More than 150 million people watched the Super Bowl game, but many in Bakersfield chose not to.
"There's other stuff to do, just another game, just another chance to go and drink beer, and I'm not really into that today," said David Stevens, who lined up outside Reading Cinemas to catch a movie on Sunday. "It's my day off. I work hard during the week, so why waste it sitting around my house watching TV?"
He got a movie ticket to see Underworld: Awakening in 3D and said he would look online later for whatever he missed.
"I'm going to watch the commercials on YouTube three hours later, so it's not going to matter to me who wins," he said.
One mom chose to get her family together at Chuck E. Cheese's. She says she didn't even know what teams were playing in the Super Bowl.
"I normally don't do anything for Super Bowl," said Kenya Coleman. "So I was like hey, it's my son's birthday, I'm not going to the Super Bowl, so let's have a party."
Several parties took place inside the crowded Chuck E. Cheese's on Ming Avenue while other parties celebrated football's biggest day of the year. But Coleman says she's not a football fan.
"I just have never been into sports," she said. "I never dated anybody who was into sports, so I just never got into it."
Phyles Lopez and her family hit the mall during the big game.
"I know the Super Bowl is on and everything, but I think that's the perfect time to shop," she said.
Many others thought so too. Parking was tight at Valley Plaza Mall, and few people came out of the stores empty handed.
Lopez says she goes to a Super Bowl party every year, and wanted to do something different this time.
"I think it's a good thing," she said. "You can grocery shop or something while everybody else is sitting at home."
