people that know me well know that i am generally a football fanatic. it's the only sport that i follow college teams and pro. i have my wolverines; i'm partial to the gators. i'm clemson alum, so of course, i love my tigers. i'm a closet (ok, not so closet since i'm typing it here) lions fan. i'm a huge raiders fan that is still in boycott after the chucky thing. (al, that was our lombardi trophy you old coot and proof positive that you have no business running my team anymore!!) i'm still considering recinding my boycott because i'm completely convinced that al davis is some sort of cyborg now that will never die or sell my team. i've taken over the years to substitutions: the jaguars (although my loyalty to them left with tom coughlin), the giants (because of tom coughlin), the chiefs (because marcus allen is in my opinion one of the greatest running backs of all time--in spite of al davis), the dawg pound (mainly because it was crappy to take the team away to baltimore),...well, suffice to say, i love my football.
this year leaves me in a bit of quandary. i'm quite pleased overall to see the cheeseheads going to the super bowl. they have earned it, and it really is great icing on the cake of brett farve's baked petootie. :) the green bay packers are not only one of the oldest teams in the league, but they have a rich football history. vince lombardi--duh, lombardi trophy--one of the greatest coaches ever. the team was founded in lambeau field in 1919. they are one of the few teams that has NEVER moved. the cowboys can't say that--they were originally in kansas city and not even called the cowboys. the pack won the first 2 official super bowls: in '66 against the kansas city chiefs and in '67 against my precious raiders (who won in '68 with the youngest head coach to win until chucky won with the bucs--anyone? anyone? john "annoying voice from hell" madden)...brett farve, super bowl mvp desmond howard (wolverine heisman trophy recipient)...i mean come on!! who can't love this team?!?!
the packers are even fan owned (and up until recently--the dawg pound) were the only nfl team that could say that. they have an extraordinarily loyal fan base, because the fans own them!! they aren't the high dollar team that jerry jones or al davis could put together. but no matter what jerry jones says, or cowboy fans say, this is truly one of America's teams. fan owned, fan driven and players are generally fiercely loyal to this team (bar the idiot farve...). cheeseheads will don their green and yellow, their mouse attracting hats, and face winter storms that send the rest of us into hibernation just to be out there supporting their team!! again, come on!! who can't love this team!?!?! (ok, shut up if you're a vikings fan.)
other the other side of the fence this year: the pittsburgh steelers. pittsburgh is the epitome of hard-working blue collar town. this is a steel mill town and when the steel industry took a big hit, the pittsburgh steelers gave this town--hell, the entire steel community of pennsylvania-- something to believe in. pittsburgh isn't the easiest place to be. fierce winters with the raging lake effect off the great lakes plummeting the city even when other great lakes towns are having mild weather. three rivers stadium--one of the most recognized historical sports sites, became their home in 1970. it is also, like lambeau field, one of the nfl's few stadiums that remains an outdoor location. the fan base must equally brave the cold to root for their home team. the steeler nation spawls the country. you can't get away from going into a sports bar on a sunday anywhere in the country and not see someone wearing the trademark black, gold and white. they're a very loyal crowd--win or lose.
the steelers have earned that loyalty. the steelers were founded in 1933 (not quite as old as the pack). they were originally the pirates...(hahaha, no, they played football). i'm pretty sure they're the only nfl team that can claim a former player went on to become a supreme court justice. (don't let the blue collar roots fool you; there is a lot of smarts in those roots!!) they've got a roster of great players: terry bradshaw, mean joe greene, jack lambert, jerome bettis, mel blount, hines ward, lynn swann--just to name a few. it's a hard-core team, known for it's hard playing tempo. big ben (roethlisberger) is their 3rd offensive rookie of the year. he was a gamble, but he fits the steeler mould--big, fast, hard hitting, and underestimated..at first. i'm a big ben fan in spite of his apparent off-field antics that may sooner or later prove that he's a chauvinistic pig that needs to have his *ss kicked. (i'm saving my opinion for more data...)
ok, so i can't make up my mind. there's not really an underdog this year (everyone knows i love an underdog). the bookies initially gave it to the steelers--until all the pack fans ran out there betting on their team. but reality: it should be a damn good game. close, down to the wire, knock down, drag out, kicking *ss and taking numbers on both sides!! i like both the quarterbacks. i don't think rodgers is as strong-willed as big ben, but he's straight-forward, direct, and exhibits good leadership qualities. not really a fan of either of the coaches, and the teams are pretty much equally matched. no real favorites for me to side with. honestly, i may just have to go by colors this year. not big on green--makes me look putrid and pale. black, on the other hand, is always flattering on anyone and everyone (even me). yes, i know it's a ridiculous way to choose who to root for. but even after writing this blog, it's all i've got to go on. maybe i'll just break my boycott, go buy a raiders jersey (they should be cheap now), and wear it...
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