While some students have to work during the Super Bowl, or others simply don’t care, the big game has its way of creating memories by bringing friends and family together.
With the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers getting ready to kick off Super Bowl XLV on Sunday afternoon, Fresno State students reveal their plans, predictions, traditions and their favorite commercials and halftime shows.
Kinesiology major Tom McLaughlin and criminology major Daryl Paust plan to watch the game with their fraternity brothers, Sigma Chi.
While Pasut said he is definitely rooting for the Steelers, McLaughlin said this is the first Super Bowl where he doesn’t care who wins.
McLaughlin is a Denver Broncos’ fan and Pasut is a San Francisco 49ers’ fan.
Aside from who wins or loses, for some, it’s for the sake of fun. Some Super Bowl traditions that McLaughlin and Pasut have are the type of food and beverage that they eat and drink, and the games they play that involve a friendly wager.
Pasut said that one tradition is eating a lot of food.
“Seven layer dip is one of them,” Pasut said. “Hot wings are another regular preference and shotgunning every touchdown.”
Shotgunning a beer refers to a strategic way of drinking beer out of a can.
Another tradition that McLaughlin and Pasut play with their friends is Football Squares, where whoever wins takes all.
“You predict how many points are going to happen through each quarter, halftime and then at the end of the game,” Pasut said. “Say it’s like five bucks a square, two bucks a square.”
Sociology major Chalon Davis said he doesn’t have any formal plans for the Super Bowl.
“But what I usually do sometimes is hang out with a bunch of friends and try to sit in front of the biggest TV we can,” Davis said. “Some people drink, eat food and enjoy each other’s company while we’re watching the game pretty much.”
Davis said he is not a fan of the Packers or the Steelers.
“I’m a Jets’ fan, but if I had to choose, I’ll go with Pittsburgh,” he said.
Although communications major Gia Aguilar said she’s rooting for the Packers, she’s a die-hard Raiders’ fan.
“Born and raised on the Raiders,” Aguilar said.
Aguilar plans on going over to a friend’s house for a barbecue on Super Bowl Sunday.
“I’m definitely going to watch the whole game,” Aguilar said. “I love football.”
Aside from football, another thing to look forward to during the Super Bowl is the commercials. The beer commercials were among the favorites of the students, along with E*TRADE, Doritos and Snickers.
Davis said there are always commercials that he enjoys.
“Budweiser with the frogs, that’s a classic one,” Davis said. “The bottle top twist to open, the guys were twisting trying to open the bottle, that wasn’t working for them.”
One halftime show that stands out in everyone’s mind is Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson’s infamous wardrobe malfunction.
“The only one I really remember is the Justin Timberlake one and Janet Jackson,” Aguilar said.
“Definitely, definitely, Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson,” Pasut said.