big game guide 2013

MYCITIZENSNEWS.COM 13Friday, January 25, 2013

Millions of people will tune in to watch two teams battle for the title of champion. While the teams may be busy prepping their last-minute offensive and defensive strategies, sports fans across the country are doing their own strategizing by planning the perfect game-day party.

The first AFL-NFL World Championship Game in profes -sional American football, later known as Super Bowl I, was played on January 15, 1967 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. The Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs. Since that day, ardent fans and novices alike have been celebrating football byhosting their own viewing parties at home. These parties present yet another way for friends to get together.

As the opening kickoff draws closer, here are some keys to Super Bowl party success.• Know your playing fied.Your home is only so big, and that means you will have to limit the number of people you can invite.Crowding too many people into the house can be uncomfortable and dangerous, never mind trying to talk and hear above the cacophony of too many people.Take inventory of how many you can seat comfortably. You may need to move out larger furniture and move in folding chairs if you plan to accommodate more guests. If you live in a warmer cli -mate, you may be able to hook up

Throw a sensational Super Bowl party

the television outside and host an outdoor event in the yard. This will enable even more people to attend.• Size up your competition.Super Bowl Sunday is a once-a-year event. There will be thou -sands of like-minded individuals planning their own parties and utilizing the same services in your local area. Those who need to rent tables and chairs and rely on a caterer (or the services of the nearest pizza joint) should plan early. If you would like to have a football gathering, start laying the groundwork a few months in advance. This way you can leave deposits for any vendors and be secure in knowing you will havewhat you need come gameday.• Establish your play book.Will this be a chips-and-dips type of party or will you be offering more substantial fare? Is it adults-only or are guests able to bring their kids along? Make a list of questions that need to be answered and set up the party parameters. This way you will know what to stock up on in advance. Consider allocating a separate room in the house for kids’ play or for adults who are there for the social aspect of the party and will not necessarily be glued to the television.• Check your equipment.What is the Super Bowl without a means to watch the game? Retailers often offer the best deals on new televisions this time of year because they know sports

fans want to upgrade their tele -visions for the big game. If yours is a TV that has seen better days or doesn’t offer the high-defi -nition picture guests have come to expect, this may be the time to cash in holiday gift cards for a new flat-screen. If buying new isn’t a possibility at this time,there are centers that will rent electronics.• Watch the clock. Hardcore fans will not want to miss any of the action. Therefore, refresh -ments and other components of the party will have to coordinate to the timing of the game. Do the bulk of food preparation before kickoff and allow guests to mingle and fuel up before the game starts. Save finger foods and other snacks that are easily accessible for when the game starts. Guests can take a break at halftime and grab food and beverages that are set up buffet-style in another room. Hosts and hostesses also may want to consider serving as food “butlers” and constantly

come out with new finger foods on trays and go around the room to ensure everyone doesn’t miss a moment of the game.• Don’t run interference.There’s not much entertainment that needs to be scheduled on game day apart from the game itself. Ensure that the television is situated so nobody’s view is obstructed and that people mov-ing in and out of the room need not cross in front of the TV to get food or use the restroom. While it may be customary to decorate your home with a few deco -rations, ensure any decorations do not obstruct views of the game. To make things comfortable for the largest number of people,consider having two TVs tuned into the game running in separate rooms. This way, guests can min -gle and not be tied to one area.

Super Bowl parties are fun ways to enjoy the last football game of the season and have a houseful of guests celebrate and socialize.

The culmination of the American football season is on the horizon.

I have an ongoing dialogue with a col-lege friend about words I really hate. Mostof the times when you hate a word, there’sreally no reason for you to hate it other thanthe fact that you hate it.

Hater is the ultimate word that I hate.Those who say it are the worst type of per-son, probably the type who also says swag.A few of my friends really hate moist. I’mtalking REALLY hate it to the point wherethey’re upset about it. Irony is in that boat,too, just because NOBODY knows how toproperly use the word. How ironic it is thatit snowed on our first day back at school!NO. Not ironic at all.

