My Top 5 Least Favorite Athletes

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Who WIll Be This Season's MVP?

LeBron James and Kevin Durant engaged in an entertaining back-and-forth where the All-Star Game award exchanged hands roughly 50 times, give or take. Whenever Durant's grip seemed secure on the trophy, LeBron ripped it away. And vice versa. Dunks. Three-pointers. More dunks. More threes. Durant wanted it more. Then James wanted it more. Until LeBron wanted it less.

Kevin Durant and LeBron James

In the end, Durant took top honors Sunday, not so much for what he did in the final moments, but for what another player didn't. The narrative will be LeBron, after putting the East in position to win, waving off three chances for the game-winning shot. One pass went to Deron Williams, who airballed. Another pass was intercepted. Finally, LeBron inbounded the ball to Dwyane Wade, who missed at the buzzer.

For a player who famously faded in the fourth quarters last June, the link between the 2011 NBA Finals and this All-Star Game is just too... delicious. It made you forget that Durant was more invisible than James in the fourth quarter, scoring two points and never being able to hold of the charge from LeBron and the East in the final frantic moments of the 152-149 West win.

Anyway, it was dizzy but mostly good stuff between the finest two players in the league. You suppose these next two months, when they chase the regular-season MVP, might be just as compelling?

Durant and LeBron are pushing their respective conference-leading teams, are among the scoring leaders in the league, and are producing big when it counts. Both scored 36 points on Sunday and therefore, the MVP rested on whose team won.

Both players have been having incredible seasons and it will be interesting to see who ends up winning the MVP award for the entire season. The second half of the season begins tomorrow and in my opinion, Durant has the upper hand right now.

A Day on the Slopes

I put together a video-blog that follows me to and on the mountain. My buddy Nick and I spent the day at Stowe this weekend and found out that some serious snow is on the way. Check it out:

Winter Storm Warning

Like most adults who are technologically inept, so is my father. I rarely get texts and when I do it’s almost 100% of the time in response to something I sent him earlier. So when I woke up this morning to a text at 8:25am from “Dad” I figured something was wrong. In fact it was the opposite of wrong, the text read: “get your ass out of bed Friday and Saturday morning and go skiing. Lots of snow up here at home.” So just like a giddy child during the holidays I sprung out of bed and looked to see all the snow on the ground here in Burlington. I disappointingly saw more kids with backpacks on, then snowflakes on the ground. Un-phased I rolled over and slept until I was late for class.

Best Dunks of the NBA Season...So Far

Here it is! My first vlog! I took my favorite dunks from the 2011-2012 season thus far and mixed it all together in to a video blog. Enjoy!

Surgery Sucks

My return to the keyboard may be short lived in this instance, as I have been rehabbing from my third shoulder surgery and I can anticipate some pain creeping in as I continue to type.  I just wanted to use this post to make a brief Public Service Announcement about shoulders and sports.  Anyone who has ever dislocated either of their shoulders, even just once, I would strongly recommend getting an MRI to determine if there is any structural damage.  Even if there isn't, start PT immediately.  I learned the hard way that shoulder dislocations rarely if ever are an isolated incident. That is unless you take preventative measures to make them so.  I have dislocated both my shoulders a grand total of 30+ times; perhaps some of it has to do with genetics, but I was not smart enough as a high school kid when this problem first occurred, to start Physical Therapy at the outset of this disorder.  Instead I waited until 10+ dislocations and one surgery to start a PT regiment.  Following that, I have had to be carried out of the UVM rec center gymnasium on a stretcher 4 or 5 times due to dislocations while playing basketball, that were too severe for me to relocate my shoulder capsule myself (which I have been trained to do).  I am a cautionary tale; if you like playing sports and having fun, and have had a shoulder dislocation or something similar, start physical therapy and get ahead of it so you can avoid having to endure multiple surgeries like myself.  Also, don't drink too much.  That's a good general life rule anyway, but alcohol lubricates the shoulder joint like nothing else.  Therefore, especially be careful when drinking and cliff jumping.  The picture below illustrates the arthroscopic nature of the first two procedures I had done.  Unfortunately my third surgery was so serious that I had to be opened up by means of a six inch incision, not to mention my surgeon had to cut my rotator-cuff tendon, not because there was anything wrong with it but simply because he needed to make more room to operate.  That concludes my PSA; your shoulders are precious, covet them.  As pleasant and effective as semi-synthetic opiate based painkillers can be, and as much as I enjoy having a license to be lazy, its not worth it.  And if you can relate to what I describe, preventative PT is the way to be.

