Seattle Seahawks

Tricks to Win at Super Bowl Squares 2017

January 26, 2017 By Amanda Blankenship 1 Comment

If you’re looking for some additional fun this Super Bowl Sunday, consider playing Super Bowl football squares. It’s a fun game to play along while watching the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons play Super Bowl 51. Since there is often cash involved with the game, some of you may be wondering what tricks there are to win when playing Super Bowl squares.

If the game is set up correctly, there’s no way to increase your odds of winning. You can find a detailed explanation of the rules and a free Super Bowl squares printable here. Have the members of your party then fill in their initials (all 100 spaces should be filled), and then randomly assign the numbers 0 to 9 across the top and side of the grid. A winner is often identified after each quarter by matching the last number of each team’s score with the numbers on the grid. For example, if at the end of the first quarter, the Seahawks are up 17 to 9, the person whose initials occupy the following square wins: 7 vertically and 9 horizontally. You and your friends can then decide how to assign prizes.

Returning to the art of winning (or at least trying to), if the numbers are assigned in the columns before you place your initials in a grid, you can increase your odds of winning by knowing which numbers appear more often. Football is scored in such as way as to have certain numbers appear much more frequently than others. You want to try to avoid squares with the numbers 2 or 5 in them, and place your initials in squares that have the numbers 0, 7, 3 or 4. This trick is based on the frequency with which these numbers appeared in past Super Bowls. For example, in Super Bowl scores, the number “0” has appeared approximately 27 percent of the time, “7” has appeared approximately 20 percent of the time, and “3” has appeared around 58 times (15.4%).

The number “5”, however, has appeared only 10 times (2.7%) and the number “2” has appeared barely 2 percent of the time. Thus, by placing your initials in the 0,0 square, for instance, you’ve significantly increased your odds of winning. Other “good” number combinations include 7-0 (0-7), 3-0 (0-3), 7-3 (3-7) and finally, 0-4 (4-0).

Of course the more honorable action might be to ensure that people place their initials in squares before randomly assigning the numbers, but if someone sets up the game incorrectly (which happens quite often), by knowing which number combinations are more likely to happen, you put yourself in a position of increasing your chances of winning the Super Bowl squares pool.

Keep in mind that there is no definite answer to who will win Super Bowl 51 and there is a chance you could lose money playing Super Bowl squares.

Will you be participating in a Super Bowl squares pool this year?

How Much Money Is a Super Bowl Commercial 2015?

January 30, 2015 By Lilian Nwa Leave a Comment

With some Super Bowl tickets selling for approximately $18,000, you might think this is expensive, but that cost pales in comparison to the price of a Super Bowl commercial slot. At $4.5 million for a 30 second ad for the 2015 Super Bowl game, it’s nearly 250 times as much as the cost of the most expensive ticket. It’s also a half million dollars more than Super Bowl commercials cost last year, with some advertisers choosing 1 minute ads for $9 million. Already, many of this year’s ads can be found online, although some companies have chosen to publish shortened segments of the 30-second ads that will run on Sunday (that’s right, there are commercials for the Super bowl commercials).

But the more pressing question is the following: are these ads still profitable for companies? Or is it simply something that profitable companies have gotten accustomed to doing–somewhat like a signifier to audiences? (See? We have a Super Bowl ad and so we must be cool!)

Here and Now, a NPR news program, posed this first question to media analyst and professor of mass communication at Boston University, John Carroll. According to Carroll, “It’s hard to tell. There’s a lot of different yardsticks for judging whether it’s worth the money. There’s no question it’s the biggest audience you’re ever going to find on television. And it’s one of the few times when the audience is actually paying attention to the ads instead of trying to ignore them. So…from that standpoint, it’s attractive to advertisers.”

But which advertisers? Interestingly, Carroll mentioned that car advertisements did very poorly last year, and so a number of companies such as Honda, Lincoln, Volkswagen and others chose not to submit commercials this year. This “opened a lot of new opportunities for newcomers” and this year, fifteen of the commercials are from companies who have never before advertised during the Super Bowl. Not surprisingly, one newcomer, super glue maker Loctite is spending more on this year’s Super Bowl commercial than they did on advertising during 2014 (approximately $4 million).

The newspaper Portland Herald has a compelling perspective on the number of ad newcomers this year. Interviewed advertising experts told the paper that the “rookie interest” is a positive sign that “companies are feeling good in the most recent economic recovery.”

With the increasing relevance of social media, it will also be interesting to see how many of these commercials are converted into hashtag quality material. For example, Loctite embedded in its commercial the hashtag “#winatglue.” Carroll also mentioned that 60 percent of last year’s ads also had accompanying hashtags, thus enabling the companies to get “extended value” from their commercial ads. Carroll expects that a higher number of ads will also feature accompanying hashtags this year.

Whether or not the ads will pay off, however, remains to be seen. Still, for advertisers, there’s nothing like approximately one hundred million individuals watching “the same thing at the same time” and subsequently discussing the merits of what they have seen. In that case, it may very well be with a $4.5 million gamble.

