This Sunday, in bars, basements, living rooms and even churches (like mine – complete with chili contest and a 102” screen!) we will gather. And whether we are interested in X’s and O’s, team rivalries, funny commercials or simply drinking a buttload of beer, we are all a part of something – the biggest night of consumerism in the U S of A!

An now, according to Business Journal and Convenience Store News, here are the stats for Super Bowl 2014!

• Over 180 million of us will watch the game.
• 55% will watch at home, 17% at a bar or restaurant or at a party.
• 60% will watch on TV (as the Lord intended), 15% on a smartphone, 14 on a PC, and 11 on a tablet.
• 77% will buy food and beverages. Top choices include pizza (3^rd fave), wings (4^th), veggie trays (9^th). Only 8% of us plan to eat healthy.
• Get yo’ drank on: 53% will drink beer and 51% will drink soda. That’s a switch from last year, when it was 71 soda and 42 beer.
• Party Planning! 39 million will throw a party, 62 million will attend one. Hosts will spend around $100 on supplies.
• Why are we watching? 48% say “the Game!” 25% say “the Ads!” 17% said “just hanging with friends!”
• What ads do we like best? 1. Funny, 2.Sentimental, 3. Product features, 4. Ones we saw last year, 5. Price comparisons. And in a sign of the times, 53% of us will comment on the ads real-time on social media.

Trends this year? If you look at the notes, you see the creeping, insidious rise of healthy snacks and no beer has been halted in the nick of time. Otherwise, slight improvements in consumer confidence (because we are all fooling ourselves) mean that we are spending more on food and fun.

Anyway, it’s time to celebrate, friends. I can’t think of a more American event than Super Bowl Sunday. Whichever team you support, have a blast!

Super Bowl Predix: WHO YA GOT!? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

(photo credit: employmentandthelaw.com)