Quick-Study Guide to Super Bowl XLV; Plainview's Pre-Game Options

It's Super Bowl Sunday, a day many think of as a kind of blue-collar national holiday.

Today, tens of millions of us blow their New Year's diets. The nation guzzles beer, noshes nachos and chomps wings, the latter made famous by four-straight inglorious Buffalo Bills' defeats. Today otherwise sensible people scream at TV sets over two teams they know next to nothing about. Why should that stop us?

Each day the "5 Things" column will tell you five essential pieces of information you need to know today, like events happening or community topics being covered on the site later on in the day. Have an event or topic that should appear in this column? Add it to the calendar or send us a news tip.

Here's what's happening around town before Super Bowl XLV.

1. Study up: For the uninitiated among us, here are the basics so you can act informed at your Super Bowl party, amaze your children, wow your friends:

• Who: Pittsburgh Steelers: 2010: 12-4; 6-time Super Bowl champions; Q.B. Ben Roethlisberger (bad boy image) vs. Green Bay Packers: 2010: 10-6; 3-time Super Bowl champions. Q.B. Aaron Rodgers (Fair-haired boy image.)
• What: At stake is the NFL Championship and the Vince Lombardi Trophy. (Lombardi graduated from Fordham; coached Green Bay to first two NFL championships.)
• When: TV (Fox) begins at 6 p.m.; kickoff about 6:25 p.m. Estimated viewers: 110 million; TV advertising revenue: estimated $300 million. Cost of 30-second commercial: estimated $3 million.)
• Where: Cowboy Stadium, Arlington Texas. (Capacity crowd expected of over 105,000.)
• Why: Why not? They use Roman numerals; it must be important.
• Vegas line: Green Bay by 2 1/2; over/under: 45.5 points.
• Half-time show: Black Eyed Peas (about 45 minutes) 

2. offers a guide to going out around town Sunday if you want to avoid home style parties. There are plenty of

3. The , is holding its winter blood drive at the center from  8:45 a.m.–2:45 p.m. The event is open to the entire community.

4. Need a date for the Super Bowl? A singles group meets at 3:30 p.m. at the , in nearby Woodbury. Singles, ages 49-69, discuss "Stop dating, start friending." Cost: $7 plus food.

5. We'd like to hear your feedback on the that we rolled out recently in Patch. We still want your nominations for