The Thunder Are Booming!

For many years now, I've tried to come up with an appropriate comparison to Kevin Durant, for a comparable player with a 7-footer's length and the skill on an elite shooting guard. And for years, I've failed in doing so. There is no one captures what Durant brings to the floor every game. After seeing what Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka and the Thunder did in their overtime victory over the Denver Nuggets Sunday night, I'm giving up that fight. Durant is in a category of his own.

Whats happening in Oklahoma City is a pretty incredible sight. Of the three players I mentioned above, none of them are above the age of 23. On Sunday night against the Nuggets, Durant scored a career-high 51 points, Russell Westbrook scored 40, and Serge Ibaka recorded a triple-double with 14 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 blocks. These are some pretty amazing statistics and paint an obvious picture for why the Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the best teams in the league. Oh, and did I mention they have players like Kendrick Perkins, James Harden, and Nick Collison? Yeah, this team is young, dangerous, and going to be successful for quite some time.

Ski Etiquette

        For those of you out there skiing mountains on the east coast this winter, your probably wondering "where is all the snow?". Well, I also have no idea, which really limits some of the awesome terrain and back-country topics that I could be covering. On the other side, the lack of snow leads to some slick conditions and possibly a greater percentage of tourists on the mountain (most of the locals would rather stay in). I noticed skiing this week that, more and more people were wiping out or falling on these slick conditions, which can be slightly amusing from the chairlift (Serious ski accidents are NOT, I repeat NOT, funny in anyway shape or form, however the less serious "tourist-tumbles" are HILARIOUS). In fact, its common to see the more well known skiers mock such accidents, and skiers alike, in ski films.

Sprite Slam Dunk Contest...But Without The Excitement

Chase Budinger

Leading up to All-Star Saturday night (on February 25), I am finding it pretty difficult to be excited. Throughout most of my life, I have always been so ecstatic about All-Star Weekend for months in advance at a time. Blame it on the condensed schedule, but this year I am really not all that exuberant. I typically plan my entire weekend around the Rookie Challenge on Friday night, All Star Saturday night, and then the All Star game on Sunday night. This year, I'm already beginning to make plans to go downtown with friends and not even think about the festivities. Sure, the All Star game will be exciting, but it's Saturday night that I'm usually so pumped about and it's the dunk contest that really attracts the viewers. This year, it seems that everyone is talking about who isn't in the dunk contest rather than who is. That's not usually a good sign. There's no Blake Griffin (the reigning champion). And as usual, there is no LeBron James, the player everyone wants to see in the contest.

Iman Shumpert

Instead, viewers are being given players Chase Budinger, Paul George, Iman Shumpert, and Derrick Williams. These guys can certainly thrown down some nasty dunks but what ever happened to the old days when star players actually wanted to be involved in the dunk contest? For example, the days when Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins went head to head were the best years of the contest. The Contest has only been around since 1984, but it has taken a significant dip in recent years. Maybe I am just being pessimistic and the whole weekend will be incredible. I'm certainly hesitant though....

March Madness: The Only Thing Keeping Me Alive Between Football and Baseball Season

As Eli Manning thrust the Vince Lombardi Trophy into the air above his head, he and his New York Giant teammates celebrated their victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, culminating the NFL’s 2011-2012 season. As the Giants slowly made their way off the field I started to become overwhelmed by sadness. The post-game trophy presentation, along with crowning the champions of the gridiron, also kicked off my least favorite time of the year. The void in sports action that takes place between the Super Bowl and NCAA Men’s Basketball’s March Madness is so bad it has me wishing I enjoyed hockey more.

 I’ve never been shy about which sports I like and which I do not care for. I am a football/baseball guy down to my core. Those are my go-to-sports and when they are not in session I get seasonal affective disorder of the athletic variety. I mean hockey and basketball are fine games, but in my book they don’t really compare. People get all jacked up about hockey and I just never really understood why. They get to fight? Cool. Something about people getting “dangled,” well that sounds… interesting? I guess it’s just not my cup of tea. In regards to basketball, I generally enjoy it. I am New York Knicks fan and I have enjoyed the emergence of Jeremy Lin just as much as the next sports fan. But to me at least, regular season basketball games are about as compelling as the 7^th inning stretch in baseball. These are all that I am left with to entertain myself as I wait for Fenway to thaw out. It just really isn’t fair.

