Needless to say, the Super Bowl is a huge deal. Millions upon millions of advertisers' dollars go into it. The spirit and enthusiasm of hundreds of millions people are vested in this one showdown of the "best of the best." In the South, it is a little different. Football is not a sport but the sport to Southerners. It is a common occurrence for people to ride through town replicating rebel yells to the best of their ability just over a high school game. Yes, a local high school game...

The Southern reaction to a college game is a similar one but with an underlying hostility. Everyone has a team they are rooting for either because it is nearby or their alma mater. The camps separate and stare down anyone else in an opposing sweatshirt.

The Super Bowl is a different matter. Mississippi has no local NFL teams and the ones that are relatively close usually do not make it that far. The animosity between people's team preferences is good natured. If you happen to venture out of the house prior to the game, the stores and streets are crowded with frantic fans making their last minute beer or snacks run. It is reminiscent of that Walmart commercial with the family setting up for the game in unison, chanting Queen's "We Will Rock You." Honestly, that commercial is not that far fetched...

The Super Bowl is the day that most people seem to look forward to most each year. People of all ages, of different sexes, of different races are unified in their excitement. It is a beautiful thing to see, really (There are other amazing things about the Super Bowl. The commercials are mostly clever and I can stock up on Mountain Dew for ridiculously low prices).

I, however, hate football. I do not know whether it is because of its blatant gladiator aspects or because my dad forced me to watch it no matter how I had pleaded to dismiss myself in order to read. I thought I could escape it by going to freinds' houses but they all were into it. My lack of interest in football led to people accusing me of being "un-American" and weird.

I am not trying to imply that Sacramento football fans are any less loyal than Southern ones. It just seems like the die-hard fans go to sports bars, stay at home or go to a party. There also seem to be more people that do not live and breathe the Super Bowl. In Mississippi, if you left the house while the game was on, the streets were empty of cars and people. I could walk for miles and feel like the only person on Earth, until I passed a nearby window where shouts of joy for a touchdown or cries of outrage at a bad call could be heard.

Today, I woke up and it was like every Sunday. There were many pedestrians going about business as usual. There were still people driving around. I did not realize it even was the Super Bowl until I noticed my boyfriend's dad glued to the screen.

This is one of the things I like about Sacramento (not just that some people aren't obsessed with football...). People carry on and do their own things whether it is against the norm or not. The world does not become frozen in time because two football teams are going at it.