Autumn may have foliage, Halloween hauntings, and pumpkin spiced everything, but one thing dominates the minds of the most dedicated sports fans: football season. Chances are you’re not going to leave the house on Sundays between now and the Super Bowl, so you might as well cozy up in a nook that reflects your passion for your fantasy football team and admiration for eating hot wings in sweatpants. Here are some must-haves for the ultimate baller’s crib.
Crawl into the Man Cave
Your wife wouldn’t be a huge fan of the entire home being a giant shrine to your favorite team, but one dedicated room will easily become your favorite in the entire house. Some must-haves for your dream man cave might include at least two flat-screen TVs no less than 60 inches so you can catch every bit of action from every game, a sound system that’s all about the bass, sound installation to noise-proof the space outside of the cavernous doors, a floor-to-ceiling wall mural of the home team, and theatre-style recliners where you can kick up your feet and sink into the seat.
The Ultimate Bar
Drinking Budweiser might be okay for Game Day, but you’re not one to settle for a run-of-the-mill six-pack. Upgrade your bar area to include leather stools, a sleek bar top, and a fully-packed fridge that includes your quintessential hops and IPAs. Don’t forget about the liquor cabinet; always have the right ingredients (or perhaps an engraved cocktail shaker) for your signature martini or weekly Make-Your-Own-Bloody-Mary Bar.
XXL Backyard
When you’re not busy watching or analyzing football, you’re probably playing football before the game with your bros. Having an extra spacious yard saves you a trip to the local park—and also the embarrassment of having strangers watch you practice your touchdown dance. Wrapping up the game with an impromptu tailgate on your wooden deck is the ideal way to unwind after getting down and dirty on the green.
A Bar-Centric Kitchen
Your doctor recommends being healthy six days out of the week so you can splurge on Football Sunday. Having the ultimate buffet set up on a spacious kitchen island gives you enough room to spread out the mountain of hot wings and seven-layer nacho dip you’re planning on sinking your teeth into by the end of the first quarter. Getting pizza delivered from Domino’s is a decent standby for newbies, but wouldn’t a pizza oven make your slices that much better? If you don’t have space in the house for one, setting one up in the backyard is a good alternative.
Game Room for Game Day
You’re never too old to have game nights with your buds. A room solely filled with the works—a billiards-style pool table and a foosball court, a curated jukebox with nothing but the hits, darts in one corner and a Pac-Man arcade machine in another, a poker table for weekly Blackjack, an Xbox and PS4 (or a Super Nintendo if you want to go retro) hooked up to a massive flat-screen, and a cabinet filled with addictive faves like Cards Against Humanity and Monopoly—will keep you and your crew occupied for days.