Frank Massey and his friends were in the zone at New London's Hot Rod Cafe long before Super Bowl XLIX kickoff time on Sunday.

"Don't judge us," said Massey, of New London. "We were here at 3. I've seen every game here and Rod (Cornish, the owner) knows how much I love it. This is the best place in town to watch the game."

Massey and seven friends had two corner tables within inches of a big screen TV. They had pre-ordered 100 chicken wings, four pitchers of beer and two 6-foot grinders. Most of them wore their New England Patriots jerseys for The Big Game.

The group, who work together at The Home Depot, watched with satisfaction as John Legend nailed "America The Beautiful." They listened respectfully, some of them standing, as Idina Menzel hit all the right notes with the national anthem.

Then it was game on.

"This is the first year I've gone out and watched the game, because I want to make sure I actually watch the game," said Rich Savoie, who wore a Rob Gronkowski jersey.

"Gronk" didn't disappoint, making an easy-looking touchdown catch in the second quarter. But the score was 14-14 at halftime, and it clearly wasn't going to be the Patriots blowout that some had predicted.

In another corner, three ladies whose teams had not made the Big Game washed down a plate of nachos with glasses of wine and basked in the atmosphere.

"It's a nice little football environment here," said Teresa Berry, a DJ at WBMW Soft Rock 106.5. Though she is a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, she was rooting for the Seahawks, since she was born in Seattle. Berry also gave it up for the Patriots' handsome quarterback, Tom Brady.

"The ladies love Brady. They really do," she said.

As of half time, the predicted snowstorm had not arrived.

Cornish, the owner of Hot Rod, said customers reached out to him earlier in the day, concerned after hearing city's parking ban would be in effect at game time. Cornish said he wrote to Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio on Facebook.

"Fortunately, he reconsidered and extended the parking ban, and we appreciate it," Cornish said.

At 2:14 p.m., the city announced the ban would go into effect at 8 p.m., but 46 minutes later it said it would not occur until 11 p.m.

Earlier in the day, beer, wings and trash talk were on the menu at other area sports bars.

Mike Stanley of Uncasville, who bellied up at The Longshots Sports Cafe in Uncasville to watch pregame Super Bowl coverage with his "so-called friends," said he's been a Patriots fan "ever since they came into existence." The team was founded in 1960.

"You've only been a Pats fan since they started winning," somebody yelled down the bar.

Stanley, 73, predicted a final score of 28-24, Patriots. Turns out, he nailed it. And he said "of course" he knows about Katy Perry, who performed at half-time.

"I'm up with pop culture," he said. "I have kids and grandkids."

Longshots aired The Big Game on a whopping 27 big screen TVs and projected it onto a 10-foot screen. Patrons received free raffle tickets, with a chance of winning one of two 50-inch televisions and a myriad of other goodies, according to owner Niki Lahaniatis.

David Bono of New London, nursing a beer at Christopher's Cafe in Groton Sunday afternoon, said he could never bring himself to root for the Patriots.

"Real Connecticut people are New York Giants fans," Bono said.

Besides, the semi-retired union laborer said, he hasn't forgotten how Patriots' owner Robert Kraft backed out, in 1999, of a tentative deal to move the team to Hartford.

Brown Derby in Montville's Super Bowl offerings included $1 tacos, 3 for $1 Derby Wings ("mild, spicy and crispy"), free pool and $7 pitchers.

"We have far more Patriots fans than Seahawks fans," said bartender Colleen Rix, who wore her Gronkowski jersey for her early shift. By late afternoon, she was getting ready to leave for home, where she was hosting a party.

Super Bowl Sunday is not the big night out it used to be, she said.

"It's a lot more low key in the past eight years than it has ever been," she said. "Everybody has a high definition flat screen TV at home."

At The Spot in Groton, bartender/server Christy Haddon said the volume would be turned "all the way up" on the nine big screens come game time. It gets loud, she said, but that's what makes it fun. She added that there was no chance the restaurant would run out of wings during the game, even though some early customers order more than they can eat so they'll have extra to take home.

"We've got backups downstairs," Haddon said.

k.florin@theday.com

Twitter: @KFLORIN