Hosting a football party is not just a matter of turning on the television, adjusting the rabbit ears and putting some dip on the table. It requires a certain level of gridiron pride. It takes a commitment to excellence. It takes...a football fan.
Virtually anyone can put some food out and invite people to watch a game. It takes a football fan to throw a serious football party!
Here are some tips to add those special touches needed to make your football party pop with excitement and fun!
Plan in advance - Having a great football party means having a plan and executing it to perfection. Just like the perfect gameplan on the gridiron, you want to know your goals long before kickoff. Figure out all of the details ahead of the big day and send out invites so people have time to plan as well.
Get the right equipment - Before you throw a football party, you have to have the right equipment. What is needed? First and foremost, you need to have a great television set up. If you plan on watching the big game on your nineteen inch television, you are probably going to have a very low attendance rate. Get a big screen with plenty of sound. In fact, set up a few televisions in the viewing area so that you can watch several games at once.
Create an optional activity - People have wives and husbands and inevitably, some will not be football fans. For those folks, set up an area to hang out away from the game. This will keep the serious football fans happy and give the folks that could not care less something to do. Darts, drinks and cards are all wonderful options.
Get the right foods - While chips and dip will certainly do, steaks or hamburgers will do much better (or try my crockpot sandwich recipes!). Try to have plenty of options for the ultimate football party. You want peanuts, celery sticks, chips, dips, drinks and finger sandwiches at a minimum. The better the menu, the more likely you will have a party people talk about for years.
Eliminate distractions - There are a few things that just don’t mix well with football parties. Anything that takes away from the game is a prime candidate. Off the top of my head I can name a few...kids, phones, nagging spouses, angry in laws and annoying pets. Eliminate these things as a starter list and the rest will become evident as you go along.
The ultimate football party focuses on the game and not the peripherals. It is awesome to have great food, but not at the expense of the game. Make the game your focus and then add to that for the best experience.