Chicago Bears fans rank third for calorie consumption while watching Super Bowl, survey says
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The last time the Chicago Bears appeared in the Super Bowl — with Head Coach Lovie Smith at the helm, quarterback Rex Grossman leading the charge, and Devin Hester scoring a touchdown on a punt return on the very first play, only for the game to go downhill for the Bears afterward until they lost to the Indianapolis Colts — was 18 whole years ago.
The last time the Bears won the Super Bowl is an event in Chicago history that is arguably up there with the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. Coach Mike Ditka, punky QB Jim McMahon, William "The Refrigerator" Perry, and of course the late and legendary Walter Payton, have been enduring Chicago heroes ever since they beat the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX. But that was 39 years ago — new Head Coach Ben Johnson would not even be born yet for another few months to come.
But resigned though they may be to the Bears getting nowhere near the playoffs much of the time, Bears fans still gather to watch the Super Bowl every year. And according to a recent survey, they live up to the old "Superfans" skits with their eating habits.
The survey reports Bears fans consume the third most calories while watching the Super Bowl of any team's fans — with an average of 3,356. Bears fans are only outranked by Dallas Cowboys fans, who consume an average of 3,452 calories while watching the big game, and Houston Texans fans, who are at the top with an average of 3,458 calories.
The survey by NJ.Bet did not break down what each fan base was eating, but it did break down the most popular food choices. Pizza came in way at the top with 74%, followed by chips, dips, and pretzels with 64%, wings with 59%, and fried appetizers with 37%.
Chicago Bears fans rank high, but not near the top, when it comes to how much alcohol they consume during the Super Bowl. They come in at No. 10, with an average of $23 spent on alcohol, and an average of 3.5 drinks consumed.
Baltimore Ravens fans are at the top for alcohol consumption, with an average of $29.44 spent on alcohol and 3.8 drinks consumed per game.
Bears fans are also the second most likely to drink before watching the game, but are not in the top five amongst fans who might miss some or all of the game due to excessive drinking.
NJ.Bet conducted a survey of 1,200 respondents who regularly watch NFL football — representing the fan bases of all 32 teams. Researchers then analyzed the data by assigning calorie estimates to the food and beverages reported in the survey and using those estimates to calculate calorie consumption per fan base.
Super Bowl LIX between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs takes place at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday, Feb. 9.
