Here’s why you might see owls while scrolling through Twitter on Super Bowl Sunday
Are you ready for Superb Owl Sunday?
No, that’s not a typo.
We’re talking about the owls you might see while scrolling through Twitter on Super Bowl Sunday, with captions that include #SuperbOwl or #SuperbOwlSunday in them.
The meme soars out of the Internet graveyard every year to disrupt Super Bowl feeds on social media. And it’s kind of funny, unless you’re a football fan. Then it can get annoying.
Why?
Because sometimes we type fast — and “Super Bowl” comes out “Superb Owl” during a Google or Twitter search.
The earliest known posting about “superb owl” was on Twitter in February 2008, but it wasn’t until 2011 that it began to spread following the creation of a Superb Owl thread on Reddit, according to Know Your Meme, a website dedicated to researching and documenting memes and viral sensations.
Since then, #SuperbOwl and #SuperbOwlSunday memes have been featured on “The Colbert Report” and ”Jeopardy, and has amassed a string of articles on the topic, including in USA Today and The New York Times.
And the memes’ popularity doesn’t look like it’ll be ending anytime soon.
Google says it sees a spike in “Superb Owl” searches every year around the biggest football game of the season, particularly in the United States. The search giant is also having fun with it.
If you type “Superb Owl” in Google search, you’ll get information about Super Bowl 54, including the names of the teams, when and where it will be held and the different ways you can watch it online.
You’ll also get an Easter Egg for your misspelling: A football player owl with the words “Superb Owl.” Last year, Google’s Easter Egg was a giant owl wearing a crown.
Not impressed?
Well, you can always go back to this debate: Is it SuperBowl or Super Bowl?
This story was originally published January 31, 2020 at 4:00 AM with the headline "Here’s why you might see owls while scrolling through Twitter on Super Bowl Sunday."
