Local restaurants and sports bars are sure to be packed with football fans across Saskatchewan this weekend as the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles take to the field for the 2023 Super Bowl.
An Angus Reid Institute study showed that three in five Canadian football fans would choose to watch the Super Bowl over the Grey Cup.
Those that disagreed were from the Prairie provinces, claiming that the Grey Cup has their hearts.
“That shows you that football is a big piece of the fabric of Saskatchewan,” said Saskatoon Hilltops coach Tom Sargeant.
“Obviously we are in Riderville here, so sales for that is always going to be great over the years here for that, but with the Blue Bombers winning over the last three years it has been a different story,” said sales associate David Mysko at Saskatoon’s Olympian Sports.
He said that business has been booming as people try to snag merchandise of their favourite teams and up-and-coming players.
“The NFL over the CFL has been a more competitive league so I think people have been watching the NFL over the CFL,” Mysko said. “I’m sure the CFL will catch up and it will be good on both sides there.”
Regardless of allegiance, viewers around the globe will tune in this weekend for a fantastic game.
“Football is a blue-collar sport,” said Sargeant. “It’s physical, it’s a grind, it’s everything I think part of being born and raised in the great province of Saskatchewan is all about. Nothing comes easy and there are no free lunches.