Scoreboard Gourmet

9 of 10 of us will watch SuperBowl at home

Says the Nielsen people: The great majority of U.S. households -- 9 out of 10 – say they will be watching Super Bowl XLIV at home or at a friend’s or relative’s house instead of watching it from a restaurant or bar, according to a new survey by The Nielsen Company. And for their home viewing, only five percent of households expect to spend more on food and beverages for the Super Bowl this year.

While beer and football are popular American pastimes, the Super Bowl, somewhat surprisingly, is not the most popular beer holiday. Nielsen’s research shows that the Super Bowl ranks relatively low among holiday beer sales, after the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day and Halloween. Nielsen’s analysis shows that with the exception of late March, grocery retailers experienced the biggest weeks for Q1 beer sales during the two weeks surrounding Super Bowl 2009, with nearly 17 million cases sold.

Super Bowl viewers across the country stock their at-home parties with snacks, nearly 166 million pounds of snacks, especially salty snacks. Potato chips reign, with more than 44 million pounds of snacks sold while tortilla chips and pretzels also rank high for Super Bowl sales. The Super Bowl snack with the greatest growth? Popped popcorn.
Unpopped kernels are still working their way up.

SG is the 1 of 10 who will be watching the SuperBowl in a restaurant or bar.

Vikings and Bears Fans Compete For Top Corpulence

And now, Dear Reader, an after-dinner-game mint by Tony Gervino...

Minnesota Vikings fans are some of the fattest fans in all of sports. Spend five minutes prowling the corridors of the Mall of America Whatever Dome and you will bear witness to three hundred pounders jostling with four hundred pounders, and their two hundred pound wives. It is really quite something.

So it's no surprise that the predominant odor wafting through the stadiums’ halls is butter* and that the food offerings during the game range from giant burgers to super giant bratwurst, and food that uses the word “colossal” in an un-ironic manner.
Metal buckets of popcorn proliferated, fans were implored through all kinds of gimmicks to eat dangerous foods, and the fried onions and peppers that smothered the cheese steaks were merely confetti on the parade of cholesterol.

How unimportant were healthy food alternatives in the domed stadium? Well, burgers were sold unadorned, save for cheese. Yet lettuce and tomato trapped in cellophane packaging sat stacked behind the counter and available only upon request; clearly the food services company knows its audience.
I deem Vikings fans are only some of the fattest because the Vikings opponents on this day, the Chicago Bears, in some perverse bragging rights universe, brought along The Fattest Fans in Sports. From the naked eye, they appeared to be 30% larger than Vikings supporters, with quadruple chins stretching ruddy complexions beyond comfortable sizes. And that was just the children.

Throughout the game the concessions were buzzing. From the corndogs sold just outside the entry gates to the pork barbecue platters to all sorts of midwestern microbrews, food was consumed at an alarming rate. The sound of gnashing teeth was an unsettling one, to be sure.
But at least the Vikings prevailed 36-10. And everyone went home happy and woefully overfed. Otherwise, I would be forced to make a Biggest Loser joke and, let’s face it, I don’t feel like tangling with am angry behemoth if I can at all avoid it.

*Editor's Note: since the Metrodome is all enclosed, all cooking smells linger, one of the reasons they actually have a limited number of stands selling fried foods.

Eating Popcorn With a Sticky Tongue

What kinds of animals eat with their tongues? Lizards? Frogs? Giraffes? Blue Jays fans? I really wish I got a better picture here, one that was not blurry and better showed the action, but hopefully you can imagine what it was like to stand above this guy while he licked popcorn out of that bag. It was fantastic. It makes me happy to think he was doing it because he knew he needed to wash his hands. It's possible I'm wrong, but I like to think otherwise. 

Cracker Jacks and Baseball

How Did Cracker Jack Become Synonymous with Baseball? By Roxanne Webber

“Buy me some peanuts and a Tootsie Roll” just didn’t work. Instead, when Jack Norworth wrote the lyrics to “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” in 1908, he called out Cracker Jack. The molasses, peanut, and popcorn snack’s firm association with baseball is “undoubtedly the result” of the song, says Tim Wiles, the research director for the Baseball Hall of Fame and coauthor of Baseball’s Greatest Hit: The Story of Take Me Out to the Ball Game, which is still sung during the seventh-inning stretch at most games.

click for full story.

Popcorn at Madison farmers market!

who is happier than I am right now? red and blue!

Pirates Buc / Buck Night

Buc Night: on Wednesday April 15th Pirates fans can buy soda, hot dogs and popcorn for one buck. they're selling $1 game tickets too.