Super Bowl Commercial Costs through the Years

1981: $324,000
1984: $368,000
1991: $800,000
1995: $1.15 million
2000: $1.1 million
2001: $2.1 million
2011: $3 million
2013: $4 million
2015: $4.5 million

How Much Money Is a Super Bowl Commercial 2018?

January 30, 2015 By James Hendrickson Leave a Comment

The average price of a Super Bowl ticket is between $2,500 and $3,000. You might think this is expensive, but that cost pales in comparison to the price of a Super Bowl commercial slot. It is estimated that a 30-second ad during this year’s game will cost at least $5 million, up $500K from just two years ago. Some advertisers choose 1-minute slots that cost at least $9 million. Already, many of this year’s ads can be found online, although some companies have chosen to publish shortened segments of the 30-second ads that will run on Sunday (that’s right, there are commercials for the Super Bowl commercials).

Here and Now, an NPR news program posed this first question to media analyst and professor of mass communication at Boston University, John Carroll. According to Carroll, “It’s hard to tell. There’s a lot of different yardsticks for judging whether it’s worth the money. There’s no question it’s the biggest audience you’re ever going to find on television. And it’s one of the few times when the audience is actually paying attention to the ads instead of trying to ignore them. So…from that standpoint, it’s attractive to advertisers.”

But which advertisers? Interestingly, Carroll mentioned that car advertisements did very poorly last year, and so a number of companies such as Honda, Lincoln, Volkswagen, and others chose not to submit commercials this year. This “opened a lot of new opportunities for newcomers” and this year, fifteen of the commercials are from companies who have never before advertised during the Super Bowl. Not surprisingly, one newcomer, super glue maker Loctite is spending more on this year’s Super Bowl commercial than they did on advertising during 2014 (approximately $4 million).

Super Bowl Commercial Costs through the Years

1981: $324,000
1984: $368,000
1991: $800,000
1995: $1.15 million
2000: $1.1 million
2001: $2.1 million
2011: $3 million
2013: $4 million
2015: $4.5 million
2016: $4.5 million
2017: $5 million
2018: $5 million

Considering placing a wager on this year’s game? Check out these great articles:

What Times are the AFC and the NFC Conference Championship Games?

January 17, 2015 By Jeffrey Strain 1 Comment

what time is the afs and nfc championship games

It’s getting down to the end of the NFL season, with only the AFC Championship game and the NFC Championship Game left to determine who will participate in the 49th Super Bowl. For avid football fans, the time and teams are already etched into their minds and they are anxiously awaiting the games. For those who are merely interested in knowing who will end up in the Super Bowl, the details may not be etched into your memory. That’s exactly what this article is for — to let you know the times both conference championship football games will be played so you can enjoy some inexpensive entertainment if you wish to partake in watching.

Who is in the NFC Championship Game?

The NFC championship game is between the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks. The Packers beat the Dallas Cowboys to make it to the conference championship game, while the Seahawks dispatched the Carolina Panthers to reach this game.

What day is the NFC Championship Game?

The NFC Championship game is on Sunday, January 18, 2015.

What time is the NFC Championship Game?

The NFC Championship game will begin at 12:05 pm (Pacific), 1:05 pm (Mountain), 2:05 pm (Central), 3:05 pm (Eastern).

What Channel is the NFC Championship Game on TV?

The NFC Championship Game is being televised on FOX.

Where is the NFC Championship Game being played?

The NFC Championship game is being played at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Washington. This is the home field of the Seattle Seahawks.

Who is in the AFC Championship Game?

The AFC championship game is between the Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots. The Patriots defeated the Baltimore Ravens to make it to the conference game, while the Colts beat the Denver Broncos to get their ticket to the game.

What day is the AFC Championship Game?

The AFC Championship game is on Sunday, January 18, 2015.

What time is the AFC Championship Game?

The AFC Championship game will begin at 3:40 pm (Pacific), 4:40 pm (Mountain), 5:40 pm (Central), 6:40 pm (Eastern).

What Channel is the AFC Championship Game on TV?

The AFC Championship Game is being televised on CBS.

Where is the AFC Championship Game being played?

The AFC Championship game is being played at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. This is the home field of the New England Patriots.

Whether you’re a football fan or not, the two games will make for inexpensive entertainment on Sunday, and they should last most of the day. While these games certainly don’t get to Super Bowl level when it comes to keeping people from doing other things, it can be a good time to do other things if you don’t enjoy football, as many activities will be less crowded as usual. The winner of each game will head to Super Bowl 49, which will be played on February 1 in Glendale, Arizona.

Denver Broncos Seattle Seahawks 2014 Printable Football Squares Chart: How to Play

January 28, 2014 By Jeffrey Strain Leave a Comment

Denver Broncos Seattle Seahawks football squares

Update: For those searching for 2015 Super Bowl Squares Printable

Editors Note: Check out the Super Bowl Predictions game for another fun, free printable game for your group to play on Super Bowl Sunday.

