Several years ago in this space I opened by saying, In case you hadnt noticed, today is Super Bowl Sunday, which is billed as the world championship of professional football. But the reason this is appearing on Page 2 instead of the sports page is that this is the one sporting event that can claim more non-sports viewers than any other.

That statement remains true today. In fact, given that the 49ers have returned to the grand stage for the first time in seven years, this years Super Bowl battle with the Kansas City Chiefs will be heavily watched in our town and throughout Northern California, even if no one east of the Mississippi has any interest at all in the outcome.

If you are not a football fan, but have been asked to bring seven-layer bean dip to the neighborhood party, what follows if for you. Its a little game we play in our home that keeps the kids interested from the National Anthem through the coin flip to the final gun and the obligatory bath of Gatorade for the winning coach..

What we have is a series of questions that relate directly to the game but dont require much knowledge about football itself.

Each question has a point value for a correct answer, with swell prizes at the end when the final point totals are tallied.

We let the kids play as one team, answering all questions ahead of time and them marking them off on a giant posterboard mounted directly above the living room television.

We light a fire in the fireplace, bring out the snacks and settle in for an afternoon of fun with our own version of that time-honored game Twenty Questions.

Basically, the alleged adults in our family put their heads together and come up with these questions and the points awarded for each correct answer.

The beauty here is that the kids are all on the same team, rooting for each other instead of against.

This years questions were released last night, which allowed for careful consideration throughout the 12-hour pre-game show that begins early Sunday morning.

The coin flip is the question that regularly kicks off this annual contest, offering a chance to earn valuable points before the game even starts.

Believe it or not, this is also a popular wager in Las Vegas, presumably because you dont need to know a lot about the 49ers and Chiefs to have a decent chance of coming up with the correct answer.

Given that there are four kids debating heads or tails, the possibility of a 2-2 split exists, which teaches them the value of negotiation and compromise, ideals theyve pretty much given up on after watching the United States Congress in action for the last several years.

Another chance to pick up points before the game starts comes with the length of the Star Spangled Banner. You can bet over 2 minutes or under 2 minutes.

Trust me, with all eyes glued to the TV and stopwatches running, this is perhaps the most exciting and stress-producing part of the entire telecast. Im serious. Try it and youll see what I mean.

Our kids routinely bet on the over 2 minutes, even though the historic average is 1:59.

The last few seconds, as The land of the free gets stretched out by whomever has been selected to sing the Anthem, is as intense as any fourth-and-goal with the game on the line.

This years game is in Miami, which lends itself to the question Will 49ers running back Raheem Mostert rush for more yards than the official high temperature in Miami today? A simple yes or no question with 30 valuable points on the line.

And just think, weve now introduced meteorology and scientific inquiry into an otherwise boring football game.

Other questions concern which team will score first, which team will score last, which quarterback will throw the first interception, will there be overtime and how many times the announcers will say It all depends on the spot when officials are measuring for a first down.

The festivities conclude in the early evening when we order a pizza, silence the TV and settle in for our own awards banquet.

This years prizes, which we vary from year to year, are as follows:

0 points: Uber to West Sacramento and back

50 points: Medium Jamba Juice

100 points: Trip to YoloBerry and two toppings

200 points: Dinner at Symposium

500 points: Weekend at Donner Lake

750 points: Hamilton matinee and lunch in San Francisco

1,000 points: Were going to Disneyland

And for those who do care about who wins this game, you should know that the final score will be 49ers 31, Chiefs 28.

You can bet on it.

Reach Bob Dunning at [emailprotected].

Read more:
Bob Dunning: Get everyone invested in the outcome - Davis Enterprise