Not a football fan, ladies? Options abound to enjoy Super Bowl

MIAMI (AP) _ Super Bowl Sunday, once the manliest of annual celebrations, is getting a shot of estrogen. <br/><br/>Tired of being sidelined during football's holiest day, sports-savvy ladies are brushing

Tuesday, January 30th 2007, 11:55 am

By: News On 6

MIAMI (AP) _ Super Bowl Sunday, once the manliest of annual celebrations, is getting a shot of estrogen.

Tired of being sidelined during football's holiest day, sports-savvy ladies are brushing up on their football lingo and planning couples activities to reconnect with their men, while other game widows will revel in a night of freedom.

``For single people, this has gotten as big as, 'Do I have a date for New Year's Eve?' There is hardly a soul that doesn't say what are you doing for the Super Bowl,'' sports lecturer Paula Duffy said.

The author of an audio book series, which includes the ``Woman's Guide To Football,'' Duffy says her Long Beach, Calif.-based business is swamped once the playoffs start. She travels the country speaking at Tupperware parties, holding seminars at The Learning Annex, appearing on radio shows and even teaching private lessons, which cost upward of $250.

Duffy demystifies the rules of the game for clients, a mix of single and married gals and business ladies looking to connect with their colleagues, with graphics and cheat sheets.

``Sports and entertainment have blended. Coaches like Phil Jackson are rock stars. There's red carpet events,'' Duffy said of the growing glamour factor surrounding sports. ``It's Access Hollywood meets ESPN and it's a genuine topic of gossip.''

And a great way for single women to snag a guy, said Duffy, who estimates about 60 percent of her clients fall into that category.

Several professional and college football teams are also giving women the play by play. The Buffalo Bills host NFL 101 during preseason camp, which includes lessons on how to catch and throw and a tour of the locker room.

Jan Wannstedt, wife of University of Pittsburgh's coach Dave Wannstedt, leads Football University, a one-night introductory class for women. The Cincinnati Bengals and the Green Bay Packers also hold Football 101, where attendance is in the hundreds.

Gwen Arafiles, 23, was one of 600 women who attended the University of California at Berkeley's womens football huddle led by head coach Jeff Tedford last August.

``It was definitely fun. They had us practice kicking field goals from five different spots on the field,'' said Arafiles, a public relations executive from Berkley. ``Afterward, I could say this is what a safety does. I can understand how a running back gets stripped of the ball.''

But what about the women who don't care as much about the game, but still want the camaraderie?

Christine Cheng hosts a couples football and cooking party and hires a gourmet tailgating chef. The ladies learn to make mini Kobe beef burgers, salmon quesadillas, homemade sweet potato fries and crab cakes which they later serve the boys.

``The men love watching the game and being served gourmet foods and drinks; the ladies love having a cooking class and being with their men,'' said Cheng, a 25-year-old marketing director from Beverly Hills.

A Brooklyn spa is looking to keep the sparks flying long after the coin toss with four plasma screen TV's, food and a full bar for the men and chocolate massages and facials to entertain the ladies. When the game is over, couples can reunite in Body by Brooklyn's thermal hot tub or Turkish steam room.

Then there are the gals who are happy to thumb their nose at football's most sacred day. Seattle restaurant The Pink Door is throwing a ``Superbelle event'' in their honor, which includes a manicurist, Tarot card reader, trapeze artist and chick flicks.

DIYNetwork.com is planning a marathon airing ``Knitty Gritty'' and encouraging knitters to trade tips over the Internet as they make shawls and blankets for charity.

And for the gals who didn't plan for the sacred game, there's still time to brush up on game day etiquette. Even for those stymied by a first down, Los Angeles psychologist Robert Butterworth said there are a few rules to stay on speaking terms after the game.

Super Bowl Sunday is not the time for women to discuss financial matters, compare themselves to the cheerleaders or start a sentence with ``You never talk to me,'' Butterworth said. And no matter what, don't vacuum during the game.