Super Bowl Sunday has become an event bigger than the actual game, itself.
It's the culmination of media frenzy, a banner day for the nation's gambling industry and a chance for companies to create buzz with high-profile - and often, high-budget - commercials.
And on top of all that, it's also a day for eating.
All over the country, people will gather in homes, bars and restaurants to watch "The Big Game." As the day has grown over the years, so have the menu offerings.
Certainly, it's a big day for the snack-food industry. Most industry experts place it first or second (along with Thanksgiving) as the biggest day for snack consumption for the year. Americans will consume an estimated 30.4 million pounds of chips, dips, pretzels, popcorn and other snacks.
More than $50 million is spent on feeding the masses on Super Bowl Sunday, again ranking close to Thanksgiving.
But while bowls of chips will still be placed within quick reach of the couch today, there will be plenty of variety.
At-home chefs will whip up their own chili, dip and other concoctions to go along with the traditional chicken wings and pizza.
Ron Johnson, manager of the Pick & Save Metro Market doubled his staff for today, which he says is the second-busiest grocery shopping day of the year to New Year's Eve.
There are specials all across the store, in every department. Johnson says that Alaskan king crab legs, meatballs, shrimp cocktails and New York strip steaks are big sellers, along with the basic staples of snacks, beer and soda.
Another big item, one that is growing here in Wisconsin, is guacamole.
"In the south, we knew about this a long time ago," Johnson says. "We've just started with this store. As many pounds as we can make in an hour, it's going to sell."
The store was buzzing with last-minute shoppers Sunday, just a few hours before Pittsburgh and Arizona kick off at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Even a weakened economy, people are still finding ways to celebrate.
"It's a retailers best dream."
One of the latest internet obsessions finding its way into American homes today is the "Bacon Explosion."
Created by Kansas barbeque-enthusiasts Jason Day and Aaron Chronister, the Bacon Explosion is an artery-clogging combination of bacon and sausage that checks in at over 5,000 calories and 500 grams of fat.
To summarize; two pounds of bacon is wrapped and rolled around a couple pounds of sausage meet. The layers are sprinkled with more chopped bacon and then smoked for a few hours.
The recipe brought nearly a half-million visitors to their Web site, BBQaddicts.com, and has also inspired a litany of alternate versions; some including venison and ... leaner meats.
Today is also the biggest day of the year for food delivery, especially pizza. Nationally, big chains like Domino's, Papa John's and Pizza Hut will battle for the biggest sales with a variety of deals and discounts.
In an Advertising Age magazine interview last week, Domino's spokeswoman Jenny Fouracre-Petko said that the chain uses the Super Bowl to introduce new products. This year, Domino's launched a premium line of pizzas that include high-end ingredients and 40 percent more cheese.
The chain expects to sell more than a million pizzas today, 40 percent higher than it's usual Sunday numbers.
At Pizza Shuttle, 1827 N. Farwell Ave., manager Angelique Alba is preparing for her first Super Bowl Sunday. A usual Sunday shift at the well-known East Side Pizzeria requires about 15 employees, including cooks, cashiers and drivers.
Today, Alba will have a significantly larger staff as 56 people will punch in to feed the masses. A big majority of that number will be drivers, but the restaurant also welcomes people to come watch the game there.
People can also dine-in and watch the game at Pizza Shuttle where a dine-in special gets two one-topping, 16-inch pizzas, 100 wings and two pitchers of beer for $69.99.
Football fans will also head out today to their favorite establishments. Just about every bar in Milwaukee, aside from drink specials, will do it's best to satisfy patrons' hunger with appetizers and other greasy and deep-fried treats.
The game is still the center attraction on Super Bowl Sunday, but it's growing into a full-blown American holiday. It's only a matter of time until Hallmark gets in on the action.
"It's an event," says Johnson, who is rooting for a Steelers victory. "It's like New Year's, it's like Christmas. It's got its own genre and group. It's become a holiday."
