The Patriots have a curse. The Steelers have a rapist. The Packers are in the Super Bowl.
I feel like this is the time of year people go crazy with football. It doesn’t matter if your team made it in the super bowl – it’s still a big deal. I see it all over campus and Facebook. People make bets, plan huge parties, or smack talk endlessly, even though their team didn’t make it. Even some people who never watch football are interested in the big game. I love watching all the commotion it creates, and the tension it generates between friends and family.
The playoffs keep everyone on their toes with strange events. There’s been the talk about the Patriot curse. They have unbelievable seasons and then when it comes to the games that matter most, they lose – and to the Jets of all teams. The Jets had a pretty good team this year, but to lose so badly against a team that the Patriots beat pretty easily in season just doesn’t seem right. I guess the playoffs really show which teams work hard to improve over the season, and which teams don’t change much. Or in the Patriots case, think they’re too good for change. The Patriots are cocky, and it kills them every time.
It can definitely create tension between family and friends. I know of this tension first hand because I am a Steelers fan and most of my friends are cheering for the Packers in spite of me. Friends who don’t know anything about football will trash talk the Steelers just to get a rise out of me. They’ll tell me the Steelers suck, which seems to be an interesting comment about a team who made it in the Super Bowl. I love arguing and defending my team with friends, but not with people who can’t bring up valid points or use the cliché Ben rapist comments. Some arguments just get old. But if that’s all the trash talk people can come up with for my team, that’s pretty good.
Then there are the frustrating claims by fellow classmates that us Packer or Steelers fans just say we like them because they had a good team this year. Maybe I get this more because I am a girl so it ‘s assumed I just follow the winning team. Or maybe I get it more often because the Steelers have had a great team the past several years.
When I mention I am a Steelers fan or make a comment about being excited to watch the super bowl, people claim I am just joining the bandwagon. Last time I checked, liking a team since I was 10 doesn’t classify me as just joining the fad. I have my reasons for liking them, including no cheerleaders or stupid mascots, and they have been our family team since before I was born so it’s a fun bonding time for us all. If the Steelerss lose the super bowl I won’t stop cheering for them in seasons to come.
All around, it’s such a fun time of the season if you’re a football fan or not. And double the fun when it’s your team in the super bowl! Let the bets start rolling in, and go Steelers!

nskaff@mesastate.edu