More Super Bowl XLIX Random Facts and Trivia You Should Know

Of the 186 million people who watch sports, close to half follow football more than any other sport. Here's the question of the day: Which are the best and worst football cities for sports fans? Wallet Hub crunched and analyzed the numbers based on the following metrics: number of NFL teams, performance quality of the team, ticket prices, stadium accessibility, number of championships won, number of sports bars in the area, fan friendliness, franchise value, attendance, and viewership rankings.

Green Bay (home of the Packers) was ranked #1. Rounding out the top ten were East Lansing, Pittsburgh, Denver, Tuscaloosa, San Francisco, Dallas, Cincinnati, Boston, and Minneapolis. I was surprised that New York City was only #39. That's probably because our football teams actually aren't in New York, but in New Jersey. The worst city for the gridiron is Las Vegas, home of the odds makers. The results include the best and worst for each of the above metrics. Click on the above link for a complete listing, and also check out their infographic called "Super Bowl By the Numbers."

The X-Factor: What would Super Bowl be like without its celebrity fans? Patriots' fans include Gisele Bundchen (gee, I wonder why), Maria Menounos, Elton John (!), Mark Wahlberg (also obvious), and Elizabeth Banks. Among those rooting for the Seahawks are Chrissy Teigen, Macklemore, Chris Pratt, John McHale, and Rainn Wilson.

Comedian Kevin McHale will host a Friars Club roast for Terry Bradshaw, and Kevin Hart will be cracking jokes at tonight's Madden Bowl. The singer Charlie XCX will sing for the troops tomorrow night and perform at ESPN's bash as well. The ESPN party promises to be the hub for some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment. DirecTV is hosing a three-day music festival, which began last night and culminates tomorrow night with a show by Snoop Dogg and Imagine Dragons. Some parties are by invitation only. DirecTV's Super Saturday night will feature Rihanna. Rolling Stone, Maxim, and Playboy will host private parties as well.

Separated at birth: Check out these pictures of Super Bowl participants who look like celebrities.

It's time for the usual lists:

Party Idea of the Day: Looking for something beyond the usual hot dogs and nachos? Health.com lists some creative snack ideas that sneak in the "good stuff" (i.e., fruits and veggies). This watermelon helmet with fruit salad, courtesy of the blog One Crafty Thing,  is adorable.

Today's birthdays: Adam Lambert (33), Andrew Keegan (36), Sam Jaeger 38), Sara Gilbert (40), Heather Graham (45), Ed Burns (47), Roddy Frame (51), Nicholas Turturro (53), Judy Norton-Taylor (57), Diane Delano (58), Irlene Mandrell (59), Charlie Wilson (62), Marc Singer (60), Bettye LaVette (69), Tom Selleck (70), and Katharine Ross (75).

Holidaze: Celebrate Sudoku, word searches, crosswords, and more on National Puzzle Day! Because our shop is all about the fun puzzles we offer, this is the holidaze for us! There are many puzzle tournaments held during the year, the biggest being the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (ACPT), which is the weekend of March 26. After six years in Downtown Brooklyn, the tournament is moving back to original home in Stamford. I competed in five ACPTs. Although I never even reached the top half, my score improved each year. Because the tournament falls on the weekend before Passover, I will probably sit out Stamford this year. In the week leading up to the tournament, we will have some fun facts about different types of word games and puzzles.

What Holidaze will be complete without a foodie celebration? Today is National Corn Chip Day,This is one food I definitely stay away from because I can't eat just a few at a time. Corn Chips are a snack we have enjoyed since they were invented by Fritos in 1932. Who can forget the (now un-PC) 1960s commercial? The great Mel Blanc was the voice of the Frito Bandito.

We mourn the loss of  Colleen McCullough, Australian author of the best-selling novel The Thorn Birds, which became an epic TV miniseries. She passed away at age 77 after a long illness. 

Tomorrow is Freebie Friday and we have another fun activity to keep the kids occupied while the adults watch the Super Bowl.

Have a PRINTASTIC day!

Kathy