Super Bowl Party Ideas

Quick Jump Links

Super Bowl History

It all started in 1960 when the American Football League(AFL) was first established. You see, the National Football League(NFL) was 40 years its senior, and the two leagues immediately began battling over players. They started outbidding each other in order to attract key players and it got really ugly.

Then in 1966, Al Davis, the new AFL commissioner, really started cranking up the heat. Reportedly, eight NFL quarterbacks were being courted by the AFL and something drastic needed to be done.

The NFL really had no choice but to sign a merger agreement with the AFL on June 8, 1966. The agreement called for a common draft and the immediate establishment of an annual championship game between the two leagues which would eventually become known as The Super Bowl.

For anything you could possibly want to know about this important game, check out this link to the NFL Super Bowl web site. I especially enjoyed reading the history page which gives details on every game since 1967.

Party Stuff

Having people over to watch a football game during the season is one thing, but for the Super Bowl, there is some serious partying going on!

Invitations are sent out, houses are decorated, people dress up in their favorite team attire, and of course, there is always A LOT of food and drinks at a Super Bowl party.

Invitations

I tend to take the easy route when choosing Super Bowl invitations. It's a very casual party so, in my opinion, the invitations need to be simple and easy. There's a few different options:

• Just send an email. If I am throwing a last minute party, this is a great way to get the message out quickly to a lot of people.
• Send an Evite. I haven't used Evite to send Christmas party invitations but I have received an invitation from a friend who did. It's pretty cool. You can design your invitation, send them to whoever you want in your email address book and then Evite keeps track of the RSVPs for you. People can make comments back to you like, "Sorry I can't be there. Don't have too much fun without me." Click here to check out the Evite website.
• Send an Email with an attachment. I'll send an email but if I have more time, I will include an attachment that I've created in Word or PowerPoint. I usually pick a colored font and some appropriate clip art just to dress it up a bit.
• Just call them. If you have the time, a phone call is a very personal and much appreciated way to invite your guests.
• If you decide to go a little bit fancier, check out these cool
  NFL Super Bowl invitations.

Decorations

It's fun to decorate the house for a football party because you can get so many fun products. I found:

• Confetti. Throw some around on top of your serving tables and brighten up your spread.
• Party Lights. Drape these around your door frames and make them twinkle.
• Hanging Swirls. They are sparkley metallic and will dress up any part of your home.
• Football Centerpiece. Sparkly to match the Hanging Swirls.

Super Bowl Attire

You can't host or go to a football party without having some great football attire. There are so many shirts and hats to choose from at this time of year, but my suggestion is to go directly to the NFL web site and check out all the links (jerseys, hats, sweatshirts...). They have the best selection!

I also found these football dealy boppers. Pretty cute, huh?

Serveware

When buying serveware, like paper plates, napkins and serving bowls, there are a lot of different football patterns that you can buy. The items below are licensed by the NFL and all of the products I am recommending coordinate.

Super Bowl XLII 10" Dinner Plates (16 count)

For Super Bowl parties, I use my regular serving platters and bowls, but I like to supplement with a few dishes like these from Plum Party. They are perfect for snack foods like M & M's and nuts.

Good Food

You can almost always count on chili being served at a football party. I like this Chicken Chili recipe because it's out of the ordinary and it's a little bit healthier than the beef variety.

Along with the chili, I recommend serving a bunch of appetizers and desserts. Keep it casual and try some of these:

Appetizers

Desserts

Super Bowl is one of the most casual parties you will ever have. Offer your guests a pot of chili, something to drink, some simple appetizers and desserts and that's all it takes.