Does the NFL need a Super Bowl LIV villain?
By George Keim
This Sunday is the most important game of the NFL season. The hype surrounding it though, has been nonexistent. Does the game need a villain?
Let me make this perfectly clear. I hate the New England Patriots! I know, hate is a strong word and I discourage my 5th grade students from using it, but I’m an adult and I have a better grasp on what the word means so I get a pass.
I live in New England so as a Miami Dolphins fan you can imagine that it’s been a rough 20 years or so for me when it comes to my football fandom. It’s hard enough to sit through season after season of 7 and 9 or 8 and 8 Dolphins football, but to watch your division rival dominate in the fashion they have at the same time hurts.
Every year around January 1st I threaten to not watch the Super Bowl if the Patriots are in it. This coming from a guy who played football, coached it, watches it, and now officiates it. I love the sport. But the Patriots…yuck! Enough is enough. So you can imagine the jubilation I feel when the Patriots aren’t in the Super Bowl. I almost love seeing them lose as much as I love seeing the Dolphins win. Which will get some Patriot fans all lathered up and start calling me a “hater.” Ok, go ahead….I am!
I can’t believe I’m going to say this but, I almost miss that the Patriots aren’t in the Super Bowl this year. Notice I said almost. The two weeks leading up to this year’s Super Bowl has been a bore. No talk of cheating. No surly coaches demeaning the media. No talk of avocado ice cream. I kind of miss it. At least those things spark emotions. I’m not going out on a limb here when I say that the New England Patriots may well be the most hated team around the league. Over the last two years, I’ve actually attended anti-Patriot Super Bowl parties.
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That leads me to ask, does the Super Bowl need a villain? Does anyone outside of Denver or Oakland dislike the Kansas City Chiefs? What about the 49ers? Maybe Seattle fans? Rams fans possibly. Sure, there’s a player or two from this year’s Super Bowl teams that I could certainly root against, but most people I talk to can’t even give a definitive answer to the question, “who are you rooting for?” Heck, I can’t even answer that question myself. I like Andy Reid and think he’s a really good coach so I’d love to see him get a ring. I also would like to see Jimmy Garoppolo win one because that’ll give some Patriots fans heartburn, but on the other hand, I don’t want to see Garoppolo win because, well, he’ll always be a Patriot in my eyes. Remember the hatred!
The point of this, other than to trash on the Patriots a little bit is, the lead up to the big game has been boring. Heck, it’s even got me writing about the Patriots. So come Sunday, let’s hope the game itself is more interesting.