Baseball season commences in the waning days of March, almost a full two months after the final NFL game is played. If it wasn’t for March Madness, I’m not sure I’d make it to opening day. I mentioned just above this that I like basketball, but the way the college game decides its champion is truly something to behold. This may be overstated, but March Madness is a wondrous event. I mean it’s real good. It’s 68 teams slugging it out against each other tournament style. It is the only setting in sports where David gets a legitimate shot at Goliath. It is an underdogs dreamland. It is actually so awesome that I would prefer to write a follow-up piece when the tournament actually gets under way. Today, I just wanted to pay homage to it and express how the thought of March Madness is the only thing keeping me sane in these dark days of lackluster NBA and NHL contests.

Only twenty-seven days to go!

Killington Kills it Again

For any music lovers out there, one of the most fun music festivals is coming to Killington Vermont, March 30 - April 1. It will be held right at the base of the mountain so partakers can ski all day and rage all night for the three nights; Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Tickets are currently $149.95 and only going up so get yours FAST, they WILL sell out quickly. And just wait until you here the lineup. 

Porter Robinson - Snoop Dogg - Datsik - Lotus - Chromeo - Slightly Stupid - Kaskade & more

I absolutely recommend that you check out this music festival soon because its guaranteed to be wild. Any further questions can be answered at their website; www.snowmontmusicfestival.com

Oh, The Lin-Sanity!

If Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin wanted to disappear right now, hop on the next flight to anywhere and never be heard from again, his sports legacy would still cast a mammoth shadow. Seriously, it can't get much better than this.


Lin is off to the best scoring start (109 points) to a career of any player since the 1976 NBA/ABA merger. Allen Iverson has the old mark of 101. He's fueled five straight wins for the Knicks, the last four as a member of the starting lineup. He's put together five straight performances that not only woke up the fan base, but five straight hair-raising showcases that rattled the basketball world to its foundation, if only because it proved that in this day and age of advanced statistics, where scouts have scorched the earth looking for the next big thing, Lin has turned out to be a genuine find. 

Jeremy Lin

The fact that he was mere hours away from being released by the Knicks (seriously, the coaching staff actually discussed it) before fate intervened and pushed him into the starting lineup, makes the story more Hollywood than Broadway.
How long the magic ride lasts is anyone's guess. Many presumed it would come crashing to an end Friday night with the Los Angeles Lakers in town and Kobe Bryant ready to stomp through the Lin parade. A career-high 38 points and seven assists later, it was clear that Lin is here to stay a little longer. Saturday it continued. Even on a brutal shooting night (1-12 after halftime), he found a way to outshine Timberwolves rookie phenom Ricky Rubio, sinking the game-clinching free throw with 4.6 seconds left.


Now, I realize the haters out there are going to pounce about his 4.6 turnovers per game and terrible 3 point shooting percentage (17%), but if you can't understand Lin's journey as the first Asian American player to ever play in the NBA and as a graduate from Harvard, you're not paying attention as to why his current tear is resonating so much.

The NBA's Best Point Guards

I had a load of fun listing my version of the top five best teams in the league in my last post, so I figured I would provide another list. This time, I am listing my version of the top five point guards in the NBA. Check it out:

1. Derrick Rose
This one is a no-brainer. Being the defending MVP of the league, Rose and the Bulls are on top of the Eastern Conference and looking better than ever. Rose has worked to develop a very reliable mid-range and three point shot that he did not have when he first came in to the league. His main weapon is his stunningly quick crossover move that nearly breaks the ankles of everyone who even attempts to guard him. On top of that, he finishes around the rim better than anyone in the league, in my opinion. He has unbelievable hangtime that allows him to score pretty easily.

Chris Paul

2. Chris Paul
Nearly traded to Boston just a couple months ago, Chris Paul is second to Derrick Rose on my list. Although Chris Paul is a better defender and shooter, Derrick Rose has the quickness over Paul. Chris Paul is consistently a near league leader in steals per game, assists per game, and points per game. Now the starting point guard for the Los Angeles Clippers, fans should get much more used to plenty of lobs being thrown to Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

3. Rajon Rondo

Rajon Rondo

Rajon Rondo may not have the shooting abilities of Derrick Rose and Chris Paul, but he is easily the best passer in the league. Averaging more than 10 assists per game, Rondo is the floor general and facilitator of the Boston Celtics. He is also an elite defender and has made the All-NBA Defensive Team twice now. This is not to say that the man can't score. He is just as quick as Derrick Rose and gets to the basket with relative ease. He is very good at finishing around the hoop and is improving on his jump shot every season.

