Sunday’s Super Bowl could have been so much more interesting for local fans, if it wasn’t for the Packers fumbling an onside kick. But even though Green Bay is not in the Big Game, there are ways to live it up. You just have to look a little harder to find the right “option,” like a quarterback deciding whether to pitch the ball.
– If you are a Viking Bar, you didn’t even get as far as your Packer counterparts. So Woody’s in Bayport, on the Minnesota side, early-on got used to the idea that they’d have no team to watch come championship time. So, they decided to just go bowling. It’s the annual Super Bowling Tournament with warmup (even if it’s freezing outside) and draw for pairs at 1:30 p.m. And yes, you are invited to stay for the game afterwards. All skill levels are welcome (much like the NFL) and pairs are based on one high and one low average. Fee is $15 per bowler and includes many food and drink specials. You can signup with the bartender.
– For even better potential results, the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt is giving away an eight-day trip to a pair of Mexican resorts to a pair of people, for those who stay for the entire game, a sweet incentive even though there are no Packers playing. The prize includes the trip for two with time split equally between Puerto Vallarto and Cancun, with most of the air fare and all other expenses included in the package. Contestants must arrive prior to kickoff and get a card that is punched again when buying the special of five beers for $10. The drawing will be held at the end of the game. My friend Kendra, who has bartended part-time at various places and also has a day job, helped the owner plan some of the business end of the offering, and pointed out that at the Packer games during the season, there were weekly giveaways of trips to Vegas, complete with some major change for spending at casinos.
– At the Village Inn in North Hudson, there will be a free appetizer bar one hour prior to kickoff, with prize giveaways at halftime. A last option worth noting might be the mother of them all, where at Ellie’s on Main a one-time $50 fee will get you all you can eat or drink (with the exclusion of top-shelf liquor). ‘Nuf said.