Potpourri is also a horrible word. It’stoo fancy for my flannel taste. Do you thinkAl Borland liked potpourri? It’s possible, butAl Borland is not writing this. I am, and Irefuse to call this year’s Super Bowl pot-pourri as such. Instead, I will call it KyleBrennan’s Super Bowl Minutia and OtherUseless Anecdotes. Minutia and anecdoteare awesome words. Use them more often.

By the time you peel the last nacho offthe plate next Sunday night, you’ll haveheard everything there is to hear about Jimand John, the Harbaugh coaching family —they were SO mischievous, we just KNEWthey’d be here one day! I mean, they arecoaching against each other in the freakingSuper Bowl. That’s kind of a big deal.

But really, wouldn’t we all have somegreat stories if we were matched up with asibling on a worldwide stage? I’ve got threeyounger brothers, and together we raisedsome serious hell in the mean streets, drive-ways, backyards and woods of Beacon Falls.

I can imagine the tales my parentswould tell in their interview. You know, theone that takes place in the weirdly lit roomto make the subjects appear as if they’re theonly people left on earth.

Kyle vs. Cal: Kyle used to drop rocks ofvarying size on Cal’s head while sitting onthe sandbox. Cal fought back years later bypuking in the top bunk, leading it to rundown the wall into Kyle’s bed.

Kyle and Cal vs. Kevin: Under thesupervision of an aunt and uncle, the twoolder brothers zipped up a winter coatbackwards on Kevin and proceeded to rollhim down the stairs. Kevin claims to thisday that he enjoyed the so-calledDangerous Games.

Cody vs. Kevin: After Kevin allegedlytook Cody’s turn in a game of hallway bowl-ing, Cody bit a chunk of flesh out of Kevin’srear end. Someone also threw a tractor-trailer Matchbox at the other’s forehead. Ican’t remember who ate truck on that one.

You know we won’t hear any anecdotesnearly this real or entertaining leading up tothe Super Bowl. We’ll get the canned John-and-Jim-were-SO-COMPETITIVE-when-

they-were-kids tidbits. I’ll bet that one ofthem bit the other, puked on the other orthrew the other down the stairs whilestrapped into a makeshift straitjacket atsome point in their lives. Let’s hear about it.

Will this be the year that we finally getsome memorable commercials? I cannotrecall even one from last year’s Super Bowl.This is a large departure from the days inwhich the ads were usually better than thegames.

Businesses shell out millions of dollarsbuy spots and produce their commercials

(except General Motors, which decided $3.8million per 30 seconds on CBS was toomuch this year; hopefully the savings can beapplied to my future Chevy purchase). Is ittoo much to ask that they make them good?

For a lot of the younger businesses, thisis their one shot to impress me. Make melaugh, I’ll see what you’ve got to offer. Directme to a website that promises UNRATEDCONTENT and delivers a tease, don’t con-sider me part of your clientele.

If any local businesses are consideringbuying ad space for next year’s Super Bowl,there are a few items that are absolute

must-haves to create a good commercial:• Groin shot: There’s nothing funnier

in an ad that a good, but not gruesome,strike in the nether region. It must be afleeting blow (like a stray soda can that slipsout of a monkey’s hands) and not a deliber-ate smash (like a squared-up bazooka shot).

• Celebrity who is past his peak:Years ago, Burt Reynolds was in a FedExcommercial that listed the 10 necessaryfacets to a good Super Bowl ad. He killed itbecause he looked as cheesy as it really was.Bob Barker would be a good choice some-time.

• Celebrity who is past his peak suf-fering a groin shot: Because one plus oneequals two.

As usual, I’ve got some parting shots foryour week-long consideration:

• The first sack of Ray Lewis’ careerwas on Jim Harbaugh. WHAT?!

• Studies show Super Bowl Sunday isthe second-largest food consumption dayin the U.S. (behind Thanksgiving). It mustbe the unhealthiest day of the year. CHEESEON EVERYTHING.