Russell Westbrook

4. Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook is surely one of the most exciting point guards in the league. Being much taller than the average PG, Russell gets to the hoops and throws down filthy dunks on a nightly basis. Westbrook isn't necessarily great at any one thing but is very good at almost every aspect of the game. He is incredibly young for his skill level and was just announced to participate in his first NBA All-Star Game this year.

5. Steve Nash
This 38-year-old 2-time NBA MVP may not make the top 5 list in most "best PG" lists, but I love Steve Nash. He is one of the most fundamentally sound players in the NBA. Although he may be slowing down quite a bit, he is still one of the best shooters, passers, and team players that I've ever watched. He is also quite the humanitarian, which is a plus in my book.

Beefin' With Ainge - Part Two

I would like to briefly revisit the topic of my initial post, so I can wrap up my fanatical rant directed towards the General Manager of the Boston Celtics.  In part one I detailed my opinion of the mid-season Kendrick Perkins trade Mr. Ainge made; breaking up the Cs starting lineup when they were, even by objective accounts, the best team in the NBA.  But the past is the past, and after a very slow start the Celtics have been getting it together, especially on the defensive end; making a habit of holding teams under 90 points.  A pre-season move to acquire Brandon Bass from the Orlando Magic has proven to be greatly beneficial to the team, so credit is given to Danny there.

With that said, I would like to reignite the beef.  After the Celtics started slow in the standings (which was predictable considering their age and the condensed post-lockout season, shortened pre-season etc.) in fact they literally started SLOW (clearly out of shape), Danny Ainge made a public statement that basically amounted to a threat.  He stated that no one's spot on the roster was safe, and that he would be open to trading any of the current starters, even Paul Pierce.  Rajon Rondo was the subject of trade rumors earlier in the season, who is arguably the best pure point guard in a point guard driven league, not to mention the only youthful/athletic element of the Celtic's current starting five.  So the inane quality of that potential decision is quite obvious.  More importantly, after the startling trade of longtime starting center and fan favorite Perkins, Ainge thought it wise to threaten to trade another career Celtic who is not only a future hall-of-famer, but also can still ball by the way... After Pierce got back into shape he has been putting up all star caliber numbers especially in the assist category, filling the temporary play making void while Rondo was injured.  On top of all of that, last night Pierce passed Larry Bird on the all time Celtics scoring list to be comfortably situated at #2 and still climbing.  Why Ainge would publicly threaten his starting players that have poured blood sweat and tears into making the organization the best it can be is puzzling.  But privately, why he would want to trade such talent in the first place is even more cause for concern.  Jeff Greene is the next MJ anyway right Danny?  I would contend that Ainge realizes how badly he fucked up last season, quite possibly costing the Celtics a 2nd championship and a 3rd finals visit in 4 years, and so since he prematurely started to dismantle a great group of competitors, he wants to finish the job and start rebuilding with his boy Greene and whoever else.  Trading Paul Pierce aka Mr. Celtic would be a great way to fully realize your legacy as a GM Dan, as a hyper-reactive trade happy moron.  The problem you have is that the fans won't stand for it.  Show the respect to your players that they deserve.

To invoke an example from a rival sports town, the Yanks kept Jeter after the masses swore he was too old.  'Doesn't have the bat speed anymore' etc.  What happened? He hit .300 once again.  Congrats on passing Larry Legend Paul, I hope you stay in green for the rest of your career.  Fuck Danny Ainge.

