The sporting event that will take place Sunday evening has essentially no equal.

Sure, there are the Olympics, the World Series, the Stanley Cup finals and the NBA championships. The excitement of those events are all spread over a number of days. Sunday’s Super Bowl, however, will pack all the excitement into a few intense hours.

The upcoming clash of the AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs and the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers will be more than a sporting event. Locally, people will be watching Iowa State graduate Brock Purdy lead the 49ers. And all over the country there will be folks hoping for a glimpse of Taylor Swift.

In short, this game will be a social event. Lots of people get together to watch other games, but Super Bowl parties seem to be in a class by themselves.

The parties will be a lot of fun, but a word of caution is needed. Super Bowl parties quite often provide an opportunity to have some alcoholic beverages. There’s nothing wrong with adults of legal age having some drinks, as long as no one overindulges and gets behind the wheel of a vehicle.

Having a designated driver who won’t drink remains the best advice for party-goers. Getting a cab is also an option. Staying put for the night may be an option as well.

Consuming alcohol can lower inhibitions and cause people to do dumb things. Let’s all behave responsibly. Cheering for your team is great. Slugging a fan of the other team is definitely not great. All the tackling should be reserved for the players on the field.

A little common sense will go a long way to ensure a fun night for everyone, and it will keep everyone safe.

Enjoy the game, football fans and Swifties.