Christmas and Hanukkah are in our rear-view mirrors, and now we’re in the midst of another season of celebration, recognition, and great tradition. If you don’t know what season that is, we will feel very sorry for you. You must not have a team for which to cheer. How unfortunate. It’s College Bowl Season! Hooray! Go, team, go! Fight, fight, fight! And if you don’t have a Sooner — my personal fave — or a Red Raider or a Cowboy or even a Green Wave to root for, then pity.
The rest of us are settling in with pizza, Frito chili pie, nachos, and wings to see who wins. Then we’ll argue via text, email, and telephone about who should have won. If you’re not in this mix of logical, point-by-point arguing, what are you even doing this week?
The rest of us are getting out our playbooks of how to watch these games from the Sooners in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28 through to the Jan. 1 big bowl games — Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl, followed by the College Football Championship game Jan. 8 at NRG Stadium in Houston.
So, unless you’ve got tickets to the big games, having a home ready for the big game is essential. One must be prepared in all manner of ways. We’ve brought along a list of things that must be right to enjoy it all. And on Dec. 28, Boomer Sooner!
1. Large Living Area
Just how large is contingent on how large your fan base is. Is it a small gathering of devoted fans or did you invite the whole block? You need plenty of seating facing a substantial TV screen, the size of which depends on the number of eyeballs wanting to see the action. Bonus points are awarded if the seating is surrounded by adequate space for pacing.
These games, you know, can be nail-biters. And if you’re a University of Texas Longhorn, a lot is riding on this Sugar Bowl game. Win that one, and you right away have to start making plans for Jan. 8’s championship game.
2. Proximity to Snacks
The current trend in open floor plans is geared toward game day activities. You’ve got to have your big screen TV just steps from the fridge where the beer is and just inches — best case scenario — from the food source. Games can lead to stress eating, and a good host or hostess will be set up for this.
A nice counter of some sort is beneficial for arranging the essential snacks. Sandwich fixings, pizza, barbecue, chips, and brownies will do. Skip the casseroles — too messy to consume while you’re waiting for the next touchdown.
3. Plenty of Facilities
Face it, these bowl games often go hand-in-hand with drinking some beer. That beer drinking has its own consequences, for which ample bathroom conveniences are in order. Need further explanation, sports fans?
4. Great Lighting
You’re wearing your favorite team jersey, and you’ve pulled on your lucky socks. The fridge is stocked with your favorite beverage, and you’ve ordered the pizza with extra cheese. You’re ready to watch the big game … unless the lighting is so poor you can’t see the game.
Make sure the lighting is bright enough to see the TV, and also make sure the lighting over the food is great. One needs to know whether they’re eating spinach dip or artichoke dip.
5. Place to Celebrate
The home team wins! Hooray! So if you want to whoop it up without making someone whose team, ahem, came in second, maybe a spot away from the main TV action is best. Let those people (we would never want to call them “losers” because we’re all better sports than that) cry in their beer right where they are.
The victors, being the gracious winners, should take the celebration elsewhere in the house. That would definitely give a wide berth to those who want to relive the winning score and get a jump on discussions of next year’s game plan.
6. Place to Howl at The Moon
This could be bad luck, and we certainly don’t want to jinx anything. Here goes, though: if one team is a winner, there has to be a loser. Just in case your team loses in double overtime, please be prepared. Have a safe place to go. Maybe you want to cry quietly. Maybe you need to howl at the moon. Been there, done that, my friend.
Move yourself away from those crazy, happy people who are high-fiving each other. Don’t listen to their silly talk about how important this bowl game was, because we all know it’s just a silly game. At least your team was invited to play. (Looking at you, Horn Frogs.)
