Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is great for fans and non-fans alike, the commercials are always a talker, but the mess from the party…. it's just a mess that needs cleaning up. Most of it can be trashed or recycled, but if the furniture is messed up, that can call for an expensive game plan.

So here are the top four ways Super Bowl parties trash your furniture and suggestions for cleaning it up.

1) INK: Your buddy uses a marker to write down all the wagers in the scoring pool. Except the number "12" gets written on the couch.

• DON'T use dish soap or hair spray to remove the marks. The degreasing agents in dish soap can permanently de-gloss and damage the top coating on the leather surface. Hair spray has alcohol in it and will ruin the surface coating on your leather.
• DO use a soft sponge and specialized leather cleaner. Buy it at most leather furniture retailers – but for serious problems your local Fibrenew franchise can help.

2) FOOD OR WINE STAIN: Your brother-in-law eats an entire pizza and drops a greasy cheese and his fifth glass of wine on your leather loveseat.

• DON'T use window/mirror cleaner because it contains alcohol which will dissolve and destroy the surface coating on your leather.
• DO use a damp towel to wipe up the mess and a dry one to finish the job. Fully-finished leather is pretty much water proof, so a little spill isn't going to hurt as long as you clean up quickly before it soaks through.

Though the Super Bowl isn't an official holiday, it certainly gets the same special treatment. On the day of the big game, roads clear and stores empty as millions of Americans crowd around TVs to watch the perennial battle for the ultimate American sporting prize.

The game is free to watch but the cost of hosting a party adds up quickly. When you're working on a shoestring college budget, this can feel like a major obstacle to having the supreme Super Bowl shindig. While you probably won't be able to afford the coveted nacho-cheese fountain, there are still plenty of low-cost ways to set your party apart. As you plan your Feb. 5 festivities, keep a few of these affordable ideas in mind.

1. Create a Custom Centerpiece
If you weren't able to sell your parents on a 42-inch plasma TV as an essential school supply, you'll just have to make the most of what you have to work with. Get your friends to assemble easily portable TVs and spare coaxial cables a day or two in advance. Then, pick up a splitter from Radio Shack or any other tech store and connect multiple televisions for room-to-room, sports-bar-like coverage. Read more

Since the Super Bowl is upon us, and we recently viewed a parade of new HDTVs at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), we decided it was a good time to take a look at what kind of deals a tech enthusiast/sports fan can expect to find on modern-day HDTVs.

With a focus on screen sizes, the editors over at dealnews have combed through every HDTV deal posted in the past year to find the best discounts. Here is what they found:

42-inch 1080p LCD
Although we saw a 42" set go for as low as $189 over the holidays, it's still not common to find a 42" HDTV set that cheap. Instead, we recommend keeping your eyes peeled for models at $349 or lower, which is still an unbelievably low price for these TVs.

46-inch 1080p LCD
Third-tier 46" LCD HDTVs have been hovering in the $400 price range since May 2011. If you see a deal at $450 or below, we suggest going for it. As far as brand name TVs, anything below $575 would offer the most savings.Read more

January 26, 2009 /PRNewswire/ -- NAVTEQ, a leading global provider of digital map data for location-based solutions and vehicle navigation, today announced it is providing mapping, traffic and content services to the National Football League (NFL) and the Tampa Bay Super Bowl Host Committee. NAVTEQ will assist the NFL and Host Committee with managing increased traffic volume with real-time congestion monitoring and provide fans and visitors with event venue maps and valuable Tampa Bay-area travel information.

As the provider of the official Super Bowl XLIII Online Map and Event Guide, NAVTEQ is working closely with the NFL and Host Committee to provide an array of location-based services including online and print maps identifying nearby lodging and restaurants, real-time traffic information with optimal travel routes and official guide information for event times and locations of Super Bowl-related activities for the entire Tampa Bay metropolitan area. Read more

January 26, 2009 /PRNewswire/ -- The Stratosphere Casino Hotel and Tower is celebrating the Big Game by offering a "Big Game Package" for $150 that includes two nights accommodations (including a free room upgrade) the weekend of February 1, a bucket of beer and two hot dogs during the Big Game, and two tickets to either the American Superstars or BITE production shows.

The "Big Game Package" includes a two-night stay either Friday, January 30 and Saturday, January 31; Saturday, January 31 and Sunday, February 1; or Sunday, February 1 and Monday, February 2. The free upgrade to a Player Suite, Spa King or Premium 2 Queen Guestroom is based on availability. The bucket of beer and two hot dogs will be provided in the race & sportsbook during the Big Game. American Superstars is a celebrity tribute show that plays at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. BITE is a rock and roll erotic revue centered in the mysterious and seductive world of vampires that plays at 10:30 p.m. nightly. The Stratosphere's race and sportsbook was recently expanded and remodeled with new carpet and chairs to compliment the experience of watching live games on one of 15 television sets including a big screen. Read more

Earlier this week, George W. Bush’s second term as the 43rd President ended. At that precise moment, Barack Obama became the United States’ 44th President. With his inauguration ceremony, the country closed the second chapter of what is arguably a dynasty and welcomed in a relative newcomer to the country’s highest office. In addition to being a political neophyte in many ways, Barack Obama is also the first Black American to assume the presidency. Both the media and the minority community lauded this fact as not only a point of pride, but also as proof of the opportunity in America. Eerie as it may be, the world of sports provides us with an interesting and well-timed parallel on its largest stage: the 43rd Super Bowl features a dynasty, Pittsburgh, and a newcomer, Arizona. Read more

January 2009 /PRNewswire/ -- The game is on at the Orlando World Center Marriott Resort in celebration of Super Bowl XLIII with gridiron getaway advance purchase party rates from $220 - $259 per room, per night, from January 20, 2009 through February 2, 2009*. This Central Florida world-class Orlando hotel is located only 70 miles from the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

For those not driving to the game, kick off the action-packed Super Bowl weekend and cheer on your favorite team in High Velocity, where guests will have a front row seat to view the Super Bowl in a casual, contemporary Orlando restaurant setting. High Velocity is one of the largest sports bars in Central Florida boasting 28 flat panel HDTVs. Doors will open at 5:00 p.m. on game day with an all-you-care-to-eat Super Bowl Buffet Party for only $50 per person (excluding tax and gratuity) that includes: Read more