Check out some tips and links from C&I before the big game on Sunday.
While the 54th Super Bowl will take place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Sunday, the American West is home to both teams doing battle in this year’s championship game. The teams are essentially geographic bookends to the region, with the Kansas City Chiefs holding down the eastern side and the San Francisco 49ers repping the coast.
This makes it somewhat difficult for the C&I staff to pick a favorite; it also makes the game that much more exciting. Whether you are headed to Florida to witness it firsthand or getting groceries together for a classic at-home Super Bowl soiree, we’d like to point you to a few tidbits, links, and tips to optimize the biggest football weekend of the year.
THE BIG GAME BASICS
Kickoff for Super Bowl LIV is 6:30 p.m. EST/3:30 p.m. PST Sunday, airing on Fox and streaming on the Fox Sports app. The 15-3 San Francisco 49ers take on the 14-4 Kansas City Chiefs, led by young hotshot quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Patrick Mahomes, respectively.
Musical performances expected during the game include Demi Lovato singing the national anthem and a big-budget halftime show starring Jennifer Lopez and Shakira.
The festivities on Fox will get going a few hours before kickoff, with analysis and pregame coverage from the all-star broadcasting team led by Terry Bradshaw. C&I readers know a little something about Bradshaw, a football-fan favorite with more than a passing interest in the equestrian lifestyle. We’ve featured him in recent years as a “cowboy of the NFL” and we recently caught up with him to talk about his home state and life on his Oklahoma ranch.
BEYOND THE PIGSKIN
If you don’t feel compelled to catch the NFL-sanctioned entertainment during halftime, you can always turn to Animal Planet for Puppy Bowl XVI. FYI, both Team Fluff and Team Ruff have Australian Cattle Dogs on their rosters.
There’ll be plenty of fun moments coming from the official Fox broadcast, too, including the always buzzed-about crop of big-budget commercials wedged between segments of football. Obviously, we at C&I are over the moon about seeing Sam Elliott bust into a saloon for Doritos.
That was just a teaser – there’ll be more on Sunday. Also look for majestic landscapes in a new Toyota Highlander spot; Sly Stallone appearing in an ad for Facebook; a clip for Squarespace in which Winona Ryder visits Winona, Minnesota; Molly Ringwald as a co-host on the Avocados From Mexico Shopping Network; Verizon’s touching ode to first responders; Budweiser’s earnest celebration of “typical Americans;” and much more.
PARTYING AT HOME?
We won’t leave you high and dry without a few recipes for the watch party at your house:
• You’ll find 7-Layer Dip, Hot Fried Chicken Buns, and Barbecue Chili in our recipe roundup from 2018.
• Speaking of barbecue recipes, find out what distinguishes Kansas City’s smoked meat from that of other regions.
• Include a fresh salad with some Green Goddess Dressing as a nod to San Francisco.
• And keep the good times flowing with a couple of tailgate-ready cocktails.
Finally, enjoy a few football-friendly tunes from favorite C&I artists. Happy Super Bowl weekend!