Super Bowl 2012: The Only Viewing Guide You Need for the Big Game

Thanks to the massive hype machine that is the NFL, the Super Bowl isn't just a game; it is a viewing experience. In fact, people don't just watch the Super Bowl, they celebrate it—the food, the commercials, the celebrity sightings, everything.

It's the one moment every year when if you guessed what any random person on the planet is doing, you'd probably be right.

So, before you sit down to watch Super Bowl XLVI, here's everything you need to know.

The Big Storylines

First off, these teams have played before—recently. Just four years ago, the Patriots walked into Arizona with a perfect record and got outclassed by the Giants defensive line. One David Tyree miracle later, the rest was history.

Now, the Pats want revenge.

Since the game is in Indianapolis this time around, the Indianapolis Colts have shoehorned themselves into the picture. Eli Manning's older, more decrepit brother Peyton is possibly cleared to play next season, but maybe he's not. 

Either way, B/R's lead national writer has it right when he says Peyton should stay out of Eli's limelight.

Oh, the Patriots' biggest weapon is questionable to play.

The Location

Indianapolis, Indiana (population 1,756,241) may seem like "small potatoes" to outsiders, but it isn't even the smallest city to host a recent Super Bowl. That honor, my friends, belongs to everyone's favorite host city—New Orleans.

Indianapolis is great for the media because the stadium is centrally located amid a bevy of Marriott hotel properties.

It also has St. Elmo's Shrimp Cocktail.

Those reasons above make Indianapolis a no-brainer to host the NFL Scouting Combine every year.

Will it translate into a great Super Bowl experience? It could, but pictures like this are worrisome for post-game festivities.

The Announcers

Watch that David Tyree clip again.

One of the most exciting and improbable plays in Super Bowl history was accompanied by one of the most boring calls in Super Bowl history. Thankfully, Joe Buck will not be ruining this game with his coma-inducing tones.

This year, we get the A-Team of NBC's Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth.

No one has more big-game cred than Al Michaels—not even Gus Johnson. I repeat, no one.

As a color commentator, Cris Collinsworth has matured and grown into a spot he probably hadn't truly earned when it was handed to him. Yet it's hard to find someone who is better at he does right now or someone who works harder to get better.

The Food

If you're in Indianapolis, St. Elmo's is a must-visit. Open up the wallets because you'll probably be sitting next to someone from ESPN or someone who happens to own your favorite NFL team. Other great options include The Rathskeller and Mama Carrolla's.

I've covered the combine for a few years now, and you can tell by my picture that I know my food. Trust me here.

At home, "wings" is the name of the game as almost 100 million pounds of wings will be consumed tomorrow nationwide. The California Avocado Board would like to point out that guacamole is a much healthier option and pretty popular as well, with almost 70 million pounds of avocados ready to turn into eight million pounds of guac.

Maybe you want to support your favorite team with your food selection tomorrow? New York's famous Coney Dogs and Reuben Sandwiches make awesome Super Bowl fare, as does a nice heaping bowl of New England Clam Chowder.

The Pre-Game Festivities

Matt Lauer gets his turn interviewing President Obama at the Super Bowl tomorrow. Other interviews include Dan Patrick with Eli Manning and Bob Costas with Tom Brady, along with almost every other permutation of NBC personality and Giants/Patriots employee one could ever want.

Lenny Kravitz and The Fray will be performing, and Nick Cannon will be stalking more important celebrities on the red carpet.

This would be a great pre-game show for 2005.

The Halftime Show

It's Madonna, because nothing says red-blooded American male between the ages of 18-35 like the "Material Girl," who hasn't been relevant in over 10 years.

Oh, if you are interested, she's got a new album out.

Madonna has also promised no "wardrobe malfunctions" this year.

The Commercials

Marvel's latest commercial for The Avengers (preview of the preview here) is sure to make any fanboy unable to stand for the next two to four hours.  

Pepsi is rolling out Elton John and the winner of the show they so heavily sponsor, The X-Factor. Jerry Seinfeld and the Soup Nazi are starring in an Acura commercial. Meanwhile, Matthew Broderick was tricked into filming Ferris Bueller 2: Buy a Honda.

Like the pre-game and the halftime shows, the commercials are all about the people who aren't actually sitting there to watch the game.

The Betting

I'm not a betting man, but B/R's lead NFL writer Josh Zerkle is. Check out his picks for the game and the biggest prop bets here and in video form (with Dan Levy) here.

If you're really into betting, check out this Betting Bonanza from National Football Post's Joe Fortenbaugh.

The Multi-Media Experience

Bleacher Report will be running constant content from now until Monday afternoon (CNET even covered that fact). If you literally cannot get enough Super Bowl coverage, we will give you all you can handle.  

NFL associate editor Matt Birch will be live-blogging the game.  

For the Twitter crowd, make sure to follow B/R's Patriots aficionados Erik Frenz and Tony Santorsa. If you're looking for Giants info, Jake Silver is the way to go.  

For more general NFL twitter-ing: I will be tweeting as well along with B/R's Matt Miller. Other great accounts include Pro Football Focus (featured today in the New York Times for helping the Giants this season), Aaron Nagler, Melissa Jacobs and Mike Freeman.

If you're more into the experience and less into the actual football, Darren Rovell is a must follow.

The Pick

The Giants proved me wrong the last time these two teams faced off and have proved me wrong this season, but my wife says I don't learn from my mistakes, so the Patriots should win this one, 35-24.

Michael Schottey is an NFL Associate Editor for Bleacher Report and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America. He has professionally covered both the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions, as well as NFL events like the scouting combine and the Senior Bowl. Follow him on Twitter.