Around the Bluhmin’ Town

By

Judy Bluhm

The fight for February is real. It appears that the Superbowl keeps encroaching on Valentine’s Day, blurring two big celebrations together into one massive food and spend-fest. Remember when the Superbowl stayed in its own lane and happened at the end of January, maybe very early in February? But now, let’s move the Superbowl later into the month, the same week as Valentine’s Day. And fast forward to 2027, when the “Big Game” will fall on February 14! Who thought this up? I call foul!

Americans love to watch the Superbowl. It is a ritual that doesn’t necessarily involve liking either team. In fact, many folks watch and don’t even like football. Still, we tend to enjoy the parties and food, and occasionally the halftime show. Oh, but the game can be wild. Mistakes, fumbles, interceptions and stupid referee calls play out in front of our disbelieving eyes. And yet, we also witness greatness when a ball sails through the air to new heights, to be caught on the fly.

Oh, we are fantastic armchair coaches! Let the opinions fly fast and furious. What were special teams thinking when they sent out only ten men to block a field goal? Idiots! Hold on, quarterback, why are you going for a touchdown at the one-yard line when you should call in the kicker? And wait, did we just see that a receiver fumbled the ball because of interference? Yikes did that referee really miss all of that!

Let all the pundits and sports analysts dissect the season. We have bigger fish to fry. Not exactly fish, more like chicken wings. Yep, Americans love their wings and on Superbowl Sunday 2025, when it is all over, we will have consumed approximately 1.47 billion of them! We also crave pizza. Americans will have devoured about 35 million slices of pizza on game day! How would we ever wash it all down? Well, let’s try with 325 million gallons of beer. Which actually goes well with over 9200 tons of chips. In other words, on Superbowl Sunday, we have become pigs! Start dieting today! But no, we still have some eating to do.

Let’s not forget about the “Day of Love” that is coming this week. The party doesn’t stop with the Superbowl. Americans will spend an estimated 27.5 billion bucks on all things related to Valentine’s Day, with candy, champagne, jewelry and dining out topping the list. Inflation will not stop us from embracing love and football!

Valentine’s Day began as a Roman holiday in the fifth century. It was Bishop Valentine, who married couples who were “in love.”” This was against the evil Roman emperor, Claudius’s, commands. Put in prison, Valentine fell in love with his female prison guard. And before his execution, wrote the words (in blood) to her that read, “Be Mine.” This is not a hallmark holiday, but a day that honors love.

Football and love are all tangled up in one amazing week. Be sure to make room after a plate of wings for a box of chocolates. Dare to be bold. Make a pass. Tell someone special to “be mine.”

Judy Bluhm is a writer and a local realtor. Contact Judy at [email protected] or visit www.aroundthebluhmintown.com.