From Mona’s desk
Super Bowl in the time of COVID
It’s Super Bowl time! The Kansas
City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes will meet the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and
Tom Brady for the 55th Super Bowl this weekend. Go, Chiefs!
For the first time in the game’s history, the Super Bowl will be played in the home stadium of one of the competing teams. It’s scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CT, Sunday, Feb. 7 at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. According to www.nfl.com/super-bowl/, the Bucs will wear white jerseys and the Chiefs will be in red.
On Jan. 22, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced that the National Football League was inviting approximately 7,500 vaccinated health care workers to the game as guests of the NFL. Heck, stick a needle in my arm (twice if necessary!) if it means getting a seat to watch Mahomes play.
The game, pre-game and, no doubt, the post-game, too, is to be broadcast by CBS. Last year a storm did a number on the television antenna at my house and now sometimes CBS blips in and out. No problem. Last time we bought a TV, it seems that we bought one slightly smarter than me. At the time, I got frustrated and wouldn’t complete the setup. Now I’m glad I did. The rain can fall, the wind can blow and I’ll still be able to watch the Super Bowl blip-free.
The CDC has issued guidelines on how to hold virtual gatherings to watch the Super Bowl. For anyone who has ever been enthusiastic about football, it’s easy to laugh at some of the suggestions, such as to “Avoid shouting, cheering loudly, or singing. Clap, stomp your feet, or bring (or provide) hand-held noisemakers instead.” This might not be appreciated by anyone living on a lower level apartment!”
And how does one avoid shouting or cheering? This is the Super Bowl! Years ago I had a foam brick that I could throw at the TV when things went bad for my team. And now I’m supposed to avoid shouting and cheering?
Now, if you haven’t already decided what to wear, take the CDC’s recommendation. “Wear clothing or decorate your home with your favorite team’s logo or colors.” It just seems like whoever wrote this has never been around football at all!
“Make appetizers or snacks with the people you live with to enjoy while watching the game and share the recipes with your friends and family.” This is tradition for many, pandemic or no. Even when it’s only the husband and me watching the game, I still fill the tug to make ground ham sandwiches, buy celery, carrots, cheese and crackers for a snack tray and stock up on two or three different types of chips. Because this is the Super Bowl and you just never know what you’ll want on hand for muchies. Oh, and add pizza and apples, too! Just in case.
Whether or not you are watching the game with family, alone or with a group, yes, take some precautions. We’re still in the midst of a pandemic, though for three or four hours on Sunday it would be nice to forget.
The word I use to describe the COVID-19 situation is “contradictory.” The Governor has eased the DHMs into the green phase for Nebraska and seemingly most all restrictions are lifted for gatherings. That’s a good thing for the economy. Yet just try to go to a school event. The regulations for our schools are different and masks are still required.
I watch the national news and listen to people talk about the need to open schools again and get people back to work. I watch Kearney TV and wonder if the news anchors are ever going to be in the same room again. I’m glad I’m in Custer County where our schools are open and most of us are working among our co-workers. We have found a way to move forward. Sometimes it seems that the pandemic is far, far away. Then the CDC tells us to not cheer too loudly or energetically.
OK, let’s remember, the coronavirus is right here. It’s still with us. Let’s keep taking precautions, even though we’re dang tired of them.
I asked my co-workers here at the Chief for some Super Bowl Predictions. Here are their responses. Madison: Chiefs! 34-14
Donnis: I don’t have a prediction but am looking forward to the pre-game and looking back on Brady and the number of games he participated in. They do such a great job on pregame!
Christi: The kittens from the Kitten bowl as I don’t really care who wins.
Alex: Chiefs 42, Bucs 21.
Me: Chiefs 42, Bucs 35.
Like I said, Go, Chiefs!