Super Sunday

Sunday, all eyes in Jacksonville will be on Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles, to see if he can make the right move in Super Bowl XXXIX.

All eyes elsewhere, however, will be on another MVP - the Super Bowl party host, because they can score touchdowns with their crowds for having killer chicken wings, a good football pool and plenty of refreshments.

The Super Bowl has become one of America's top days for entertaining, as parties spring up everywhere. More parties are thrown in homes on Super Bowl Sunday than any other day of the year, including New Year's Eve.

Super Bowl Sunday is a chance to enjoy the company of friends, watch the big game, and most of all, pig out on plenty of snacks - more snacks are consumed on the date than any other day of the year. In total food consumption, Super Bowl Sunday trails only Thanksgiving.

"I don't know of too many people who stay at home and watch the game themselves," said Wasilla's Sam Cozoski with a chuckle. "It's the Super Bowl, man. You want to watch it with your buddies and yell and scream at the TV and drink beer and eat all day."

That's the sentiment of many Super Bowl party regulars.

"I like going to a Super Bowl party at home, rather than at a bar, because you can actually watch the game at somebody's house," said Wasilla's Jon Barnes. "At a bar, it's tough to see the game, even if they have a couple of big screens."

That's the age-old debate - bar vs. home for the big game. Locally, several bars and restaurants are offering special deals on draught beers and drinks and hosting Super Bowl parties, complete with big screen televisions that make your 27-inch Sony seem like a portable television.

At Settlers Bay Lodge, a special halftime buffet is being set up, and door prizes will be given away to those coming to the bar and rooting their teams on to victory.

"We've got lots of beer specials, three big televisions, free snacks - the works," said Chris Daw, the bar manager at Settlers Bay Lodge. "We started planning a couple weeks ago and had people filling out surveys to see what they wanted."

People from the Great Bear Brewing Company, on the other hand, said they weren't planning anything special, "but we've got the big screen and the best beer in the Valley."

At home parties, the game itself often takes a back seat to the party, as chili, nachos and burgers are the biggest players on Super Sunday.

The Super Bowl is big business, and not just for those lucky enough to score tickets to the Jacksonville, Fla., game between the defending champion New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Last year, consumers spent over $50 million to stock up on snacks. Locally, Valley Rental Center's Super Bowl party favors have been a hit.

"We've got the foam No. 1 hands, pompons, football clappers, balloon bouqets, things like that," said Shaughna Coval of Valley Rental Center. "It's funny how the party has become more important than the game."

So what's the secret to hosting a killer Super Bowl party? Here are a couple tips, which come from various Web sites:

€ Give people a chance to see the game - set up more than one television, if possible, to let those who actually come to the party because of the game see what's going on. Make things comfortable. If you have some serious, hard-core football fans and some folks who could care less, consider setting up two areas - one for those who want to see the game, and one for those who are mostly interested in conversation and the famous commercials.

€ Take it easy on the decorations - they aren't the reason for the party, but you should have a few on hand to make things festive. A few gag gifts are cool, such as foam bricks to throw at the television after a bad call, but you don't need to completely go all out to make your visitors happy.

€ Go with simple snacks, but have plenty of them - chips and dips are always popular, as are dishes such as chili and chicken wings. Pizza is an all-time favorite. If you get too elaborate, you're asking for a lot more hassle than is required. There's a reason Domino's Pizza doubles their delivery volume on Super Bowl Sunday - it's quick, it's easy, and it's good.

€ Provide some healthy alternatives - not everyone is looking to gorge themselves on tacos and wings. Lighter fare, such as fruits and a veggie tray, are good alternatives.

€ Beverages, beverages, beverages - of course, beer is something that goes with everything on Super Bowl Sunday, but not everybody will want a frosty cold one.

Make sure you have a wide assortment of nonalcoholic beverages to suit all your guests (see related story).