For all the American football fans out there – or those of us who are just in it for the half time show – De Drie Gezusters will be hosting a Superbowl viewing party on 3 February.
Dennis Hollander, the manager at De Groote Griet sports bar inside De Drie Gezusters, says that the annual viewing party draws a mix of Dutch folks and foreigners alike. “Most of them don’t even know how to play the game or know any rules”, Hollander says – and that includes himself. “But it has a good vibe all around until late in the morning.”
Groningen’s own American football team, the Groningen Giants, also chip in to throw the party. While Maroon 5, Travis Scott and Big Boi will be providing the entertainment during the halftime show in Atlanta, in Groningen, the Giants will put on their own show on the Grote Markt, playing a mini football game on the cobblestones.
The party at De Groote Griet, which has 25 screens, is one of the biggest Superbowl viewing events in the Netherlands, albeit without a whole lot of competition. “I know there is another official NFL place in Amsterdam you can watch, but don’t know how many there will be”, Hollander says. But the Groningen bar will be a packed house: “We have around 800 to 1,000 people, but every year it’s different.”
This year, the two teams who will be facing off are the New England Patriots, who are returning to the Superbowl for the second year in a row, and the Los Angeles Rams. Hollander says that the staff at De Groote Griet are divided in terms of who they are rooting for, but he says he is pulling for the Patriots “just because of Tom Brady – you always hear his name.”
The game will not officially kick off until 12:30 a.m. local time, but fans can pregame at the bar starting at 9 p.m. with rounds of beer pong, complete with red solo cups. The bar will also be serving American food – hotdogs, popcorn and hamburgers- and American beer: Lagunitas IPA. Admission to the party is free and attendees will pay for the grub, and if they are feeling fancy, they can splurge on the VIP package: 50 euros for unlimited food and drinks.
