If ever there was an unofficial national holiday, today is that day.
It's Super Bowl Sunday, the day the National Football League crowns its champion.
There's plenty of hype surrounding today's game in State Farm Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., which will see the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles.
The game will feature two of the game's best young quarterbacks, who also will be a part of history: When Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes and Philadelphia's Jalen Hurts take the field, it will mark the first time both starting quarterbacks are Black. They will be joining a short list of previous Black quarterbacks, one that includes Doug Williams, Steve McNair, Donovan McNabb, Colin Kaepernick, Russell Wilson and Cam Newton. Mahomes has started in two previous Super Bowls and has a record of 1-1.
Another interesting angle is that the game will be the first time brothers square off against each other -- Travis Kelce, a tight end with Kansas City, and Jason Kelce, a center with Philadelphia.
While there's a lot to be excited about, we are sure fans throughout the Tri-State Area will certainly feel a touch of sadness as they watch.
Missing from today's game, which carries the Roman numeral LVII, will be our beloved Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers have appeared in eight Super Bowls, and have won the Vince Lombardi Trophy six times. We'll also take a take a moment here to remind readers that while the Cleveland Browns have never played in a Super Bowl, they have won four NFL championships (the last one coming in 1964) and four All-American Conference titles.
That said, the Super Bowl long ago quit being just a football game. It has become a full-fledged event.
It's America's mid-winter extravaganza, a game of excesses played on a day of excesses when snacks fly out of grocery stores, bars and restaurants where the game can be watched anticipate larger-than-average crowds, pizza and sandwich shops become stretched to their limits while attempting to keep people fed and beverage marketers -- those who sell drinks that contain alcohol and those who sell drinks that do not -- are hard-pressed to keep up with demand.
Even the halftime show takes on a larger-than-life persona, with this year's featuring Rihanna.
The game and everything that surrounds it offers a chance to relax and unwind in the middle of winter, one last opportunity to watch professional football at its highest level before the sport begins its six-month hiatus.
So, pop open your favorite beverage, have your favorite snacks at the ready, know what squares you have on the for-amusement-purposes-only block pools you have played and grab a chicken wing or two.
You will find no prediction on the outcome of the game here -- only advice that you sit back and enjoy.