#1 East Coast Mountain

        I've been skiing since I could walk, and since then I've skied almost all the mountains scattered around the east coast and a handful over in Colorado, Utah, California, Montana and more. And I can tell you that I WILL continue to think that Smugglers Notch its the best ski resort on the east coast. Reviews and critics alike, tend to give Smuggs this so called "family" reputation. I can even remember when riding up the lifts with ski bums out west, when I told them where I was from Smuggs they would reply "oh, thats next to Stowe right?" or "I've heard about Smuggs, something about being one of the best "family" resorts". These are the two things that I hate to hear the most and only apply to Morse. Smuggs is really broken up into two mountains; Morse and Madonna. Morse is more of the tourist section filled with lodges, restaurants, groomers and hot-tubs. Madonna is where you'll witness the locals strapping on their boots before the lifts start turning, the real Smuggs.
           Let me assure you that parts of Smuggs are NOT for the faint-hearted, the MOST difficult terrain I have ever skied was found deep within the mountain. Its true that the groomers, glades, and mogul runs aren't that advanced or even that good, but once you start exploring you will find a completely different mountain. Sterling Lift-line is one of my favorite trails out of any mountain I've ever skied. On a normal mid season day one can expect (all within one run); mogul's, powder, rocks, cliffs, water-bars, and if you charge it hard enough the entire lift will erupt with whistles and hoots & hollers. The thing about Smuggs is that ever day, ever trail changes, its always new and will always keep you on your toes.
          The above picture was taken after a foot or more of snowfall out in the legendary "backbowls" of Smuggs. Some of the best woods skiing in the nation can be found there, it's even been featured in many ski movies and magazines. The picture to the left was taken off the right side of Madonna. After about 5 minutes of bushwhacking and hiking we found some untouched sunny corn-snow in late March.
          People don't believe that the terrain is some of the most diverse and extreme, but its true. And not only is it the terrain that I love, its the overall local vibe the people give off everyday. If you happen to ride up chairlift with someone you don't know, chances are they live within 20 minutes and have been skiing Smuggs most of their life. I've encountered so many people that have told me all about how the mountain has changed since they were little kids, or how they've visited every winter for their entire lives and just can't seem to get enough. Smuggs does have its fare share of tourists that populate the slopes, but nowhere near the amount that other mountains today get (besides Mad River Glen, another GREAT local mountain).
         Smuggs often gets the reputation of being an easy mountain, or not as "big" because it doesn't have quads, gondolas or high speed lifts. But I personally think that's what makes its special, a feeling that your not just one among the "masses" of people out skiing. Smuggs has also created some excellent skiers. One of my best friends, neighbor and ski partner, Griffin Dunne, skied Smuggs his whole life, never got out west to some of the more "big mountain" terrain or any of the larger mountain around the east, and he recently placed first in the Freeskiing World Tour finals last winter at Jay Peak. And during the past few years we've both skied with some real young kids at Smuggs, and both seem some amazing talent. 

NBA Power Rankings

At this point, the NBA season is about 1/3 of the way done, so I thought it only made sense to supply you with my own personal power rankings at this point in the season. Being a shortened 66-game season, you may be slightly surprised by some teams and not so surprised by others. Before the season even started, it was a pretty safe bet saying Miami, Chicago, and Oklahoma City would be better than most other teams. But who thought Philadelphia would be in my top 5? Check it out:

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

Kevin Durant

OKC has been playing very well this season. They are leading the Western Conference and have one of the youngest cores in the league. Not only are they young, they are intimidating and pretty damn good. They've had a couple of head-scratching losses, but I see this team representing the West in the Finals.

2. Chicago Bulls
Quite possibly the team representing the East in the Finals, the Bulls have had a great first third of the season. Currently on top of the East, the Bulls depth is what I love. They have an incredible starting lineup and then have players like Richard Hamilton, Kyle Korver, Taj Gibson, and Omer Asik. These four bench players could easily start on other teams throughout the league.

Derrick Rose

3. Miami Heat
Any team with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh is probably going to be pretty good. Even with Wade missing many games so far this season, Miami has still managed to only lose 6 games so far. LeBron is definitely the best player on the team and is in the prime of his career. I don't see him getting past Chicago in the playoffs again, though.

4. Boston Celtics
I may be a little biased here being a lifelong Celtics fan, but I do really think this team has what it takes to get to the Finals. After a very sloppy start to the season, the Celtics have won 7 out of their last 8 with impressive wins over teams that people say are "better" than Boston. With Paul Pierce being awarded Player of the Week honors in the Eastern Conference, he led the Celtics without the injured Rajon Rondo. Even without the all star point guard, Boston did very well, which shows me a lot about this team. Their experience and will to win will give any team a challenge in the playoffs. Keep your chin up, New England. The Patriots may have lost, but the Celtics are playing some exciting basketball at the moment.

Paul Pierce

5. Philadelphia 76ers
No one saw this coming. Philly is on top of the Atlantic division and basically has a mirror record to the likes of Miami and Chicago. They have the best defense in the league and have been using their young legs to score plenty of fast-paced points. They've beat some very good teams and are showing no sign of slowing down. I just question if they can really handle the pressure of an intense playoff series.

Off the Hill

        After a long day on the mountain its common that we skiers kick back, rest the knees and surf the web for anything ski related. Whether its looking for those goggles you saw on the slope, constantly updating the playlist or just seeing what “the pros” are doing around the world, there’s always something interesting out there. So I’ve put together a few websites that will hopefully add to that relaxing time.

