It’s going to be a weird Super Bowl Sunday in Vicksburg.

For first time in a couple of years, Malcolm Butler is not playing in the big game so the local rooting interest in the Patriots that he generated is gone.

Saints fans, still angry over the blown call that likely cost them a spot in the Super Bowl, are vowing to skip the game en masse as a protest. Expect a massive spike in Puppy Bowl ratings in Mississippi and Louisiana.

Given the way they got there, it’s hard for many fans in the region to root for the Rams. Given that they’re there yet again, it’s hard for fans outside of Boston to root for the Patriots.

So what is a football fan to do with no easy choices? How can you ignore the Super Bowl, when a third of the country is watching the game or talking about it on social media? Or, failing that, find a way to give a darn about two teams you currently despise?

Here’s some tips:

• Watch something else. Netflix and chill, or check out some of the counterprogramming options on TV Sunday night.

NBC Sports Network is rolling out the Curling World Cup at 5 p.m. Puppy Bowl XV is on Animal Planet at 5:15. HGTV has a “Beachfront Bargain Hunt” marathon all evening. PBS has a Masterpiece doubleheader starting at 6.

• Clean the house. It can always use it.

• Conjure up more conspiracy theories about the NFL keeping the Saints out of the Super Bowl. We can always use more.

• Be “That Guy” at the Super Bowl party. The one who says he’s done with the NFL and is only there for the snacks. Troll the league by trolling your friends. Please don’t hold me responsible if this winds up in your being shunned or punched by the end of the night.

• Gamble! If you hate the Rams and Patriots, put them to work for you. Office pools, Super Bowl squares and proposition bets (like wagering on who wins the MVP award or scores the first touchdown) are all good ways to find a rooting interest.

With Super Bowl squares and bets on the game’s point total, you don’t even need to root for a specific team, just an outcome.

There’s nothing like cheering wildly as Patriots fullback James Develin catches an 8-yard pass in the third quarter to go over the 5 ½ yards needed to win a prop bet.
Just because your guy or your team aren’t in the Super Bowl this time there are still ways to follow along. It’s Super Bowl Sunday. It’s a holiday. Don’t let an unfavorable matchup ruin the fun.

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Ernest Bowker is the sports editor of The Vicksburg Post. He can be reached at ernest.bowker@vicksburgpost.com