Super Bowl LV: Your Fan Survival Guide
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady practices during Super Bowl week. (AP photo)
TO THE COACH’S BOX READERS: This is my weekly Sports Fan Coach column for the Cincinnati Enquirer and Cincinnati.com. Thanks to sports editor Jason Hoffman and the Enquirer for agreeing to share this here.
By Mike Bass @SportsFanCoach1
Editor's note: This is a weekly column from former sports reporter and editor Mike Bass. Bass will be contributing to The Enquirer by offering advice for sports fans, athletes and youth sports parents and coaches through a weekly Q&A. To ask a question of Bass for potential publication, email him at mbass@mikebasscoaching.com. And get the conversation going on Twitter @SportsFanCoach1.
Welcome to The Super Bowl LV Fan Survival Guide, a game plan to enhance your joy and ease the stress for the NFL’s championship extravaganza.
THE FUNDAMENTALS
Give yourself plenty of time to check off the basics, so you aren’t stressing out at the last minute: Kickoff time. Food and beverages. “I Love Tom Brady” shirt or “I Hate Tom Brady” hat. Internet signal. Device(s) to connect with friends, other fans and the the rest of the outside world. Favorite spot on the couch or chair.
REMEMBER HOW YOU GOT HERE
Sad about missing the annual Super Bowl shindig? You are not alone. How about another way to look at this? Remember, it wasn’t so long ago that sports shut down for COVID, and everyone wondered if the NFL could play this season. Are you grateful the league found a way?
You adapted, too. Give yourself credit. What worked for you? How can you can apply that here? If your friends couldn’t join you in person, maybe you connected via text, message app, video chat or Twitter. Maybe you kind of liked always landing the best seat in the house, and avoiding that one obnoxious friend who drinks too much.
Is it half-full versus half-empty thinking? Let’s just call it a glass with some of your favorite beverage. If you are thirsty, drink it. Or don’t. Your choice.
GOAL TO GO
Think about what would make the Super Bowl a success for you, other than your team winning. You can’t control that. Is it just enjoying the game between the conference champions? Eating junk food you normally wouldn’t? Rating the commercials? Supporting your team — even if it is your adopted team — no matter what? Staying calm?
What can get in your way, and what will you do about it?
STAY WITHIN YOURSELF
The players and coaches can recognize when something is about to go wrong. They prepare for adversity, to cut it off or minimize it. So can you.
Anticipate what might trigger you. It could be a turnover or a questionable penalty, the behavior of the people around you, or something unexpected. Pay attention to the warning signs you might be about to lose control. Your body might tense up. Your jaw or your fists might clench. You might feel hot. Your heart might race.
What do you want to do next?
SCRIPT YOUR PLAYS
When you are relaxed and thinking clearly, plot out how to respond when you are triggered. What would help?
Taking some deep breaths? Envisioning yourself somewhere peaceful, a la Happy Gilmore’s “happy place.” Pausing the TV. Turning off the TV? Tuning out social media? Reminding yourself it’s a game? Writing down (for your eyes only) what you really want to say, on a laptop or tablet (digital or paper)? Walking — out of the room, up the stairs or around the block? Screaming into a Travis Kelce pillow? Soft-tossing a Nerf ball at a Gronk Fathead.
KEEP YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME
Emotion is one thing. Feel it. Unfiltered emotion is another. Your fight-or-flight hormones are rampaging. You can choose to internalize everything. Or you can unload and deal with the aftermath. Or you can center yourself, add logic to the mix and then respond.
Consider if your choices will make you or others in the room uncomfortable. How will that affect your Super Bowl experience? And theirs? And don’t forget your goal.
PREGAME WARMUP
So now you know how you want to respond to adversity when you feel triggered. What if you don’t feel triggered? How would you like to respond, as your authentic self?
Now practice both. Athletes do these kinds of mental exercises. They might run a difficult route 1,000 times in their heads before they ever hit the field. Close your eyes, imagine yourself in adverse situations, and envision yourself responding in the ways you choose.
The more you do this, the more reflexive it can become. This also can help you in other areas of your life.
KICKOFF
You are ready. You know what you want. You know what can get in the way. You don’t have to be perfect. Just remember to save a few wings for everyone else.
Enjoy the game!
Remember to email Bass at mbass@mikebasscoaching.com or reach out to him @SportsFanCoach1 on Twitter if you want to be included next week. His website is MikeBassCoaching.com.