I can’t imagine a more entertaining winter-season pastime than watching NFL and college playoff games. The NFL playoff games this year have been especially exciting and closer than ever.

I wonder if anyone has ever done a study on the demand for meat consumption as it relates to playoff football? I mean, it’s no secret that chicken wing consumption goes crazy for the Superbowl. According to the National Chicken Council’s website, we all chipped in to eat 1.42 billion chicken wings last year while watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win a decisive 31-9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. I’m sure, with the intense parity of this year’s teams headed toward the Superbowl, we’ll all break the chicken wing eating record again.

It’s always a challenge to manage our anxiety when these close games change on a dime with the latest turnover or interception turning into a pick-six. Instead of anxiously becoming nailbiters watching the nailbiter, just gnaw on some chicken bones. At least I hope this year’s Superbowl is a close game, since those are always more fun to watch. You just never know with football, sometimes tightly matched playoff games are more dynamic than the Superbowl itself.

The high price of chicken wings didn’t seem to curtail consumption last year, and I doubt it will this year. I mean, are you going to NOT serve up chicken wings this year because of the price?

A Broncos superfan friend of mine tailgates every home game in his RV, and serves up a meat dish each game to ‘roast’ the visiting team. When the Chiefs come to Mile High City, he serves up Kansas City BBQ, for the former Oakland Raiders, he’d serve up jumbo shrimp (because Oakland is on a bay), for the Dallas Cowboy games, he’d do a Texas brisket. It was reported that back in Superbowl XX, the whole Patriots team actually ate bear meat before playing the Bears. Not sure if this is true, but it didn’t keep them from losing 46-to-10.

I’ve gone to numerous tailgating pre-game BBQ’s, and I’m always amazed with the amount and quality of the meats being BBQed on thousands of small grills. The smell and sight of it alone makes going to the game worth the while.

This year, what meats are you planning on serving up for the last weekend of playoffs and the Superbowl? For the AFC title match you could serve up Kansas City BBQ or Cincinnati-style chili. For the NFC title game of the Rams vs the 49ers you could serve up BBQed beef short ribs (when I go to Los Angeles, I eat short ribs at a favorite Korean restaurant. There’s a lot of great Korean BBQ in L.A.) or seafood from the San Fran Bay area. What else could you think of serving from L.A., San Fran, Cincinnati, or K.C.?

For my gathering this Sunday afternoon, it’ll be chicken wings and smoked meaty bison back ribs with KC style BBQ sauce. I can cook these items in advance on Saturday and just heat them up in the oven so I don’t have to cook on Sunday. I always serve meats that easily eat as finger foods. My favorites are pork back or spareribs, chicken wings, meaty bison back ribs, Korean-style beef short ribs and little smokies served from the crock pot. What are your favorites?

For the Superbowl, I’ll have to wait to see who’s going before I finally set the meat menu.

I know of very few friends who love to watch football who stay home alone for the Superbowl. This is an annual outing for most in my network of friends and family. What a wonderful American tradition, and it’s made even more special by the great tasting meats we get to enjoy.

Thanks to all the meat plant production workers on the line, drivers, farmers, ranchers and everyone else that allow our gatherings of family and friends to be even more special as we serve up delicious and nutritious proteins to our guests.

No matter what team you’re rooting for, I hope you get to enjoy the fruits of your labors with family and friends this weekend for Superbowl LVI!

Superbowl Supermeats!

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