Time for NFL team bars to speak up and be counted

It's that time of year again, when the thundering heat of summer dissolves into, um, the less-thundering heat of autumn ...

Sorry. That would have worked much better if John Facenda, the voice of NFL Films, were around to say it.

But the point still is valid: Football season is almost here, and in honor of the most wonderful time of the year, the Review-Journal again will compile a directory of Southern Nevada bars that cater to fans of specific NFL teams.

This year's directory will run Sept. 6 in the Life section of the Review-Journal and online at www.reviewjournal.com. That Is four days before the 2015 NFL season kicks off with a Thursday night opener between the Steelers and the Patriots.

Our mission, as it has been every year since this thing began more than — Great Halas' Ghost! — 20 years ago is to offer rabid fans a place to watch their home teams' games while surrounded only by fellow fans of their team, thus creating the sort of vibe you would feel at a bar back home.

Again this year, we add: There are plenty of sports books and sports bars in town that cater to those of you who want to watch multiple games at once. This is different. So deal.

And, toward our monomaniacal, one-game-only end, our rules:

• We list only those bars that show only its team's games while that team's game is being broadcast. Therefore, we don't include sports bars, sports books, casinos, bars or rooms inside casinos or anyplace else where multiple games are being shown while the hometown team's game is being broadcast.

• The bars on our list must be able to show every single game its team plays. That means the bars will have to subscribe to the NFL Sunday Ticket satellite package.

• We will list food and drink specials (with prices) that the bars offer during their team's games.

• And, we will list giveaways — drawings for footballs and caps and such — that bars offer during their team's games, although we don't list gaming-related promotions.

• Finally, we will take all of this info only from bar owners or managers during an actual telephone conversation. That means we won't accept voice-mail messages, text messages, emails, news releases, letters, faxes or secondhand messages of any sort.

Bar owners or managers (and only bar owners or managers) should call us at 702-383-0280. If we don't answer immediately, just leave a message, and we will get back to you ASAP — from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday starting Monday. You will have until 4 p.m. Aug. 14 to call. No calls will be accepted after that deadline.

So, let your favorite bar owner know that the time is now, and hope to see your team in the Super Bowl.

Contact reporter John Przybys at jprzybys@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0280 or follow @JJPrzybys on Twitter.