Super Bowl Sunday has really gotten out of hand in my opinion, humble as it may be. I’m old enough to remember the very first Super Bowl, back in 1967. I remember it because as a kid I was a Green Bay Packers fan and they were one of the two teams playing in that first Super Bowl. The other team was the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pack kicked their ass and the final score was 35 to 10 in favor of Green Bay.
Super Bowl Sunday was a lot different back then. I don’t remember any pregame shows or a big halftime lollapalooza. The game just started and at halftime I think my dad poured some more Fritos into the big wooden bowl on the coffee table and that was the end of the hoopla for that. Then the game ended and it was over and then we had a Sunday dinner, probably involving some sort or roast or casserole. Afterwards, if your homework was done you got to watch the Ed Sullivan Show. Things were a lot simpler back then.
Nobody had Super Bowl parties and bars didn’t do anything special other than serve drinks to football fans. Nobody made special commercials for the game and there was no halftime show, just an ad for Hi-C and then back to the second half of the game. Now there’s more coverage of the commercials than of the game itself. And the halftime show? Ever since Janet Jackson had a nipple slip, there’s been more and more anticipation building about that stupid show. You want to see a fucking nipple? I’ve got two words for you: Online porn. There’s thousands of free sites out there in the internets and nipples are everywhere and as alive as the hills with the sound of nipples. Knock yourself out and then just shut the fuck up.
The pregame shows now have pregame shows of their own and the goddamned thing starts at like six in the morning and then goes all the way into the night. And everyone seems to get a little too batty and amped up over the whole thing for my tastes. People who usually wouldn't dream of going out on a Sunday, all of a sudden act like they're Charlie Sheen with an eight ball of coke and a gaggle of hookers at the Plaza Hotel. It reminds me of New Year’s Eve, which is one night I also refuse to go out. I hate crowded bars and it’s impossible to find a nice, quiet, dark bar on Super Bowl Sunday.
When I was in New York doing my bar crawl, I managed to find a bar that didn’t have any TV’s and they weren’t doing anything for Super Bowl Sunday, so I went there. I tried to do the same thing here in Peoria this year, but I could not find a single bar that wasn’t celebrating the Super Bowl in some sort of way. Then I remembered a classic Peoria bar that I haven’t visited since I moved back...
And here's the door to that classic bar.
If you've been following my blogs for the last three years, you'll recognize that logo. If not, follow along because you're in for a treat!
We'll go down the steep, red-plaid stairs...
And here it is, the infamous Jerry's Bar! It opened up in 1976 and I've had thousands of drinks in this joint. If this bar could talk, I'd probably be in jail, so I'm lucky it's mute.
There's a pool table opposite the bar. It used to see a lot of action in the day, but it's more of a thing to lean against these days. We need to get some pool chalk for when "Boris" comes by.
There's three stools lined up like pretty maids all in a row.
The bar itself is made up of three wooden whiskey kegs. They've aged well through the years.
Specialty coasters line the bar, waiting for drinks to be placed upon them.
And this lone coaster is a reminder of who paid for the bar and who paid for my rent for years.
And here's the pretty hostess of this bar, Anne. Yes, drinking is allowed on the job at Jerry's Bar, just one of the reasons I love this place!
Here's the owner and barkeep, Jerry, serving me up a beer on this wonderful Super Bowl free Sunday!
My brother Tom joins the party.
Here I am with Anne and Jerry in the background. Hey, she stole my glasses, somebody cut her off the booze!
As you can see, it's a well-stocked bar.
These nautical fellows have been on the wall at Jerry's Bar since the '70's.
A study in light and dark with these ceramic hobos on top of the bar.
Houston we have a swizzle stick...well, actually it's just a large match, but Jerry gets an "A" for effort!
And an obligatory Jerry's Bar mirror shot ends this Super Bowl Free Sunday post. Cheers and see yous all tomorrow!
Bonus Photo from Bobby Williams!
Bobby Williams is a photographer who shoots mainly for the fine blog, EV Grieve. I commented on a photo yesterday and Bobby sent me the unedited one, which features MBIP friend and commenter, Goggla in the background (hint, look for the purple hair!) Thanks Bobby, please say hi to everyone in the EV for me and warn them I’ll be back this summer for a visit!
