h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

All but a very few games are played on Sundays here in the US (notable exceptions are Monday Night Football and Thursday Night Football, but they're only one game each).

Watching football on television is a guilty pleasure that I rarely admit to, but hey, confession time...

Games are broadcast on two networks during the season - CBS for American Football Conference (AFC) contests and FOX for National Football Conference (NFC) games.

In the Eastern Time Zone (Atlantic Coast), games start at 1 pm with a second broadcast at 4 pm. A friend of mine in California says that with the time zone difference, you can wake up late and watch the first game while you're still in bed.

There's also usually a Sunday night game that starts at 8 pm (Eastern time).

And of course, the ultimate Sunday activity is Super Bowl Sunday! Pre-game broadcasts for the Super Bowl begin at noon (Eastern time) with the game finally getting underway around eight hours later. A wonderful day of drinking, hanging out with friends, eating junk food and eventually even watching the championship game for the NFL.

oh yes, sundays from september to january is football season. some people dress up in their team costumes ranging from just hats, coats and gloves in the team colors all the way up to viking helmets, dawg masks, pirate costumes and native american headdress. in stadiums in each host city, thousands gather in the parking lots, often as early as 5 AM for a 1 PM game and set up ovens, propane-fueled grills, kegs, coolers, folding chairs and tables, have breakfasts, lunches just before the game, and some stay on, cooking a post-game dinner while watching the game on television, since as much as a day-and-a half's wages are required for a ticket into the stadium.
they are called 'tailgate parties,' and thousands of pubs and taverns miles away from the host stadium have taken to the concept, offering complementary food to their patrons, even a slight price break on selected brands of adult beverages and other giveaways.
in individual homes, friends gather, each bringing food and beverage and gather around big-screen televisions (often with smaller ones in the kitchen/dining area.)
all to watch about 20 minutes of action within a three-and-a-half time frame while VERY LARGE men physically assault each other attempting to advance a semi-ovoid, pointy-tipped football across the goal line, thus scoring points.
it be a spectacle, from sea to shining sea, as the song goes.

Yep, that pretty much characterizes the greatest game known to man.

*respectful nod to the 'other' type of football*

-Eagle 1