Super Bowl Sunday

I confess to being a fan of the New England Patriots. There, I said it. Many of my friends who are diehard Patriot haters are appalled when I make complimentary remarks about Tom Brady and Coach Belichick or actually say aloud that I want the Pats to win, but what can I say? I’ve always been impressed by the dynasty teams, the ones who consistently win over long stretches of time.

Growing up, heavily influenced by my older brother, I became a huge fan of the New York Yankees and the Boston Celtics. Year in and year out, you could count on those guys to be around when the playoffs began and often when they ended as well. As far as football was concerned, we pulled for the Dallas Cowboys, even though Terry Bradshaw and the Steelers kept getting in the way of a true dynasty. Fast forward to the present day and it would be hard for anyone to dispute the dominance of the Patriots in recent history. (New York Giant fans can just shut up at this point.)

This season I have not watched much of the NFL. I haven’t actually boycotted, but with all the hoopla surrounding the league, my interest has waned considerably. For a while, I would wait until the game was underway to turn on the TV. Not only was I missing the anthem and its associated protests, but I also managed to miss the ever-increasing number of semi-literate ex-players providing pre-game commentary. After every touchdown, I would immediately head for either a restroom or a snack break in order to intentionally miss the ridiculous and childish TD celebrations. Watching grown men play leap-frog or pretend to be bowling pins? Seriously?

When my Houston Texans lost our starting quarterback (after having previously lost numerous starting defensive stars), I gave up and quit watching anything other than some highlights on the local news channel for the remainder of the season. With the start of the playoffs, I began to watch a few games and by the Super Bowl, I had recovered my enthusiasm. I completely skipped the Pro Bowl, of course. Even the highlights. Who needs to waste time with that nonsense?

I approached the big game with mixed feelings. As well as dynasties, I also love a good underdog story. It was good to see Nick Foles play well and lead the Eagles to their first SB victory. I’m sure the Patriot haters enjoyed the game and even though they lost, I thought they played well and the game was entertaining. So, congratulations Eagles on a fantastic season!

And (IMHO) just saying … The commercials were a huge disappointment and the halftime show was too. Justin Timberlake? Seriously?