Time to plan ahead, to think up excuses to cut class and skip work. An occasion when being belligerently drunk on a Sunday evening is acceptable, even encouraged, while admitting to drinking too much the next day is expected.,Well, it’s that time of the year again.

Time to plan ahead, to think up excuses to cut class and skip work. An occasion when being belligerently drunk on a Sunday evening is acceptable, even encouraged, while admitting to drinking too much the next day is expected. It is the only day of the year where showers and proper attire are optional.

Yup, it’s the Super Bowl.

C’mon, admit it. Even if one of the teams is from Seattle, you’re going to watch. You’ll invite friends over, eat Dominos, drink beer and pick a team to support for four hours during the game.

I’ve been a Patriots fan my entire life, but I’ll be waving The Terrible Towel my Grandfather gave me when I was nine.

It will be half-hearted because I’m not really a Pittsburgh follower, but it will be waved if Troy Polamalu intercepts a pass from Matt Hasselbeck.

Seattle and Pittsburgh have styles as different as the people who support them.

I can’t say much about Seattle since I have never been there, but what about the so-called “12th man” flag the Seahawks have to praise their loyal followers?

They have a flag they raise before home games which has only the number 12 on it. It is to symbolize the faithful and how important they are to the team’s success. There are 11 players on the field and the “12th man” represents those who cheer loud. Aw, that is so cute.

While it is good for the organization to say thanks to the fans, it’s not a recognizable feature in the lure of the Seattle Seahawks’ history, unlike The Terrible Towel which has been in place in Pittsburgh for some time now.

Seattle has the best team in the NFC, but the fans are not even in the top four in terms of dedication.

This is a city that’s known for coffee, grunge rock, Microsoft and the Space Needle. It is not a big sports town.

I apologize to Seahawk fans, but Philadelphia, Dallas, Green Bay and Chicago lovers are way more into it than those from Seattle. That’s just the NFC, too. Seattle fans will meet much more dedicated devotees when they collide with Steeler supporters.

Besides, the whole 12th man is a stolen concept-the Texas AM Aggies had the idea a while ago. At least The Terrible Towel is original.

In Pittsburgh, they know how to be loud and crazy. My grandmother and other family members live in the Pittsburgh region, so I know from experience that in the Three River area, there is nothing to do but play and watch football.

The fans from Pittsburgh will be out in droves to watch their team in the biggest game of the year, and they won’t be quiet about it either.

They’ll be taking the bus to Detroit, eating their Roethlisbergers with Heinz ketchup and making their presence known.

Seattle supporters are in for a rude awakening when they encounter these fans. Pittsburghers have been waving The Terrible Towel since at least the 1970s and are not going to stop anytime soon.

Even if you are not a fan of football, this is the granddaddy of NFL games. Watch it.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t care about Seattle’s passing attack or Pittsburgh’s physical secondary. Watch the Super Bowl to understand what everyone and their mother will be talking about the next day.

Commercials.

The best ads of the year are always between possessions or quarters in the Super Bowl game.

It’s the only time that I actually don’t get up from my seat. I stay and watch the various beer and car companies try to influence the public. Hey, it’s the funny plugs that everyone talks about the following morning, or afternoon in this case.

Every year since I was about 11, I have wanted to dissect the plays of the game. Within five minutes, however, I invariably find myself talking about the Budweiser or McDonald’s endorsements that appeared at the breaks of the game.

Well, every year except that time MTV launched “Celebrity Deathmatch” during halftime. Even then, television programming was discussed the next day, instead of the game.

I still can’t believe Marilyn Manson killed Hanson and the Spice Girls that day. That was wicked cool.

Even if you don’t know what a football is or think a Steeler is someone who robs people, watch the Super Bowl.

At least it will give you something to talk about the next day.

Mark Meagher is a broadcast journalism major and the sports editor for The Beacon. His e-mail is [email protected].