If your flirting has been widely received and you're trying to win the coin toss with your new crush, you may wonder: Should you go on a first date for the Super Bowl? If grabbing some burgers and beers and tuning into a big game seems right up your alley, it may not be such a bad idea.
"The Super Bowl can be a great first date as some people celebrate as if it’s a holiday," Thomas Edwards Jr., dating coach and founder of The Professional Wingman, tells Elite Daily. "For diehard sports fans, this almost guarantees a good time to be had by both people. Of course, if your team is in the big game, it’s even better."
From totally pigging out on greasy food, to catching the game at home or exploring a new dive bar — the Super Bowl can be a really sweet and fun first date. And with all the attention on the players, the halftime show, and the commercials, a first date watching the Super Bowl can mean less pressure on you.
If you're trying to end your night with a touchdown dance, here's why the Super Bowl can make for a pretty great first date.
Watching the Super Bowl on your first date may be the perfect balance of expressing yourself without feeling super exposed. It's not always easy to know how much you want to share about your personal life on a first date. A big game can enable you to yell, laugh, get silly, or heck, even cry on a first date — without feeling super vulnerable about baring your soul to a new cutie or self conscious about not feeling ready to open up.
"The great thing about sports is that it lets people showcase their emotions at a high level and creates connections with others; there aren’t many experiences that do this," Edwards says, "Screaming during the game, getting upset at a call, celebrating scores — it creates adds an excitable dynamic to the date."
A first date on game day allows for you and your crush to be interacting and engaged with something external, and can create an emotional experience without getting too personal too fast. First dates can come with a pressure to "play it cool" and come off as totally #chill (two concepts I am entirely unfamiliar with). Between bites of nachos and shouting at the ref, you and your boo can let your emotions flow, without stressing if you're sharing too much or too little.
Sitting in a dimly lit restaurant, being worried about what to order, whether or not you outfit is cute, and stewing over what smart and funny things to talk about, is a lot at once. The Super Bowl creates a casual setting and comes with endless conversation topics.
"[The Super Bowl] can be a good time to all about why you enjoy the game and/or the teams," licensed marriage and family therapist, Nicole Richardson, says. "It can also provide something to focus on other than each other an alleviate some of the pressure of a first date."
If you're worried about what to talk to your crush about, having a first date around an interactive activity like watching the Super Bowl can give you ample topics for conversation. From the commercials to the halftime show to the literal game itself — the Super Bowl is a constant source of entertainment that will leave no moments for awkward silence.
Whether you've been chatting with a new Tinder cutie or finally asked out your office crush — you're probably pretty excited about your first date. An activity like the Super Bowl is the perfect set up for natural connection to spark, and lets you can channel your excitement about the date without putting your crush on the spot.
"Anything that lights you up, gets you excited or that you enjoy is a good thing to talk about on a first date," Richardson says. "Activities that allow for connection are a great idea. Talking and connection can take a little bit of the pressure down."
If your crush is on the shyer side or takes a while to open up, they may feel a little intimated by your energy level, (a concept I am gravely familiar with). If you're rooting for the same team, against the same team, or just like the same kinds of beer — watching the Super Bowl together can start some major bonding in a casual way. And sharing your excitement and enthusiasm about finally getting to hang without putting all the attention on how amazing you think your crush is can make you both feel comfy and connected.
When it comes to dating, it's most important to be yourself and do what makes you feel strong, comfy, and confident. You are your own quarterback and you get to call the shots. If you've been stressing over the perfect first date with your new crush, watching the Super Bowl together could be a total touch down, or even one or two points extra.
