in a mixing bowl, then pour buttermilk over spears and toss to coat. Pour remaining ingredients into a large Ziploc bag. Seal bag and shake to coat. Grab a handful of zucchini spears from bowl, lightly shake off excess buttermilk, and place in bag with coating ingredients. Shake to coat, then remove spears and place on the prepared cookie sheet. Repeat process until all spears have been coated. Bake for 15 minutes, or until fries have browned.
To make aioli, simply whisk aioli ingredients together in a bowl.