Summer’s here and the time is right for dancing in the streets? OK, that’s getting ahead of ourselves so instead lets review the current Super Bowl as seen at local sports bars along with its past heated memories — no winter doldrums allowed

And now that its sunk in, you think that you have a Super Bowl story, while you were having a beer and munching popcorn? One this lucrative no matter which team advances to that contest?
For starters, going back to the playoffs that led up to the Big Game, and this could be a looking back Glory Days reference, a local bartender at Dick’s Bar and Grill had an on the side bet — in the amount of get this, $100 — that the 49ers would beat the Packers in the NFC title game. That way, if he’d win the bet, of course he’s money ahead. And if Green Bay won, he’d get that much difference in tips, as this place close to the border crossing caters both Packer and Vikings fans. San Francisco took that game, but no idea if the worker had another field day and retained his big money at the Big Game.
Two older church ladies I know shook loose their husbands and got them to go out — as far as the living room. None are good football fans, but for the Super Bowl … wouldn’t miss that one, even though, again, these families when they cater to Dick’s are more the afternoon businessman crowd. Something here with the special teams involved, and not those on kickoffs and punts. Don’t know whether they gave the live on-air announcers any heart attacks to report from them. And the grub they cut short to watch from the first kick? Something to do with slabs (plural) for Kansas City style BBQ ribs, and were not talking about the Big Guys Roadhouse BBQ or Southern Smokehouse variety. (Memories of tailgating in warmer temps?) Not that San Fran does not have its own great grid grub, but you know these old school guys the their food faves, especially when it comes to football. And they love the local chili cookoffs when they are available.
All this banter is a regular occurrence at Mickelsen Drug downtown, as people come in asking directions to the nearest sports bar, usually The Smilin’ Moose, and their garb gives their tastes away, or indeed does it really? One fan might be showing off the colors of their favorite squad, or be in conflict with the fave based on another, say cap vs. sweatshirt. Or they might have an all-together different take on what comes up; I seem to remember the 49ers holding sway, much for the better. And then there was that person from Fargo, who said the Packers are big-time there, being geographically challenged at the Vikings expense. One other patron had on all purple, gold and green, and was not aware of any conflicting symbolism. She appeared to be much younger than 40, so much so that I think she wouldn’t remember the years of all those Black and Blue Division glory.
Some of that was lost on a Kwik Trip clerk way over in Eau Claire more than an hour into western Wisconsin from the Twin Cities, as far as her allegiance — and not the Packers. That ran counter to her boyfriend, who also works at, get this, a neighboring and competing convenience store, so for two reasons they have to watch what they say at holiday gatherings — and even her stints on the job on game day, which made all her colors fade, or so he would like.
Lastly, the Kansas City Chiefs made their biggest splash on our scene over a decade ago, where for many years they held training camp at UW-River Falls, and yes those were the days of Joe Montana, and he still is in the memory of locals. At Bo’s and Mine, a manager still recalls that Montana would come and hang out, and talk it up with the patrons, as long as the topic wasn’t yet again football. He just wanted for a change to be just your regular Joe. Like Lynyrd Skynyrd so famously sung, “Don’t ask me about my business … If you want to talk fishing, I guess that would be OK.” But talk about that and he just might push curfew, which was in bunks well before midnight. And of course no prominent QB is without his backup, and in that case that man, and he was indeed in this case 40, would get in the golf cart to take him across town to the practice field, and his work ethic being that age showed, as he would say, Gee, I could just walk over there.