Not Interested in Rams-Patriots? What to Watch Instead of the Super Bowl, Ranked
More than 100 million people will watch Super Bowl LIII between the Patriots and Rams on Sunday. But if you are one of the people not interested in the game, the commercials or Maroon 5 at halftime, you have plenty of options elsewhere on the tube.
The game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET and should wrap up around 10 p.m., and we’re here to tell you what else you can check out during that time if football isn’t your thing.
If you’re a sports fan who just doesn’t like the NFL, you have plenty of classic movie options. If you don’t give a flip about sports, get some snacks and adult beverages ready and hunker down with a slew of marathons or a vintage comedy flick.
Here are the top 10 viewing options for someone who does NOT want to watch Super Bowl LIII (all times ET):
10. "The Goonies" | Freeform | 9:20 p.m.: This 1985 cult classic is one of those movies you can rewatch no matter when it’s on.
9. "Dr. Pimple Popper: The Poppy Bowl" | TLC | Marathon, beginning at 5 p.m.: Obviously you have to have a pimple-popping fetish to watch this, but if you do, you can watch gross stuff pour out of pores for hours.
8. "Worst Cooks in America" | Food Network | Marathon, beginning at 6 p.m.: If you want to feel better about your cooking skills, just watch this show, where contestants struggle to boil water.
7. "Youngblood" | NHL Network | 9 p.m.: Something for the hockey fans.
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6. "Hoosiers" | Fusion TV | 8 p.m.: Something for the basketball fans.
5. "There’s Something About Mary" | HBO Signature | 6:55 p.m.: If you’re passing on the Super Bowl, you probably won’t be excited about the Brett Favre cameo, but the movie is still worth your time.
4. "Puppy Bowl XV" | Animal Planet | Marathon, starting at 6:03 p.m.: This one really doesn’t need a sell job. If you like dogs, you can put on Animal Planet and be set for the night.
3. "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" | IFC | 7 p.m.: One of the best comedies of the ‘80s.
2. "Major League" | TMCW | 7:05 p.m.: Something for the baseball fans.
1. "The Office" | Comedy Central | Marathon, starting at 8 a.m.: This is VERY important. I checked the episodes that will be airing. They’re from Seasons 4 and 5. Not 8 and 9, so we’re good to go here. On a side note, Steve Carell appeared on this week’s Sports Illustrated Media Podcast if you’d like to take a listen. More on that below.
Also: If you’re interested in watching a sport other than football, here’s what some of the sports networks are airing Sunday night. — By Jimmy Traina
ESPN: UFC and Boxing
ESPNU: Men's college basketball: Stanford at Cal (4:00 p.m.)
ESPN2: Poker
SEC Network: Women's college basketball: South Carolina at Arkansas (5:00 p.m.)
FS1: Bowling
NBCN: Curling World Cup
CBSN: Bull riding
Recommended Reading
• We heard there's a big game on Sunday. The MMQB team has their flawless Super Bowl predictions ready to share.
• From farm to factory to the hands of an NFL quarterback, this is how footballs are made. (By Kalyn Kahler)
• After trading Kristaps Porzingis, the Knicks have gone all-in on free agency. How they do in July will determine the future of the franchise. (By Chris Mannix)
• NFL mock draft: We have three quarterbacks ticketed to the top 10. (By Kalyn Kahler)
• Roger Goodell has followed the missteps of his previous failures with how he’s handled the Rams-Saints non-call. (By Michael Rosenberg)
• NBA mock draft: Zion still holds down the top spot, but Ja Morant is skyrocketing. (By Jeremy Woo)
Listen Up: Steve Carell and Brent Musburger Join the SI Media Podcast
The latest episode of the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast features an interview with actor Steve Carell, who talks about “The Office” and more. The man who played Michael Scott shares secrets about the “Basketball” episode, talks about what it was like to film the fire drill scene in “Stress Relief” and explains his thought process in writing the “Casino Night" episode.
Following Carell, the legendary Brent Musburger joins the podcast to talk about Super Bowl betting and prop bets, the scene in Vegas and much more.
[Click here to listen to Carell and Musburger on the SI Media Podcast]
Vault Photo of the Week: Jackie's Steal of Home
There's never a bad time to celebrate the life and legacy of Jackie Robinson—especially during the week that marks a century since his birth on Jan. 31, 1919. For as much as Robinson's accomplishments transcended the baseball world, don't forget he was involved in one of the more controversial plays of his time.
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As depicted above, he bolted from third base on a steal of home in the 1955 World Series. As Robinson barrelled toward Yankees catcher Yogi Berra, he went in for a slide and was called safe by the home plate umpire. For the rest of his life Berra maintained Robinson was out. Instant replay was still a half-century or so away, unfortunately.
SI photographer Mark Kauffman captured the shot above.
Best of the Rest
Editor's note: Below are some of our favorite stories of the week not published by SI. This week's list is curated by Jimmy Traina.
• Why were NFL ratings up in 2018? Was it more than the league’s offensive explosion? The Ringer’s Kevin Clark investigates.
• How often did Tony Romo make a prediction while calling games this season and how often was he right? The Wall Street Journal’s Ben Cohen and Andrew Beaton watched every play Romo called and came up with the answer.
• Business Insider’s Alan Dawson profiles the hottest WWE superstar today: Becky Lynch, aka, “The Man.”
• Some company is going to make a lot of money because of the stupid Instagram egg, reports Taylor Lorenz of The Atlantic.
• Because we need to mention "The Office" even more this week, here’s a story via Bruce Y. Lee of Forbes, about a man who saved a woman’s life using CPR he learned from watching the show.
Editor's note: What kind of stories and content would you like to see in the Weekend Read? Let's chat at SIWeekendRead@gmail.com.
