10 football-free alternatives to watching the Super Bowl
Confession: I'm not much of a football fan. While I've tried to get into the spirit of the Super Bowl, I am far more interested in chips, dips and pizza than I am in who's playing whom.
And as long as I am baring my sports-sapped soul, I have to admit I only tune in at all because I'm afraid I'll feel clueless the morning after if I miss some buzz-worthy ad - or the occasional wardrobe mishap.
So if you, like me, prefer the Puppy Bowl to the real deal, we have you covered. Here are 10 ideas for football-free fun and alternative programming:
1. Hit the mall. Take it from me: Stores are usually pretty quiet on Super Bowl Sunday. So enjoy the chance to shop in peace.
2. Snag tickets to a musical. There are lots of great options on suburban stages right now: "The Who's Tommy" at Paramount Theatre in Aurora, "West Side Story" at Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace and "La Cage aux Folles" at Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire.
3. Dine out at a discount. Chicago Restaurant Week is off and running, and a number of suburban restaurants are participating. So you can enjoy three- or four-course prix fixe dinner menus at a long list of restaurants including Shaw's Crab House in Schaumburg, Morton's Steakhouse in Schaumburg and Rosemont, Atwater's in Geneva and Barbakoa in Downers Grove. You'll find a full list of options at choosechicago.com.
4. Test your tummy at Polar Peak. For $20 an hour, you can check out this new four-story tubing hill at Rosemont's MB Financial District. And when you're done, you can warm up with dinner and a hot drink at one of the nearby restaurants.
5. Watch the bears. No, not those Bears. We're talking the computer-animated ones in "Paddington," a charmer of a movie that both kids and adults should like.
6. Follow "Frozen" - the latest incarnation of Disney on Ice - into the city. After a popular run at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Elsa, Anna and Olaf will be letting it go at Chicago's United Center at both 11:30 a.m. and 3.
7. Catch up on Oscar-nominated films. The awards ceremony is just three weeks away, so now's a great time to fill in your ballot blanks by seeing "Birdman," "Selma" or any other films you might have missed.
8. Bowl for a cause. Sponsored by the Schaumburg-Hoffman Lion's Club, the Super Bowling with the Little Angels Party & Silent Auction kicks off at 4 p.m. at AMF Hoffman Lanes in Hoffman Estates. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for kids, and include bowling, shoe rental and a buffet dinner. Proceeds benefit Little Angels Center for Exceptional Care in Elgin.
9. Do some channel surfing. You can hunker down with your remote and game day snacks without actually watching the Super Bowl. TCM kicks off its 31 Days of Oscar Sunday. You can even see the first best picture winner - 1927's "Wings" - at 9 p.m.
10. Go with the flow. If you can't beat the football fans, join them at a suburban sports bar where you can fake cheer as you graze your way through the half-time buffet. After all, you don't have to know a Packer from a Patriot to appreciate all-you-can-eat chicken wings.