• Alicia Keys will perform thenational anthem. I think she’s good, but Iwill shun her forever if she clings to herpledge to sing it like it’s “a brand new song.”How freaking dare you. Respect the Star-Spangled Banner and sing it right. It needsno R or B.

• If you had to put $100 on a propbet, which would you choose: Beyonceshowing cleavage during her first halftimesong (-500) or the Super Bowl MVP firstthanking God (+100)? I’m taking God.

Kyle Brennan is a contributing writer tothe Citizen’s News.

14 Friday, January 25, 2013CITIZEN’S NEWS

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Whether it’s plasma, LED, LCD,HD, or 3D, all of the “Ds” of television technology and terminology can havethe average consumer scratching his or her head and wondering what’s what?

Gone are the days when you turn the knob of the television set, adjust the rabbit ears antenna and hope the picture is clear. Television technology has advanced light years from what it was when most people were children.High-definition picture quality creates sharp images that make viewers feel like they’re right in the show.Improved speakers and sound enhance the viewers’ the overall expe -rience. And today’s televisions come in so many shapes and sizes, they’ll fit in just about any home or business setting.

Other technology continues to shrink a television’s size and weight so that they are lighter and thinner.Gone are the days of those ultra heavy behemoth sets. As all of these changes take place, it can be difficult to stayabreast of the changes. Shoppers looking for a new TV can inform themselves of the different types of TVs and the strengths and weak -nesses to each. Direct View

Direct view televisions, also

How to choose a new television to watch the big gamereferred to as CRT, which describes its cathode ray tube technology, havebeen around for decades. These are the TVs that were most common before the high definition boom. CRT TVs use a specialized vacuum tube inside of the TV to create the picture.The black level on CRTs are among the best, and these TVs are muchlower priced than some of the newer technology.

While the direct view televisions have a long life expectancy, their bulk and weight deters many of today’s shoppers who prefer sleeker alter -natives than CRTs. LCD

LCD, or liquid crystal display, is used on flat panel or rear projection televisions. LCDs are not overly reflective, so they’re a good idea in bright rooms. They do not produce the “burn-in” effect, where an image is permanently imprinted on the screen,that other televisions might.

The disadvantages to LCD flat-panel TVs is that they can be expen -sive. There is also a limited viewing area. Those sitting to the sides of the television may have a darker, distorted view. Plasma

Plasma televisions have emerged as a direct competitor to LCD flat pan -

els. Plasma televisions produce an image that is more realistic than other types of TVs, and can be viewed from any angle without distortion.

Although the picture quality is excellent, without careful handling,plasma TVs can produce burn-in.There are also some concerns about the black level on these sets. Lastly,their expensive price tags deter some shoppers from buying plasma TVs. LED

LED, or light-emitting-diode, TVs are produced much in the same way as LCD televisions. However, LCDs have a higher electrical output because they are lit by fluorescent lighting. In LED televisions, the fluo -rescent lamps have been replaced byLED lights that are brighter and con -sume less energy. These televisions also can be viewed well from manyangles and have a high-definition pic - ture.

For many consumers, price is one significant disadvantage to LEDs, as they can be several hundred dollars more than comparable plasma or LCD models. 3D

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I still think Carvel is missing out on thebiggest public relations scheme of all time.The 47th Super Bowl in the Big Easy will be

one of numerouspregame stories to fillvolumes of newspaperprint. Or as you may pre-fer XLVII, I really don’tget that Roman numeralthing.

The 13-4-1 49ers setan NFC record with thebiggest comeback inchampionship gamehistory when theyfought back from a 17-0

deficit to defeat the 14-4 Falcons 28-24. SanFrancisco did it with the most unlikeliestcandidate at quarterback Colin Kaepernick,who didn’t start until Nov. 11.

Kaepernick put his name in the recordbooks rushing for an NFL record 181 yardsfor a quarterback in the surprising 45-31 winover Green Bay in the divisional playoffgame.

