10. Pregame publicity led to the creation of several urban myths
During the 1980s and 1990s, the Super Bowl grew in popularity in a steadily increasing path. What began as essentially an exhibition game between different leagues became the largest single-day sporting event in America. Pregame hype, by no means limited to football fans, became a part of the American landscape. Programs and articles dedicated to what foods to prepare and serve, beverages, what to wear for the game, what to watch for during the game, dominate the days leading up to the game itself. During the pregame phase many urban myths are repeated, often embellished from preceding years.
Among them are the games’ crippling impact on water systems, particularly during halftime, when more toilets are flushed (it’s false, as numerous municipal water systems have reported). Another is that more avocados are sold before the game than any other time in America, two-thirds of annual consumption (also false). However, Super Sunday does seem to be the day when Americans consume more chicken wings than any other. Since the turn of the century, the number of wings consumed has regularly exceeded 1 billion, and the count continues to rise every year. There is anecdotal evidence that more beer and soda is consumed in Super Bowl activities than any other event of the year as well.