How To Best Get Ready For The Super Bowl

There's something appealing about participating in a big TV event watched by millions of people. Some prefer filling out Oscar ballots or watching popular genre shows like The Walking Dead, but for many, watching the Super Bowl on Feb. 5 is an early favorite communal TV event of the year. And if you want to watch alongside them, you'll need to know, when is the 2017 Super Bowl kickoff? According to FOX and the NFL, the kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET, so that means 3:30 p.m. for those out on the West Coast.

But if you want to be adequately prepared for the start of the game, however, it will take a lot more than just flipping on your TV at 6:29 and sitting down. Look, the Super Bowl is going to be at least three hours long, and, from the kickoff until the final play, there's going to be so much demanding your attention — from the game itself, to the color commentary, to the commercials, to the halftime show. Seriously, you barely have time to go to the bathroom or check your Twitter feed during the show, so you probably need to spend some time getting your affairs in order before watching the Super Bowl. Here's a handy checklist to keep track.

Get The Snacks

I don't care how much you love sports, no one can survive a TV event of this magnitude without any refreshments. Hot wings are considered a classic, but honestly, you need to have napkins available on every surface of your home in order to maintain a free range of motion while eating wings. But whatever you're eating, be it popcorn or saltwater taffy, make sure you leave some extra — you still have a sizable to-do list ahead.

Find Your Alternate

You need something to flip to in case of a particularly boring part of the event. People love the commercials, but most of the big ones are loaded into the beginning of the broadcast, and it's such a long game that there will be some dull portions. Watch five minutes of a Housewives rerun and you'll be right back in that competitive spirit.

Get Your Jokes & Questions Now

Maybe this one is just for me. Because I know from experience, the only thing that's worse for fans than an uninformed viewer is an uninformed viewer who thinks all of football's many quirks are ridiculous... and then proceeds to make corny jokes about them. So, yeah, pre-kickoff is usually a pretty good time to do that.

Set The DVR

You might be wondering, why would you need a DVR? You're watching a live event! Well, in the event of a Left Shark, surprise "Formation," or even Janet Jackson mishap, you'll want the power of pause and rewind.

Refresh Those Snacks

By now, you've probably absentmindedly eaten most of your snacks. No need to panic, you prepared for this: Before the game kicks off, get the rest and continue eating with abandon.

Place Your Bets

No one likes a Monday morning quarterback, a phrase that was designed to specifically reference someone who snootily acts like they know how to play football better than a professional football player. Instead, take a cue from awards show fans — lock in your guesses, predictions, or bets before the Super Bowl LI kickoff — it's gonna be a bumpy, but fun ride.