The 13-6 Baltimore Ravens defeated thePatriots 28-13 ending a streak of 67-0 athome for New England when they led at thehalf with Tom Brady under center. One of thebigger stories is the impending retirement of17-year veteran Ray Lewis who has logged 44tackles in three post season games.

But the biggest story will be the twohead coaches, marking the first time everthat two brothers faced off against eachother in the Super Bowl. Jim Harbaugh theyounger brother with the 49ers and JohnHarbaugh the older brother withBaltimore.

Ken Morse

Baltimore 33 San Francisco 20

Honestly, I do not know a lot about foot-ball, but I do know a lot about television;therefore I will base my prediction on what I

know rather than somesilly stats or odds.

The easiest way totell who will win theSuper Bowl is to com-pare these two teams bylooking at the two showsthat encapsulate theirrespective cities: Monkand The Wire.

In the show Monkwe learn that SanFrancisco is a sunny

place where detectives can have virtuallyendless neurosis and bad guys are oftenpolite, bumbling, and humorous.

Then there’s The Wire, which is a gritty,dark dramatization about street life.

The Wire teaches us that journalists arejust as tough as cops, bad guys are mean,and good guys are worse.

The first half will see the Ravens’defense decimate the 49ers’ offense.

As the 49ers continue to take a pound-ing in the second half of the game, theRavens will realize that they can not win thisgame simply by beating up the other teamand will actually try and score points.

The Ravens will score exactly 11 points,just to mock the jersey number of AlexSmith, the 49ers former starting quarter-back.

In proper Baltimore fashion, the Ravenswill shake down their fans for beer moneyon the way back to the bus.

Luke Marshall


I watched the league championshipgames with some friends at Quinnipiac lastweekend, and as the final few seconds joy-

ously ticked away on thePatriots, we came to agreat realization: We canactually enjoy this SuperBowl.

You’ll remember theexcruciating miserable-ness of last year’s BigGame. A Patriots-GiantsSuper Bowl is kind of likea North Korea-Iran war.You really don’t wanteither side to win, butyou want them to admin-

ister devastating damage to one another.These teams and their fans are fine by

me. I don’t care for Colin Kaepernickbecause although he’s good, somethingabout him rubs me the wrong way. I do likehow San Francisco still plays some defense.And I’ve never been much of a Ravens sym-pathizer, but I’m becoming a big Joe Flaccofan. Plus, who wouldn’t like to see Ray Lewisgo out on top?

A lot of people, that’s who. You eitherreally like Ray Lewis or you really don’t likeRay Lewis. He’s either one of the greatestdefenders in the history of football or a guywho reinvented himself with a fake inspira-tional image after double homicide charges.

Since I have no evidence that Lewiskilled anyone, I’m more in the first camp, andI don’t think his teammates will allow him toend things with a loss. The amount of faketears he will shed and orations to the heav-ens he shouts will be absolutely intolerable.Still, it’s more real than Moonshiners, BigBrother and whatever a Honey Boo Boo is.

Kyle Brennan


If you think for the Baltimore Ravensplayoff run will come to end with a loss onSuper Bowl Sunday, think again. After a slug-

gish end to the regularseason, the Ravens havefound their groove.Following a gutty per-formance in Denver,they dominated the sec-ond half in the win overthe Patriots.

It’s going to comedown the quarterbacks,folks. And Baltimore QBJoe Flacco has beenamazing in the Ravens’three playoff victories —

eight touchdowns and no interceptions. He’splaying his best football of the year at theright time and expect him to find TorreySmith on multiple occasions in the endzone. Flacco will put to rest all the questionsabout his status. He’s the real deal.

Colin Kaepernick isn’t ready for prime-time. Yes, he helped the Niners get this far.But this Big Game will not be his day. OnFeb. 3, Flacco will be earning a Super Bowlring and a big contract in the offseason. TheRavens defense will handle its business, andFlacco will take care of the rest. Congrats toRay Lewis as he will be ending his career instyle — with a championship.

Ernie Bertothy

Baltimore 31San Francisco 21

Citizen’s News Big Game picks

big game guide 2013

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