The Super Bowl, Bad Bunny, and Athletic Brewing IPAs
I figured today I’d talk about sports and beer, since it’s Super Bowl day. My wife and I are going over to a friend’s house to watch the game, and especially the halftime show, since they are big Bad Bunny fans.
The fact that the poor guy has gotten death threats for the incorrect perception that he is not American as a Puerto Rican is a disgrace. How do so many dumbasses not understand that Puerto Ricans are U.S. Citizens? Puerto Rico and the CNMI (where I was born, with birthright citizenship) should both be states. But they aren’t, because Republicans understand that they’d be reliably blue. So, they’re treated like second-class territories, when they should be treated with the legal and cultural respect that all other of the 50 states get.
Yes, Bad Bunny is Puerto Rican, nonwhite, and his songs are all in Spanish, despite his English name. I don’t identify with his music personally, or understand it, but I absolutely respect both his talent, and public persona.
I also wish I loved sports in a healthy way, the way some people do, with their tight knit community of friends that are also hard core fans. I always enjoy watching football, soccer, basketball, or baseball, when it’s on, or hanging out at the pub to watch. But I always feel a bit embarrassed and insecure about my limited knowledge of players, coaches, teams, niche rules of the game, or my weak fandom. I also haven’t had cable or a TV at home for a long time, and had a lot of other life things going on. I think it’s much like not watching many movies, TV shows, or playing video games. I enjoy all of it, but just don’t spend a lot of time doing said activities.
Sports and beer just go well together. It’s like peanut butter and jelly on a sandwich. Or wine and cheese. Or cannabis and jam band music. Or MDMA and EDM music. Or black coffee and key lime pie or a scone. I don’t know, I’m sure there’s other great classic pairings I’m missing. Bluetooth headphones and a smartphone?
Where was I going with that? Oh yeah. Beer. The Athletic Brewing non alcoholic IPAs are pretty awesome. They actually taste as good and as close to the real thing as I’ve had yet. I’ve had bad to decent non alcoholic beers, but this one hits well, for the ambiance and flavor, as I continue on with a dry 2026.
