Playbook Plates

by: Aidan DeMuro

As we enter the thick of the football season, there is one classic food the fans always crave. What is it? Wings. Today in my blog we’re gonna look at the cultural roots of the chicken wing, and how it has kept the common sports fans fingers coated with sauce since 1964.

The Buffalo Wing as we know it today was created in 1964 at a little place called the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. Crispy fried wings, hot sauce with celery and blue cheese on the side instantly became a hit with the bars patrons, and soon the alarm was sound and Buffalo Wing became a staple finger food for years to come.

Now, Americans are expected to eat an estimated 1.45 billion Buffalo Wings on this upcoming super bowl Sunday ALONE. But why is this the case? Why did the Buffalo Wing’s popularity surge? and how the hell do we eat 1.45 billion chicken wings every Super Bowl?

The creation of the Buffalo Wing coincided perfectly with the first Super Bowl being held three years later in 1967. It was here where the wing was able to showcase its finger food dominance, and win over fans with wings available at tailgates, and at the surrounding bars in the area. In the late 60’s restaurants and bars in the major cities like New York, Boston and Chicago began marketing themselves as ultra casual with cheap food and drinks. This friendly and casual atmosphere would attract sports fans to find banter and find camaraderie with one another.

these ultra-casual joints would reinforce a culture around sports enjoyment, a share-ability around food & drinks (perfect for wings!!), and a steady flow of competition. These vibes would be capitalized on and the modern sports bar; Legends would be birthed in 1979. It was here you could watch a full game and enjoy your favorite food and drink and be with friends & family in a casual atmosphere.

With the creation of sports bars in full affect, a culture ripe with buffalo wings and saucy fingers was engrained into sports spectating and the culture of football. But how serious would it become? – Since the 1990’s, buffalo wings have consistently been the biggest seller and the must-have item for Super Bowl season. Last football season, searches for buffalo wings across all food delivery services saw a 25% uptick from a study by Toast. Higher than any other category on the app. https://pos.toasttab.com/blog/on-the-line/super-bowl-restaurant-specials-trends?srsltid=AfmBOorc81Qb9_hyukQRyo8PZ7CVyakd4mPAbj6IJIUPo_KgiYy-MyI5

With the popularity of wings skyrocketing since the onset of sports bars, they have become a fan-favorite due to their accessibility, multitude of flavors, and share-ability ensuring there is some for everybody. This has become a lethal combination for game day as it takes the cake of every other game day food leaving memories surrounding wings you can never forget.

Thank you and catch you next time!