Get in the Big Game: 7 Apps for Your Super Bowl Bash

Feb. 4, 2011— -- So you're not throwing down thousands of dollars to watch the Packers take on the Steelers live at Cowboys Stadium. Come Sunday, there's no reason to feel left out of the action.

If you can juggle a mobile device in one hand and bottle of beer in the other, a slew of Super Bowl applications can bring you to the line of scrimmage -- virtually.

Some give real-time scores and 3-D views of the stadium. Others help you bone up on football history. If you're more interested in what's on the dining table than what's on TV, a bunch of cooking apps can provide the best recipes for your game-day bash.

Whether you're watching with just a few fans or a party full of football fanatics, take a look at seven Super Bowl apps below.

1. Super Bowl XLV Official NFL Game Program

Download this iPad app and you can hold the coveted Lombardi trophy in the palm of your hands -- well, kind of.

The NFL's official app for the iPad is the league's digital age answer to the traditional souvenir program and, on the cover, it features an interactive graphic of the Lombardi trophy. Spin it around, zoom in close. Virtually, it can be yours.

The free multimedia app includes information on the Packers' and Steelers' journey to the big game, along with key highlights from the past season and history-making moments from past Super Bowls.

2. Super Bowl XLV

For the lucky fans planning to swig their beer and scarf down their burgers from inside Cowboys Stadium, this app promises to be the ideal pocket wingman.

Free from the NFL, this official app for the iPhone and Android phones features a 3-D map of North Texas, including interactive maps of every floor in the stadium.

Even if you plan to spend all of Sunday on your couch, with this app, you can feel like you're sitting on the 50 yard line.

"We've broken down Cowboy Stadium into its component parts, level by level," said Patrick McCormack, general manager of mobile for the NFL. "You can fly into Cowboy Stadium and take a look around to see what it looks like from the inside."

The app also includes a schedule of events for the entire week and shows who is checking in where.

McCormack said the league invested in the "first-of-a-kind" application, designed by the mobile development start-up UpNext, because fans were asking for it.

"They want access to the NFL anytime, anywhere and that's what we're trying to do -- to reach our fans wherever they may be," he said.

3. In the Kitchen: Food Network Recipes

Super Bowl Sunday always means super-sized food. If you're throwing a party but still don't know what to serve, check out the Food Network's app for the iPhone and iPad.

Just in time for the big day, the $1.99 application features recipes for your "Big Game Bash."

Bourbon Street Chicken Wings, Slow-Cooker Texas Chili and Dark Gooey S'more Brownies are just a few of the goodies on their list.

Other cooking apps with Super Bowl suggestions include the Eye Chef Big Game ($1.99) and AllRecipes (free).

4. Super Bowl Winners

Impress your friends with your vast knowledge of football history with the help of this free app for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Dating back to the very first Super Bowl in 1967, it includes information about winners and statistics, as well as the history of the beloved American sporting event.

If you want to recall stats and scores from this season, check out ESPN's free ScoreCenter app for the iPhone and Android phones.

If you're willing to spend 99 cents, American Football - Understanding the Game puts a guide to the game in your pocket. Through color illustrations and text, it explains the rules of the NFL and breaks down the basics.

5. Official Green Bay Packers

If you're a cheesehead at heart (or just posing as one for the day), this app will make sure you know everything about your favorite team on the big day.

The official application from the Green Bay Packers features bios on all players, coaches and staff members, injury reports, stats, up-to-the-minute news and exclusive video.

It's available for free for the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android phones.

6. Steelers' GameDay PLUS

Show your Steelers pride with your cell phone.

The official application features real-time scores, stats, standings, video on demand and Twitter posts from the team.

The app is available for the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android phones and BlackBerry, but for a price: $1.99.

7. ADBOWL

Finally, if the only reason you watch the Super Bowl is for the entertaining ads, here's an app that will let you broadcast your critiques from the couch.

ADBOWL, a free app for the iPhone, lets you rate commercials as they air during the Super Bowl.

Just download the app and register your opinion (on a scale of five stars). The next day, the site will rank the ads according to votes. (If you'd rather vote after the game, you can just sign on their website.)

If you want to re-live Betty White's Super Bowl moment from 2010 or see other ads from previous Super Bowls, the free A+ Super Bowl Commercials app for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad links to YouTube videos of old favorites.