The Super Bowl in Paris

Oddly enough, this is my second time watching the Super Bowl in Paris.  So having already been through this once had me slightly more prepared for this experience than your average American spending some time in Paris.  In case you do ever end up in Paris during the "finale du championnat de football américain" here's a few things to expect:

1) The game will obviously be aired live...so keep in mind that in Paris it begins at 12:30 AM and goes until 4/4:30 AM.  A few factors come into play with this timing.  First, you have to find a bar* that will stay open that late (well, this isn't too hard, just type it into google).  Second, the metro will be closed when you get out.  So after the game..say hello to your friendly taxi driver or night bus driver! yay!  Or you can be cool like me and walk home (note: this is not recommended unless you're extremely poor or do not enjoy waiting for the bus).  Third, even though the game doesn't start until around midnight, you're kidding yourself if you don't think you have to be at the bar several hours before to get good seats.  Because every bar in Paris actually ISN'T open for the American Super Bowl, space is limited.  And when I say a few hours, I mean, get there between 8:00 and 9:30.  Fourth, and last, yes, it's happening in the wee hours of the morning, so yes, you may be more tired than you would have been if watching in America.  But hey, if you're really serious about football, you won't get tired watching the Super Bowl.  I mean, really..

2) Ready for this one?  This is the one that really gets most Americans when they don't know what to expect.  NO COMMERCIALS!  Yep, that's right.  One of the primary reasons why the Super Bowl is awesome (and for some people, the only reason they even WATCH it) is all the funny, passionate, "hey we spent $76, 000, 000 on this 30 second advertisement so it better be good" commercials.  When my friends and I were at the bar, waiting for the game to start, the bartender decided to make the announcement that commercials will not, simply CAN not, be aired during the Super Bowl.  This one couple, I swear the world ended for them right there and then-- they almost collapsed on the floor from shock.  So putting it into fewer words,  if you watch the Super Bowl for the mere reason of getting joy out of the commercials, don't watch it in Paris.  The commercials shown are mostly NFL sponsored or something about how NFL made it easy now for Europeans to buy cool sports jerseys online.  On the other hand, you will be able to watch the opening ceremony and half time show.  No worries about missing Beyoncé guys!

3) As has been established earlier, I am passionate about food.  Let's just say, if I'm watching the Super Bowl in America, I am getting all the appropriate foods prepared a few days beforehand (yes, real chili needs to cook for more than 20 minutes...) and I am serious about this menu.  When I think Super Bowl munchies, I'm thinking chili, salsa and guacamole, chips, wings, potato skins, mozzarella sticks... I can keep going with this list.  If you can't figure out what I'm about to say about the Super Bowl in Paris in this paragraph, I am very sad for you.  Bars in Paris, no matter how American or Canadian, do.not.know.how.to.make.appropriate.bar.food.  Except for fries. But thats it.  Okay, yeah, sometimes their nachos are good.  But anyway, to me, the biggest bummer about the Super Bowl in Paris is not the time difference and it's not the missing hilarious commercials.  Nope.  For me, it's the lack of football game munchies.  Let's take the bar I went to for example...they only served hot dogs.  (If you must ask, yes I ate one, of course).  I did find that the Hard Rock Café in Paris had the option of an American cuisine buffet but it was 35 euros and again, after personal experience of trying "American bar food" in Paris, I wasn't too trusting.

4) Finally, all you Americans out there trying to figure out what to expect while watching the Super Bowl in Paris.....expect French people!  Really!  There are some die-hard football fans in Paris and they are not American.  I'm not saying that they're terrible fellow onlookers.  I'm just giving a warning that you may end up sitting next to a table of French men who may or may not be getting more angry than you are with the game.  But think of it this way, you can brush up on some French curse words!

Anyway, all in all, watching the Super Bowl in Paris is most definitely possible-- so fret not my American friends!  Just be sure to find a bar (I'll name some at the bottom), get there early, prepare yourself for a lot of youtubing the next day for all those missed commercials, and entertain the idea of spending 35 euros for mediocre bar food.  It's still the same old Super Bowl and if you're lucky, you'll be sharing the experience with some Frenchies as well!

xoxox
bisous


*You don't really have to find a bar.  I just found out this year (about 3 hours before the game started) that if you have access to a TV and cable, Paris actually does us, the Americans, the honor of giving the Super Bowl a time block on channel 9!  See, if I had known this, I may have skipped the bar, made some chili, guacamole, _____ (insert all the other 23 delicious typical game foods here), and stayed at home.  Oh well...maybe next time.

Bars that will stay open late and show the Super Bowl:
1) Hard Rock Café
2) Wide Open Spaces
3) Le Players
4) The Great Canadian (where I went for all other football games, great place!)
5) The Moose
6) Belushi's