This year, the Super Bowl and Valentine's Day are exactly one week apart.
I've gone on record as saying that Valentine's Day for women is like the Super Bowl for men. It's a double-header, so get ready to enjoy the ride. Most guys look forward to Super Bowl Sunday and won't even make a dinner reservation or ask a date out until after the game is over.
As we count down the days to Super Bowl 50 at Levi Stadium, whether you're rooting for the Denver Broncos or the Carolina Panthers, one thing is for sure, it's going to be an emotional and exciting two weeks for both men and women alike.
Women consider Valentine's Day their Super Bowl. They wonder if men hate Valentine's Day and just go along with the program. Meanwhile on the other side of the couch, guys only want to think about the Super Bowl. They might be curious if the women are really cheering for their favorite teams, or if they're there to try to attract attention from men, but they don't overthink it. It's game day.
Here's the thing about Valentine's Day. It's a big deal to women. Often, women will think about Valentine's Day starting on New Year's day. Meanwhile, men are still excited about football playoffs in January. Although they see red candy boxes in the stores, it isn't until one team gets the ring, that they start thinking about Valentine's Day.
This year, the two holidays are exactly one week apart. Add in the fact that Valentine's Day is on a three-day holiday weekend, and it becomes a recipe for love, or disaster if you're not prepared. It's obvious that the Super Bowl for men is revered in the same way as Valentine's Day is for women. Whether you're a sports fan or a hopeless romantic, comparing the two will help you understand how important these days are for the opposite sex and to honor each other when it's game time.
Here's my side-by-side comparison of the Super Bowl and Valentine's.
Super Bowl Sunday is a sacred day for most American men. It's showtime as most guys count down the days, hours, and even minutes to their favorite television day of the year. Meanwhile, across the hall, women have their own favorite holiday to think about, Valentine's Day.
Both men and women put all of their emotional energies into these two bigger-than-life events. Often, a woman doesn't understand why watching two teams trying to score is so important to her guy. He just can't miss this game. It's the end of the season and the two best teams go for the ring.
Guys on the other hand, simply don't understand that if you're dating a woman and forget to plan something, just anything, for Valentine's Day, you probably won't get a date with her on February 15th, or shortly after. If you're playing the field on mobile dating apps or flirting on Tinder, if you don't ask our your digital crush, you lose. Game over.
Men wait all year for the Super Bowl, this big day in television. Women wait for Valentine's Day, with the hope that their special guy will either propose, offer to take his online dating profile down, or say I love you for the first time. Women even secretly hope that the guy they are dating might want to change his Facebook status from 'Single' to 'In a Relationship.' It's on the digital wish list for women, period.
A survey conducted by Zoosk showed that 73% of women would rather watch the Super Bowl, than have sex on Super Bowl Sunday. By comparison, half of the men preferred watching the game and the other 50% still wanted to have sex on Super Bowl Sunday in lieu of television viewing.
Are you Prepared for Super Bowl and Valentine's Day?
Men are very prepared for the Super Bowl. They decide which venue to view the game at and with whom they would like to spend watching the teams battle it out. Women like to be prepared. They will start giving little hints out a month in advance about their favorite romantic restaurant, with the hopes the the guy they are dating will take the cue and book a reservation before their favorite eatery is fully booked.
However in contrast, when a man's favorite team loses the Super Bowl, he will be disappointed, but will get over it. He'll know there's another chance next year and will spend the entire football season rooting for his team. If a woman's favorite beau or someone she is dating doesn't ask her out for Valentine's Day, she won't get over it.
She'll assume he's romancing another woman and will know she's not on the top of his list. Chances are, his shelf life as her "number one guy" will immediately expire. Unless he's out of town on business or in a long-distance relationship, he won't get another chance to romance her. No woman wants to be at the bottom of the dating totem pole, especially on Valentine's Day. Expect to be unfriended, or don't be surprised if she doesn't return your phone calls or texts.
So whether you like football or not, love or hate Valentine's Day, remember to talk to the person you are dating about what these days mean to both of you. If you're single, use this opportunity to accept all invitations for both the Super Bowl and Valentine's singles mixers. Even if your team loses and you're dateless on the 14th, you'll be casting a wider net and expanding your social circle.
Go ahead and accept that Super Bowl party invitation. If you're single, you just might find a date in time for Valentine's as well. It's a win-win for everyone. If you need help with your profile or online dating advice, we're here to help.
Do you think Valentine's Day is the Super Bowl of love?
Julie Spira is an online dating expert and author of the bestseller, The Perils of Cyber-Dating Confessions of a Hopeful Romantic Looking for Love Online. For more dating advice follow @JulieSpira on Twitter, sign up for the Weekly Flirt newsletter.
Just Released: Our 2nd edition of The Perils of Cyber-Dating is now available on Kindle and as an audio book, narrated by the author.