Growing up a football fan, The Super Bowl was always something I looked forward to, even if my team wasn’t playing. It meant parties, often with people I hadn’t seen in a while. It meant games, whether it be for drinks, cash, or good ole’ bragging rights. It meant delicious and creative snack food (I love any excuse to turn a cake into an edible football field). But most of all, it meant fun.

Whether it be for the game, the commercials, the parties, the food, the halftime show, or even the Puppy Bowl – Super Bowl Sunday is a day of enjoyment. Even non-football fans get into it! It’s a reason for people to get together. It’s a reason to fire up the grill in the dead of winter. It’s a reason to sport your favorite team’s jersey, even if they’ve been out of it since Week 6. It’s a reason to take your first shot of Sambuca while banging pots and pans in the street because the Lombardi Trophy is finally headed back to Titletown! …No? Just me? Well maybe it’s just a good excuse to kick back, relax, and crack open a cold one.

Probably my favorite thing about any sport is the escape. Sports have a way of taking you out of the “real world” allowing you to put aside work, forget your worries, and simply enjoy the moment. It’s no wonder that the Super Bowl, one of the biggest American sporting events, has turned into one of the most celebrated days of the year. There’s a reason people say it should be a national holiday people! The Super Bowl is the ultimate Sunday Funday.

So whatever it is you’re doing this Super Bowl Sunday, I hope you’re having fun. I hope you spend it with friends or family. I hope you win the box pool. I hope you catch JT’s halftime performance. I hope you cheat on your diet with a heaping glob of buffalo chicken dip. I hope you enjoy yourself. You deserve it.