Getting Ready for the Super Bowl: Boston’s Best Pregame Traditions

Now a national chain, Dunkin’ Donuts got its start in Canton, Massachusetts, so it’s a regional favorite. The company also advertises heavily with the Patriots. This past season, after Pats wins, Dunkin’ would sell its coffee the next day for $0.87, the number of tight end and fan-favorite player Rob Gronkowski. Make sure to get that morning cup of joe and Boston creme donut in so that you can stay alert for all four quarters!

This tradition is a cornerstone of any pregame football ritual, but New England fans show a severe dedication to the art. Braving the harsh winds of winter, they’ll bring out their portable grills and coolers of beer to the parking lot of Foxboro, MA’s Gillette Stadium. Even though the city of Minneapolis will host Super Bowl LII, there are sure to be a few fans parked outside of Gillette nonetheless.

Okay, New Englanders can’t claim this as their own. Fans of every sports team will knock a few back to cheer on their squads. But every time the Patriots make the Super Bowl, the fans treat it like a holiday. If the Pats come out of Minneapolis with a win, fans back home will be having celebratory drinks all the way through the eventual victory parade.

The best part of watching the Super Bowl, besides watching the home team win, is the commercials in between plays. They start airing during pregame coverage and last all the way to the end. Brands really swing for the fences with their advertising for this occasion, and they should considering the cost-per-second of air time. Over the years, viewers have seen some of the funniest commercials of all time, such as Budweiser’s infamous “Whassup?” or the Old Spice Guy. The ads during last year’s game were somewhat of a letdown; hopefully, there are bigger laughs in store this year.

What’s a Super Bowl without a huge spread of food? While you watch a bunch of large athletes run around in the cold for your entertainment, you can be warm and comfortable inside, packing away hot wing after hot wing. In Patriots country, a lot of people will make pots of clam chowder to help warm their stomachs.

This is less about the fans and more about the teams involved. Since their first Super Bowl win back in 2002, the Patriots have been building a legacy and tradition within the world of football. Despite their success, they remain focused on the short-term tasks ahead. It is traditions like Bill Belichick walking around the field with his sons before a game, or Tom Brady obsessively reviewing plays and getting in the zone with music that has kept the team grounded.