        First off, everyone one loves new gear and apparel. www.SteepandCheap.com and www.WhiskeyMilitia.com, are two great sites that will bring you the best deals around. Both these sites offer a chance to buy a featured item normally around or over 50% off. Then every 20 or so minutes the item switches to an equally good or better deal. Watching these sites is actually fairly addicting, because you never know what’s going to be next.

        Secondly, you know that song you loved from that ski movie you watched earlier in the season or last year.  But, maybe you can’t remember the name or the movie. www.skimoviemusic.com brings all the songs from every ski movie ever made together. This is a great place to put together you first ski playlist or add to the epic list you’ve been shredding to as a little kid. Even if your not in-it for the music its still a good place to study your movie names and production companies. So when your buddy brings up some segment they saw in Claim three years back you can say “oh yea, matchstick made that right?” its an easy way to get credit having never seen the movie. But honestly if you haven’t seen Claim then you’re missing out on the BEST ski movie ever made.

        Finally, anyone who loves to keep tabs on the pros and see where in the world the snows snowing then head over to www.skiunion.mpora.com. They’ve got all the latest news, reviews on skis and boots, interviews, awesome pictures and even more rad videos.

        So grab a drink, sit back and enjoy the wonders that the World Wide Web brings us.

Why Do Fans Get To Pick The NBA All-Star Starters?

The starters for the 2012 NBA All Star Game were announced tonight for both the East and West teams and I wasn't all that surprised by the results. Voted by fans across the world, the starting line ups typically consist of the "superstars" of the league that one generally thinks of when the NBA comes in to mind. For the West squad, PG Chris Paul, SG Kobe Bryant, SF Kevin Durant, PF Blake Griffin, and C Andrew Bynum will be one of the youngest starting lineups that I have have seen in an all star game. For the East squad, PG Derrick Rose, SG Dwyane Wade, SF Carmelo Anthony, PF LeBron James, and C Dwight Howard (the leading vote getting amongst all players) will use their athleticism and experience to give the West team a great challenge. In my opinion, the East is going to absolutely demolish the West. But this is besides the point.
My real concern is why fans even get to vote for the starters in the first place. Yes, I understand the All Star Game is supposed to be a relaxed, fun game that gives fans the opportunity to cheer for all of their favorite players and also a way for players to show their appreciation to players, but it really doesn't make sense to me for one main reason: The general managers of the league get to pick the reserve players, but have no say in the starters. In my opinion, it should be the other way around. Fans should get to pick the reserves and general managers should pick the starters. In too many cases, I have seen players get selected as all stars when they really do not deserve it. For example, washed up players like Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson started for their respective conferences based solely off of their reputations and not by their skill later in their careers. This year is no different to me.

Wing Sauce, Tortilla Chips and Cooler Geometry: 7 Tips For Having The Perfect Superbowl Spread

 

Super Bowl Sunday is practically upon us and it’s hard not to be excited for one of America’s best unofficial holidays. The NFL’s championship contest provides sports fans with a reason to celebrate one of its country’s most beloved games. It brings together millions of people, and like most other holidays food is a big part of the festivities. Those chosen to host said event have a lot of responsibility placed on their shoulders and I am here to ease some of the pressure and provide people with seven sure-fire tips to a stress free and enjoyable Super Bowl party.

1. Wings are a must, but any Super Bowl novice knows this. The real thing every part-planner must keep in mind is sauce choice. Just because you and your friend Bojangles love having your wing sauce set off a blazing inferno in your mouth, doesn’t mean all of your guests are down with that. A more mild sauce is always a good idea and, on top of that, barbeque and teriyaki wings aren’t a bad idea either. Just make sure there are options, or you’ll end up eating wings for the next month.

*Leftover wings actually transition perfectly into my second point.

2. Make sure you get a final head count of who is coming before purchasing any of your food. If the food runs out too fast because you planned for 15 people and 40 showed up your guests are going to leave the party wishing they had packed a sandwich. And at the same time you don’t need a gallon of artichoke dip if only eight people are going to be coming over. This might sound preachy but seriously better safe than sorry. I mean let’s be honest, Vienna sausages aren’t going to be any better Monday morning.

3. This is actually a rather simple tip. Get tortilla chips, and plenty of them. Everyone likes them and they can be used in any dip. If you find yourself debating between a bag of Lays and a bag of Tostitos, stop what you are doing and imagine salsa on a potato chip. Boom! Point made…