I went to the grocery store yesterday, along with most of the rest of  the population of the county. The cashier confirmed  that a lot of people were catching up on shopping after being snowed in for three or four days but the other reason for the crowded aisles was the upcoming Superbowl game. The cashier said he had heard that Superbowl weekend accounts for more grocery sales than Thanksgiving.
I believe it! The displays of Velveeta, canned chili, salsa, chips in every shape and flavor, luncheon meats and frozen pizza give a clear picture of what will be eaten this weekend. TV food shows feature tailgate menus and home party recipes. Does the game matter? I heard one shopper say it right out loud: "The party is really more fun than watching the game."
True football fans disagree, I'm sure, and woe to the amateur who interrupts with a question like "What does the cornerback do?" or "How come they called a foul on that guy?" Football is something you pick up from culture, like how to match shoes with your other accessories, or a big vocabulary.
I don't understand football. While getting the ball across the goal line is the same, the rules seem to  have changed a lot.
Football used to be simple and I loved cheering for my classmates on the home field but it's different now. I don't know the players, don't walk past their homes on the way to the library, don't have their unemployed fathers on my prayer list. I guess it comes down to this: like chess, being a football fan would mean a lot of brain work for me. If I'm going to work that hard at something, I want to get paid in currency other than spinach dip and pita chips.