I’ve had a few people ask, “How do you play Super Bowl football squares?” after writing the article on alternate prizes that families can use to make the big game more exciting. The process is pretty simple and straight forward, but it may look a bit confusing at first glance, especially if you’ve never previously played football squares. It’s important to learn the proper way to play because setting up the game incorrectly cam allow for people that know the odds to have a much better chance to win. Here is a simple step by step process on how it works:

Print a Super Bowl Football Squares Chart

The first thing that you need to do is create your own 10 x 10 chart, or even easier, print the Super Bowl XLIV chart below (click on image to print)

Determine the Value of the Squares

If you are playing the game for money, you next need to determine the value of each square. This is the amount that each participant will pay for each square that they want to claim. Each square can be worth any amount that makes sense for the group that you’re going to be playing with. For example, the following amounts would make for the following total pool of money to give away.

$0.10 squares would make for a $10.00 pool
$0.25 squares would make for a $25.00 pool
$0.50 squares would make for a $50.00 pool
$1.00 squares would make for a $100.00 pool
$2.00 squares would make for a $200.00 pool
$5.00 squares would make for a $500.00 pool
$10.00 squares would make for a $1,000.00 pool

Another option is to not sell the squares, but just have predetermined prizes that are given away to the winner(s) at each quarter or at the end of the game.

Fill in the Squares

Before you place the numbers across the top and down the side of the chart, you want to have all of the 100 spaces inside the chart filled. Most of the time, people place their initials into the space that they want, but you can also assign each person a number or a color. Basically, as long as you can identify the individual that “owns” each square, you’re fine.

Randomly Write in the Numbers 0 – 9

There is a reason that you fill in all the squares before randomly assigning numbers to the top and side rows. This is because some numbers are much more likely to appear (0, 3, 7) than other numbers (2, 5) If you placed the numbers at the top before filling in all the squares, the first people to write in their initials would have a great advantage over those who filled in their squares at a later time. By randomly assigning numbers (usually by picking out numbers from a hat), who gets the best numbers is determined by luck.

Decide How to Dole out the Prizes

There are a number of ways that prizes can be given, and there is no set standard way to do this. Most of the time a small amount of money is given out for each quarter, with the largest amount going to the winning square for the final score. However, sometimes an even amount is given for each quarter and sometimes the only winner is based on the final score. You can choose which distribution method is best for the group you’re playing the game with. Below are a few ways that you can choose to dole out the prize money (If you are giving out prizes other than money, you should also choose the way that they will be awarded).

Determine the Winners

To determine the winner, all you need to do is look at the last number of the score. For example, if the score is Seattle 10 and Denver 14 after the first quarter, you would take the “0” column from the Seahawks side and “4” from the Broncos side, and run the lines together until they meet at a square to determine the winner. You do the same with the score at half-time, the third quarter and the final score.

2018 Super Bowl Philadelphia Eagles New England Patriots Football Squares Alternatives for Family

January 27, 2014 By Jeffrey Strain 2 Comments

If you work at a company, there’s a good chance that there will be an office pool that you’ll be asked to join for the Super Bowl. The concept is pretty easy. You give $1 and you get to sign your initials into one of the 10 x 10 squares on a sheet of paper. If the last numbers of the final score lines up with the square that you placed your initials in, you’ll win the pot (sometimes there are also smaller awards for the score at the end of each quarter as well, with the final score usually being the largest amount. If the game is set up improperly, you also have a chance to greatly increase your odds of winning).

What a lot of people don’t think about is that the Super Bowl football squares can also be a fantastic family activity that doesn’t have to cost a lot of money, while putting some extra excitement into the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots. Each family member gets to choose an equal number of squares with their initials, and then keep their fingers crossed that they will be the winner. Below you can print out the football squares chart (click on image) so that you can play at home, plus some alternative prizes that you can play for besides money:

Download a free, printable version of this year’s game!

Movie Night

If you have a family movie night each week at home, the winner gets to pick the movies for the next month. If you have movie nights out at the theater, the winner gets to choose the next movie. You can adapt this to how your family watches movies together giving the winner the chance to have control for a period of time.

Next Trip Destination

If your family takes trips a few times a year, the winner gets to choose the next destination that you’ll go on for a trip. You can make is a special weekend trip or to a destination for a trip that you plan on a yearly basis. For example, there may be a few choices of where you think you might go next summer, and the winner would get to make the final decision.

Chores

Instead of money, you can play for the elimination of a chore. Each family member chooses which chore they would like to eliminate. Whoever wins has their chore eliminated while the other family members each take it over for one week (for example, if there are 6 family members, the chore is eliminated for 5 weeks).

Candy / Snack

If the family has a special candy or snack that everyone loves, this can be awarded to the winner. You can actually do the prize for each quarter using the football squares by handing out small amounts to the winner after each intermission. The prize for the final score would be the biggest of those handed out.

Clean-Up

The person who picks the winning square is exempt from the football party clean-up, while all the other members of the family have to do it. If there really isn’t much to clean up after the football game, then this exemption can be extended to the next big household clean-up.

The above are just a few examples to get your creativity going. Find anything that everyone watching the game desires or something that everyone would rather not do, and you have found a great prize for the football squares game. This can also be adapted to groups of friends (or any other group) who get together to watch the big game. In the end, Super Bowl squares can be a great piece of added entertainment to the game that doesn’t have to cost a lot.