Multinational Super Bowl Night in the Heavy Airlift Wing Published Feb. 6, 2009 By Finland Capt. Juha Miettinen Heavy Airlift Wing Papa Air Base, Hungary -- Sports are a favorite pastime for Airmen of the Heavy Airlift Wing at Pápa Air Base, Hungary, and the Super Bowl was a good opportunity to gather all the sports nuts from the different nations of the HAW in the same place to get a taste of the biggest event in the American sports calendar. "It is very important for Americans," Commander of the HAW, Col. John Zazworsky admits. "After the 4th of July, the Super Bowl has become one of the biggest national events in the US." "This is also a very interesting game for me personally, because I have been a Steelers fan for as long as can remember," Colonel Zazworsky continued. Around midnight on Sunday members from all five nations currently represented in the HAW gathered together in the TV lounge of the Hotel Villa Classica in Pápa to watch the game live on a big screen. In addition to sports snacks and refreshments, a late night hamburger meal was organized by Master Sergeant Jason Brown. "The hamburgers were almost as good as the ones we have in Sweden," Supply Officer, Capt. Peter Benskjöld praises. And he knows his hamburgers, because before joining the Swedish Armed Forces Captain Benskjöld worked as a restaurant manager of the Swedish hamburger restaurant chain Max. It was the first Super Bowl for many of the Swedes, Norwegians, Finns and Hungarians. The US Airmen took time to explain the finesse of American football to their European counterparts, who are mainly familiar with soccer. The level of knowledge was not an obstacle as the game's electric atmosphere was shared by everyone in the room. "It was a good initiative and the atmosphere was fine," C2 Branch Chief, Lieutenant Colonel Tom-Ivar Punsvik of the Norwegian Armed Forces comments. "The sports are a nice way to introduce people to different cultures and of course to each other." One of the highlights of the night was the interception touchdown return made by the Steelers in the first half, which set off a storm of applauses and yells. But the climax was still to come. In the final seconds of the game the Steelers were able to snatch the title away from the Arizona Cardinals with a 27-23 win. It was a breathtaking sixth Super Bowl title for the Steelers. "American football is very interesting," says the Finland's Senior National Representative, Lt. Mika Saarinen. "It is fast and hard game, but nothing beats ice hockey," he states with a big grin on his face. Lieutenant Saarinen played ice hockey on the national level in the Finnish Hockey League for several years. The mood of Super Bowl night received a big thumbs-up from Lieutenant Saarinen. He has only one complaint about the television show. "Where were all those cheerleaders you always see in the American movies?" he says and smiles.