Bigger than Christmas, New Years, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Groundhog’s Day, Halloween and your grandma’s birthday all rolled into one, Super Bowl XLII will go down this Sunday, Feb. 3. The game between the unbeaten New England Patriots and underdog New York Giants will be played live in Glendale, Ariz., and will be immediately pumped into every living room, family room and television set this great nation has to offer. The Super Bowl is, far and away, America’s greatest holiday.

The reasons behind the Super Bowl’s rise to America’s greatest holiday are simple. For one, not just fans of football enjoy the Super Bowl. People who haven’t seen (or cared about) a down of pigskin all season tune in on Super Sunday, if for no other reason than not tuning in would mean missing one of the biggest pop culture events of the year. The Super Bowl dominates office talk, radio banter and the picture-filled cover of the USA Today for weeks surrounding the big game. If one of Janet Jackson’s boobs pop out of costume, the coverage goes on even longer (pun intended).



The rise of the Super Bowl has also spawned the rise of the Super Bowl commercial battle. Widening the spectrum of people the big game appeals to, watching the Super Bowl for commercials has become almost as popular as watching the Super Bowl for the game.



The way we celebrate the Super Bowl also sets the holiday ahead of the pack. Presents on Christmas are cool, and Turkey on Thanksgiving is nice, but beer, potato chips, pizza, nacho cheese and four hours sitting on your ass is a truly American festivity. It doesn’t get much better or more indulgent.



Let us not forget, however, what truly makes the Super Bowl great is the game. This Sunday will be the culmination of a season’s worth of ass slaps, shotgun snaps, naked bootlegs, and flea-flickers. Couple that with the fact it’s the last real football we’ll see for the next five months, and the Super Bowl’s significance is undeniable.



Unless you’re a Patriots or Giants fan (in which case I recommend staying home and watching the game where you’re not likely to be smacked in the back of the head with a empty pint glass when your team scores the go ahead touchdown), you may want to venture out into the world and enjoy the Super Bowl at a sports bar. After all, booze and the Super Bowl go hand in hand, so it seems only natural to situate yourself close to a source. Here are a few local sports bars where the Super Bowl action should be hot: 

The Brotherhood Lounge

Believe it or not, they will be playing the Super Bowl at the Brotherhood in Olympia. No word yet on whether it will draw protestors. The game will be projected onto the bar’s eight-foot movie screen, and the doors will swing open early at 2 p.m. Happy hour will run until 7 p.m. 119 Capitol Way N., Olympia, 360.352.4153

The Cloverleaf

Mmmm. Pizza. Considering pizza, beer and the Super Bowl go together like Eli Manning and a blank stare, the Cloverleaf should be one of the best places in T-Town to catch the big game this Sunday. A Tacoma institution, the Cloverleaf is one of those rare taverns where the food may actually be better than the booze — and that’s saying something. Nothing says Super Sunday like one of the Cloverleaf’s famed thin crust pizzas and a pitcher or two of brew. 6430 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.565.1111

Dock Street Landing

Happy hour is, by definition, happy. So, Dock Street Landing’s decision to run happy hour throughout the entire Super Bowl seems like a winner. Also, look for a tasty finger food buffet and prizes and giveaways throughout the big game. 535 Dock St., Tacoma, 253.272.5004

The Ram Restaurant & Brewery

Probably some of the best real estate to watch Super Bowl XLII from, the Ram Restaurant and Brewery, which sits along the water on Ruston Way, not only offers an enjoyable setting for your Super Bowl festivities, but offers plenty of thirst quenching choices when it comes to beer. Choose from the Ram’s Buttface Amber Ale, Big Horn Hefeweizen, or Total Disorder Porter — all much tastier than the Miller High Life you’re used to. Though the Ram hasn’t officially decided yet, look for a beer special come game time. Also check the Ram out in Lakewood, Puyallup, and Lacey. 3001 N. Ruston Way, Tacoma, 253.756.7886

O’Blarney’s Irish Pub

O’Blarney’s may be the best true sports bar Olympia and Lacey have to offer. There’s a reason the Irish themed watering hole draws consistently big crowds every Sunday of the season. While O’Blarney’s cast of usuals is a Seahawk loving bunch, I wouldn’t expect an empty barstool in the joint come Super Sunday. A $10.99 buffet and 20-ounce Coors lights for $2.50 should be enough to please the masses. 4411 Martin Way E., Olympia, 360.459.8084

Oh! Gallagher’s Sports Pub

As we all know, the bigger the better. For this reason the two huge screens touted by Oh! Gallagher’s in Lakewood should make the big game that much better. Oh! Gallagher’s opens at 1 p.m. on Super Sunday. Look for drink specials abound. 7304 Lakewood Dr., Lakewood, 253.472.3009

Top of Tacoma Bar

Jaime Kay will be making 75 cent tacos at her Top of Tacoma Bar during the Super Bowl.  She’s also sliding down the bar $1 man cans of beer, aka tall boy PBR, High Life and Rainier. Add a mahogany bar, two pinball games, one pool table, a golden tee golf game, four televisions, jukebox, the only telephone booth in a Tacoma bar (right?), and you have a party. 3529 McKinley Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.1502

Varsity Grill

If you’re talking about view alone, the best place to watch the big game in Tacoma may be the Varsity Grill. With 10 plasma TVs filling the bar, it’s hard to find a bad place to sit and watch. The VG will kick things off with an outdoors tailgate party starting at 11 a.m., complete with burgers and hot dogs, and even a beer garden, then move things inside near kickoff for two impressive parties designed to accommodate everyone. The downstairs will be open as usual, with first come, first serve seating, and the upstairs will play host to a more exclusive party, which will cost you $20 to get into but will feature a full buffet of Super Bowl favorites and a disgustingly big 158-inch high definition TV. 1114 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.627.1229 

West End Pub & Grill

Across from Hell’s Kitchen on Sixth Avenue, the West End is both a destination for football fans on Sunday, and for college kids looking to get loaded Friday and Saturday nights. Rest assured, though, on Super Sunday the West End will be all about the big game. Look for 16 high definition TVs, $2.50 domestic beers and $2 orders of Buffalo wings. 3840 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.2896