The sports team geographically closer to me is far superior to the sports team geographically closer to you.
I just realized the Patriots are playing the Giants in the Super Bowl this Sunday and I bet I'll watch it.
Not because I want to, but because it's one of those things like seeing the new "Spiderman" movie that you just have to do to be able to talk intelligently about popular culture with others.
To tell the truth, I don't really care one way or another about professional sports. It's not that I have anything against it as a concept, I just don't seek it out to watch on my own--I usually see enough of it without seeking it out for myself.
Before my girlfriend Ash and I moved here from Indiana five months ago we were trying to figure out whether we were going to support the Giants or the A's. There isn't a major league baseball team in Indiana, so our alliegences were up in the air. I ended up going with the A's because green is my favorite color.
I am a man and as a consequence I am forced from time to time to watch sports when in the company of other males. Between these occurances I try to keep up on enough sports news that I can converse at a basic level when the time comes.
This is one of my superpowers.
On a somewhat related note, the more time I spend here, the more protective I have become of the Indianapolis Colts. When Ash and I were in Wal-Mart the other day, I felt a pang of homesickness when I saw a Colts throw pillow in a bin. A couple weeks ago, I stopped a guy on the street while walking the dog because he had a Colts sweatshirt on. I think I'm into the Colts now more than I ever was when I actually lived in the same state as them.
As a result, I despise the New England Patriots. The Pats have been the nemesis of the Colts for years, perennially spoiling dreams and playoff hopes. People who like the Pats who have never lived in the northeast are like people outside of Manchester, England liking Manchester United or anybody who doesn't reside in New York that likes the Yankees. Liking the most powerful, richest team just because they are the most powerful, richest team gains no cool points from me.
Luckily for me, given the amount of money and time spent on the accompanying advertising during the Super Bowl, it's apparent to this reporter that the people who put it on care about the game as little as I do. These hyper-expensive adverts fall into two camps those that have nothing to do with the product being advertised and those that really have nothing to do with the product being advertised. Regardless, I love watching them both, usually more so than the game they are supposed to be interrupting. Usually I see it as the other way around.
So in short, on Sunday I'll be rooting against the Patriots, and for the commercials.