Pre-Super Bowl XLIV Water Cooler Conversation Starters (and Stoppers) for Non-Sports Fans

It's the moment fans have been waiting for... finding out who will be going to the Super Bowl next month. So, for non-sports fans, building rapport with clients, customers, colleagues and bosses who follow football is easy this week, IF you can talk about the big game.  Here's an all purpose conversation starter, and a conversation stopper, along with some Super Bowl basics you'll need to know:

Conversation starter: "What an ending... The Colts and the Saints are gonna meet up in Miami!"

Because?: Two games were played this weekend to determine who's going to the Super Bowl and both were exciting. The NFC Championship game between the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints went into overtime with the Saint's Garrett Hartley kicking the winning field goal to win the game. And,quarterback Peyton Manning threw 3 Touchdowns and rallied his Indianapolis Colts to overcome an 11-point deficit to defeat the New York Jets and claim the AFC Championship.

Conversation stopper:  “If the Super Bowl is Indianapolis vs. New Orleans, why is the game being played in Miami?”

Because?: True fans know that the location of the Super Bowl is pre-determined. Several years before the game is played, NFL cities with warm climates or enclosed stadiums submit bids to the NFL for the right to host the game. Each city must meet certain minimum criteria of available hotel rooms, practice facilities, stadium capacity, and more before they will be considered for a Super Bowl. At the NFL's annual meeting (usually in May), the 32 NFL owners vote on the location. Cities that receive few votes are eliminated, and votes continue until one city receives a clear majority (at least 17 votes).

Background Basics about this year's Super Bowl game:

• The Indianapolis Colts are the AFC (American Football Conference) Champions.
  
  
• The New Orleans Saints are the NFC (National Football Conference) Champions.
  
  
• This year's Super Bowl will be held February 7, 2010 in Miami Florida.
  
  
• This is Super Bowl XLIV (44)
  
  
• It's the first time ever in the history of the New Orleans Saints' franchise for the team to go to the Super Bowl (It's also the first time ever that the Saints won the NFC Championship.)
  
  
• It's the second time in four years that the Indianapolis Colts will play in the Super Bowl.
  
  
• New Orleans is the boyhood home of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning whose father (former quarterback) Archie Manning played for the Saints for 10 full seasons and resides there now.
  
  

If you've got a conversation starter that worked... or one that didn't, let us know. We'd like to hear about it.