April 17th and All Fridays are Dollar Dog Night. $1 Sugardale Dogs at North Shore Refreshment concession stands

Bonus: Friday May 15th there's also a Let's Go Bucs, Let's Go Green Reusable Grocery Bag Giveway

Pirates Home Opener Monday April 13th v the Astros.

Sacramento Kings: popcorn filled cars

I have never written anything about the Kings, have I? It's oldish news that Donté Greene got his car filled with popcorn after failing to bring in fresh fruit (or pastries, depending on who's telling the story) for the team - a pre-practice rookie ritual. Picture above is Donté's car.

Jason Thompson is responsible for the bagels. Earlier in the season his car got the popcorn treatment when he neglected his duty. I like popcorn. Where does one get this much popcorn? Did Arco Arena provide?

Concession stands featuring traditional ballgame fare such as hot dogs, chicken tenders, popcorn, and pretzels are easily accessible throughout the ARCO Arena concourse. On the concourse, you can also enjoy pizza, a made-to-order burrito or taco salad from El Pinto Mexican food, or visit one of the carving stations for your choice of juicy turkey or tender tri-tip steak. For dessert, there's delicious Dreyer's ice cream, gourmet pretzels and plenty of cotton candy. So, what should you eat at ARCO Arena? Let us introduce you to a variety of tastes available in the arena. *Please note that not all of the above food varieties are available at every ARCO Arena event.

 Thanks Twitter for the photos.

Smoked Corn in Jupiter (Cardinals / Marlins Spring Training)

We saw the sign for Smoked Corn. We were curious. We bought an ear. $4. We took it to our seats. We peeled back the husk. The kernels were half burnt in the sort of way that deflates and dehydrates the meat. We bit at the other side. It wasn't bad. Smoky. Probably would have been better if the corn was fat. Let's discuss.

Marlins and Cardinals Spring Training Tickets still on sale. Roger Dean is a nice stadium. Have more pictures. You?

Wrigley Field Popcorn Tin

Why do I never write about the Cubs? They have one of baseball's most classic and least generic ballparks: Wrigley. Not saying I don't enjoy clean sightlines and being able to sit forward in my seat, but anyone who can get themselves to Wrigley Field should do so as soon as possible. And the Cubs are the NL Central Champs. It's not like I'm recommending you to a Nats game.

Anyway, about Wrigley, some popcorn people have come up with a way to clutter your home, I mean commemorate the ballpark: a tin. You can fill it with their stuff or make fifty batches at home. I vote for option two but warn you to take breaks between batches so whatever your vessel (pot, popper) doesn't overheat. Tin info here. Warning: the top stinks (the design, not the smell). No kickback to me.

Other Wrigley news: The Triple-A Iowa Cubs will play the Las Vegas 51s in the first Pacific Coast League game to be played at Wrigley Field on August 9th, 2009.

And don't forget to consult the Chicago Bar Project for detailed Chicagoland guidance. SG admits her weaknesses.

The Cubs play the Dodgers in Mesa, AZ on 2/25.

Is this my little nod to the Obamas? No. The President is a White Sox fan. But I'm sure he thinks Victory is Sweet.

Yankee Stadium Right Field Tier Popcorn Lady

I'm not sure how the Popcorn Lady (self-titled) is planning to preserve this shirt she made to commemorate her last night at Yankee Stadium but I'm preserving it (one side) by this fuzzy photo.

As you know, I am a gigantic fan of popcorn and am constantly seeking the stadium that will sell me a box or bag or giant tub that's half as good as what I make at home, a fact TFMJ reminded me of when I wondered outloud if we should buy popcorn from the Popcorn Lady in honor of her and our last night at Ruth's house. Who knows if she'll be across the street at Jeter's house next year?

I thought you wanted peanuts, said TFMJ.
Peanuts rarely disappoint.

Wouldn't it be cool if the Indians keep winning and the Blue Jays lose and then the Yankees win their final series? Math is fun.

Nats Popcorn

In this time of potential national pride (Olympics) I'm reminded of the Washington Nationals. No they are not a team that inspires said pride but they are in the capital and I have some other work to do and I can't remember if I already wrote about the popcorn but had popcorn on the brain when I awoke. Is that a legit sentence?

So I'm at a Nationals game and they're losing about 100 to 1. I take a walk and look at the River and the Navy Yard and chat with an usher who shares some local history with me and makes fun of a couple taking pictures of themselves. I leave him in search of salt, since there wasn't enough in my half-smoke.

Popcorn, as you know, is a favorite. I ask the concessionaire if the popcorn is crunchy. He says yes. It's somewhat humid. I mention that. He assures me the weather is not a problem. I don't believe him but buy a box anyway. It's pretty bad. Not soggy but chewy. I eat a few handfuls anyway. Then hate myself.
But it made a good picture, no?